Are memorials (window decals, roadside, tattoos) popular where you live?

[MushyMushy]

As a spin-off of the memorial tattoo thread, I was wondering if memorials are popular where you live. Around here, people are really getting more and more into the car window decals that will take up the whole rearview window, and some people are putting them on their apartment windows.

The tattoo memorials are a whole other thing too. I mentioned in that thread, my daughter's 8th grade friend getting a handwritten memorial on her leg to her grandfather who died in 1999 when she would hardly have known him. I know of two high school boys who have memorial tattoos on their arms, and I've seen them on numerous adults.

Roadside memorials have been going on for a while around here. I know this topic has been covered on the DIS before though.

 

[clarabelle]

Yes
I was thinking yesterday about this when I saw one of the huge car decals.
I am a private person -so this isn't for me
Whatever helps you get though your grief though.

 

[Mermaid02]

Yes we see those "In memory of" window decals all the time here. I really don't get it. EVERYONE has lost someone they love- I don't see the point of plastering your grief all over the windows of your car. I've told my kids I will haunt them if they ever do that.

 

[lspst8]

I have only seen a couple of the window decal memorials around here (western PA).

The roadside memorials are very big here --- I have a 45 mile commute to work and pass at least 2 everyday. There are lots of windy and narrow roads around here, so unfortunately, there are many fatal car accidents.

 

[Sleepy]

There are many roadside memorials in my area.

 

[luvsJack]

I have seen a lot of the window stickers. It seems to be something popular with the Mexican community and we have a lot of immigrants in this area.

The flowers and crosses on the side of the road are pretty popular too. Some really get out of hand. There is one close to my house that has so many flowers piled in the spot, it looks like an actual grave and its right in front of someone's house.

My son wants a tattoo for his grandfather but not some big poem or "in memory of " or anything like that. His grandfather coached him in baseball for years so he just wants a baseball or glove with the dates of his grandfathers birth and death. Kind of like the native American Johnny Depp has on his arm is for his grandfather (it doesn't say anything, just the Native American with a full headdress and all)

 

[a1tinkfans]

Just my opinion,

The Roadside Memorials of fountains (YES, fountains, its SOLAR, signs, pictures, candles, flowers, rocks, statues etc etc) should be removed and against the law. They are everywhere (parkways, on/against trees, at driveways) (a neighbor of mine had a young man die at his driveway/tree, a car accident, TRAGIC, but it literally became a Shrine and it was so disturbing for that family.... to see it each and every day, right out their front window literally over a year and now, just a flower attached to a tree)
Very sad
While driving, they are not only distracting but become another eyesore as they are forgotten by those that left them or ignored and not kept up.
These memorials are seen in other countries where burials/ceremonies of the tragic loss of life are not held, thus "memorials" are made ....so now it has come to our neighborhoods, towns and communities and grown into a "norm." Personally I wish they were not here, they're so sad and everywhere.

I am not unsympathetic, unkind or untouched by tragedy, but the roadside memorials IMHO need to be removed.

As far as the memorials on cars, homes, persons, I say, to each his/her own. People grieve in their own ways, people celebrate and remember their loved ones in their own ways. After 911 (I am in NY) I saw a HUGE increase in many these type memorials. They are all a reminder of how precious LIFE is!
Again, just my opinion ...

 

[MushyMushy]

I don't have a problem with them (other than the really distracting ones along the road), but sometimes they seem to be competing, like my grief is bigger than your grief. There's a public housing apartment building I pass every day and one person put a memorial decal on their truck window a couple of years ago. Then it was like flowers popping up everywhere -- soon they were in apartment windows, on more car windows, just spreading all through the place. Now they're in town everywhere too.

I have a hard enough time going to my mother's grave once a year to put flowers on it (even then I only do it for my dad and sister). There's no way I could drive around with that reminder on my car.

 

[4nana]

Yes, we see car and road side memorials all the time in our area.
It's not my thing, but certainly don't mind if people feel it helps get through their grief.
One of those things where I really try not to sweat the small stuff.

 

[Keli]

Roadside memorials have been popular here for years but I've noticed that they usually disappear after one season. Don't know if the county cleans them up or what.
I've seen the memorials on cars/trucks but not as many here as other places. I do think they seem to be growing in popularity though.
I pay zero attention to most tattoos and never take the time to try to read one so I don't know how many are memorial ones in my area.

 

[MIGrandma]

I've never seen window memorials, nor tatoos but the roadside ones are popular here.

On our recent vacation I saw one in either Kentucky or Tennessee that had the cross like most do, but then on the cross was a T-shirt with a large picture of the deceased person on the front. I'd never seen one like that before. Usually just the cross with flowers on/around it.

