Back in the day, people who set off firecrackers on New Year’s Eve had the good grace to get up the next morning and sweep up the red-paper debris littering the ground.

Nowadays, not so much, sadly. Look around the neighborhood and there’s too much red litter still sitting in driveways and streets, even two or three mornings later.

The plethora of illegal aerials are Oahu’s biggest danger, of course, and it will take a massive community effort to significantly reduce the hazards.

But meanwhile, love thy neighborhoods. Clean up the mess you make.