My best(and worst) ever fireworks event was the same event. [View all]

Centennial of the Statue of liberty 1986. Heard it was going to be the biggest fireworks display ever in the USA. I was going to that for sure. Lived in NJ at the time so it was easy to get there. Drove north and parked at the Meadow Lands complex and took a bus to Liberty Park. Got dropped off and found a spot sit down.

Watched one hell of a show. Fireworks were launched from barges in the water all around Lady Liberty. It was a great show.

You have to realize that buses flowed in for hours to deliver tens of thousands of spectators. I had been there for hours before it got dark enough to start the fireworks. Again terrific show.

When the fireworks were done, Tens of thousands tried to get back on the buses, but the buses were nowhere to be found. The NJ State Police had blocked every intersection with cars and nothing could move.

This went on for about and hour. Chaos. I was lucky to see firsthand what happened next. A NJ National Guard deuce and a half showed up. The commander went over to talk with the Police. Went something like this. Guard commander asked why the were blocking everything up. A couple more Police cars rolled in and then a couple more Guard trucks to.

Guard commander explained that the crowd had been there all day and needed to get back on there way home. Police were rather unconcerned.

Guard commander told them to move the cars or the Guard would move them. The Police disappeared. More Guard trucks pulled up. Within minutes The Guard pulled down chain link fences and made space for the buses to turn around and directed the buses in to pick passengers.

Things started moving after that. Took some time but people were getting on buses back to the meadow lands where their cars were. It was rather late in the day at this point but we were on the move.

The bus ride was ruff and seemed to take forever. But in the end we arrived at Meadow Lands as the sun was coming up. Everyone was exhausted but we got to see the biggest fireworks display. My neck was painful for a few months, guessing that looking up at the fireworks while the temperature dropped did that. Wish I knew who that guard commander was so I could thank him and his troops. Peace.