An observation to the roadside memorial post - writing on car windows

[Hillbeans]

I've also noticed, that people write in Shoe Polish on their rear car windows RIP Jane Doe 1-2-80 - 3-5-03

Is this something new? I've seen 5 cars in the past few weeks with this sort of thing....

 

[Cindy B]

I see this is Philly quite a bit. Sometimes its not shoe polish, but its like airbrushed onto the glass.

 

[stinkerbelle]

can honestly say I've NEVER seen this.

maybe "congrats class of '04" but never "RIP XXX"

that just doesn't sound right to me...

 

[HollyJoy]

I've never seen that either! I've seen people writing "Go Team" on thier car with those special window markers. I think the RIP is a bit creepy for a car!

 

[kilee]

I've never seen them either. I know the one town around me is starting to ban roadside memorials. They are stating they are becoming too distracting (which I do agree w/), and that they are a hazard due to this. I know this town has a 5 mile stretch where there are 3 HUGE memorials.

 

[tigger1958]

I just saw two RIPs in the last week or so. One one on the rear window and the other was on the spare tire cover (both SUVs).

 

[monkeyboy]

In some area's it a tribute to a gang member

 

[frustrated]

I don't think that I want to be remembered on someone's car window.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

In this area window memorials are quite common. They are professionally done and usually say something like "In loving memory of my Father, John Q. Smith, 1/1/00 - 2/2/55." We have discussed that we do not want a memorial like that.

 

[Hillbeans]

Hmm.....I guess people have different ways of remembering a loved one...I thought the same as Monkeyboy about these being some sort of gang member tribute.

I do think it's very distracting to have that on a car...for the person driving trying to look out the windows and for the other drivers on the road reading it...

 

[mickeyfan1]

Never seen this, but around the corner someone was apparently very POed about a car he either bought or had repaired by someone. It seems the engine blew so he wrote in neon orange paint - Ripped off by XXXXX, blown engine, ripp off, etc. It was quite the statement and it must have worked, a couple of weeks ago the car disappeared, and now it has returned, no words on the windows, and it is parked in a different spot daily.

I think it would be distracting to see memorials on a car window, but people do put lots of other stuff on them, so why not? Not something I would do.

 

[goofygirl]

I see this is Philly quite a bit.

Me too. Definitely an "urban thing."

 

[always quiet]

Yep...............quite common here in PA. It has been springing up more and more in recent years. Not my cup of tea, but I guess, to each their own.

Do other areas also put memorials up on roadsides when someone is killed in an accident? I don't think there is any road I can go down anymore where there isn't at least one memorial. I don't find them distracting but a solemn reminder at how fleeting life truly is.

 

[KristaTX]

I see things like "In loving memory of xyz" occasionally here on the back windows of cars. I always think, "You're dedicating your car to your dead friend/family member?"

 

[Mom2Angels]

I have a CRV and on my two very back windows, I have the saying - "Angels watch over us" and in one of the letters (can't remember which, I think it is the "O" in over) I have my two angel sons names, one Troy and the other James in much, much smaller letters, you have to be standing next to it to read it. I had them done at the mall at one of those Kiosk things.

I also see the memorials on cars here all the time, I'm in Georgia!

 

[hipporina]

They do the car thing here to and I think it is just silly. It's not painted on though, its usually stickers with the initials and dates. I just don't get it.

 

[Hillbeans]

Originally posted by Mom2Angels
I have a CRV and on my two very back windows, I have the saying - "Angels watch over us" and in one of the letters (can't remember which, I think it is the "O" in over) I have my two angel sons names, one Troy and the other James in much, much smaller letters, you have to be standing next to it to read it. I had them done at the mall at one of those Kiosk things.

I also see the memorials on cars here all the time, I'm in Georgia!

I'm sorry I didn't mean to offend you or anyone else with this...it was more for the large painted on words in shoepolish that I had wondered about.

 

[Melora]

Never seen the shoe polish out here in So Cal. But in our community we have a lot of the small professionally done window memorials that say "In lovig memory of xxxxx.." then the years.

Most of them are for the same couple of young people who have died in the past coupel of years. It makes me sad to see them.

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

I guess I just don't see the point. Everyone has lost someone dear to them, but if we all started listing the dates on our car windows it would become a pretty major safety hazard.

 

[caitycaity]

huh, i've never seen a memorial on a car window, shoe polish or otherwise. it seems a little strange to me.