 

[HOGFAN]

my friend has a window memorial for her mom. I think it is very sweet and helps her thru her grief.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

Yes to all of them. I don't get it either, but as mentioned, whatever helps you go on. I don't think that the roadside memorials should be allowed on public property. JMO. If someone were killed in front of my house and the family wanted to place a wreath on my property, I would politely decline.

In other cities I have seen where the coroner spray paints a cross on the road if someone was killed there. A grim reminder to drive safely.

What I don't get is the newspaper "happy birthday" notices to people that have been dead for years. That really puzzles me.

 

[Rora]

There seem to be quite a few road side memorials down here in FL. I can't drive on the Turnpike without seeing at least 10 or so (and that's a short drive!!).

As far as the car window thing goes, I haven't seen HUGE ones but I've definitely see the "In Memory Of.." decals. I would never do it but to each his own I guess. I just don't want to put anything permanent on my car!

 

[luvsJack]

Yes to all of them. I don't get it either, but as mentioned, whatever helps you go on. I don't think that the roadside memorials should be allowed on public property. JMO. If someone were killed in front of my house and the family wanted to place a wreath on my property, I would politely decline.

In other cities I have seen where the coroner spray paints a cross on the road if someone was killed there. A grim reminder to drive safely.

What I don't get is the newspaper "happy birthday" notices to people that have been dead for years. That really puzzles me.

I agree with you on the private property. I am sure the man who ones the property down the road wishes he had declined. It was a teen age boy that died in the wreck and it was about 5 years ago. The flowers are changed out for every season, a huge area is just covered with flowers and on the boy's birthday and valentine's day they add balloons. I think the mother would actually get through it better without this shrine. I think she passes it everyday.

My brother was killed in a 4 wheeler accident 11 years ago right in front of his house (right down the road from me), I was so afraid that my sil would want to put flowers on the site. I knew that if she did, all of us would see it every day and it would be really, really hard to deal with that every day. I was very glad that she didn't do it.

 

[xoprincessmomxo]

I've seen a few of the window memorials. I've always thought they were a little strange. Is it the car that's in memory of the loved one?

As for roadside memorials, I've seen a few. I'm from a very small town, so the accidents happen on the highway outside of the town. There's one of a teenage boy that his Grandma maintains. I actually like it because it is a great reminder for his classmates to be careful when driving.

My favorite memorial is a beautiful bench in the town's park for a girl and her husband who were killed in an automobile accident. She was a year older than me and they were newly married when another car ran into them. The bench is situated so it faces her parents house. So sad, but really touching.

 

[Ember]

I have never seen a memorial on a car, so that's new to me. We do have the roadside memorials and I, personally, am not a fan. If someone feels they must, then put it up for a few weeks and then take it down. There's one with a bike painted white around here that actually drives me nuts. It's always covered with fake flowers and it looks terrible. I guess I think that everyone has losses and that a public area is not the place to deal with a private loss. Can you imagine if everyone felt they needed a memorial on the streets?

I guess I have a memorial tattoo... I've never thought of it that way, to tell the truth. On my left wrist is the word "forever" on my mummy's handwriting. It's tiny and no one ever notices it. There were a lot of reasons for getting it, but as an actual memorial wasn't one that I considered. Anyway, your body or even your car is you business. But I do think the streets should be kept clear.

 

[tinatark]

In FL, the state now issues round, white signs where highway deaths have occurred - they wanted to stop the "memorial" in the large sense so many have become. When we were there last week, I noticed that the round signs have kind of become a base for other stuff - flowers, balloons, etc.

As far as the window decals, we had never even considered them until my BIL, a 43 year old firefighter, died suddenly in October 2008, a "line of duty death". His fellow firefighters had some made, they have them on "his" engine, the other apparatus and their helmets among other things - we do have those on our cars. They made them, they're the Maltese cross with his initials and the dates. Maybe 4x4 inch square altogether. I can't explain it, but those almost make us part of "the brotherhood".

 

[tazdev3225]

I have seen the car memorials, tattoos and roadside memorials. I understand the need for the roadside memorials initially. My DD lost a good friend in a tragic accident 7 years ago. We were the first ones to place a stuffed animal at the sight because it helped my DD. There are stiil bears, flowers, balloons and candles placed there constantly. I drive by the site once a week and find it to be a distraction. They hold memorial services for her there and the family still buys her holiday gifts and birthday presents. I really feel that the memorials have a place initially but after a while they are not allowing the natural stages of grief to happen. They are a diistraction to drivers and there is the very real risk of another tragedy occurring there. JMHO

 

[bgirldeb]

I've seen a few of the window memorials. I've always thought they were a little strange. Is it the car that's in memory of the loved one? .

Me too! I guess everyone has different ways of grieving, but I don't understand this one...