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

[Mrs.Toad]

We have blue roadside signs that say "please drive carefully. In memory of XXX XXXX". People do put flowers and stuff around them, but usually just for the first six months or so, and then maybe a little more right around the anniversaries.

I've only seen a couple of window decals, but there is one that I see around town pretty often and it bothers me, not because it's a memorial, but because it's a giant advertisement that the car's driver lives alone with two small children. It has her name on it, her husband's name and dates of birth/death, and her two children's names and ages. It just seems dangerous to me to give everyone on the street your name, which they could easily use to find your address.

 

[CathrynRose]

Roadside - I've seen those for awhile. As long as I can remember.

Tattoo's - I don't know anyone with one. That's not to say it doesn't exist. I dunno...

Decals? I don't even know what you're talking about. Never have seen them. Got a picture?

ETA - I Googled them. I don't even know what to say. I don't like them.

 

[Silent1CB]

No.
Massachusetts.

 

[Jynohn]

A 20 year old girl was killed at in intersection near my house over a year ago. There has been a large memorial for her there ever since, including flowers, candles, signs, etc. While I can understand feeling the need to do something like that in the initial stages of grief, I can't help but feel bad for the neighbors who have had this memorial on on their rock wall in front of their house all this time. Not only is it a sad reminder of terrible tragedy, but they are also trying to sell their house. I'm sure they would rather potential buyers not see that their property was the scene of such a sad accident, but they're too kind to tell the family and friends that it's time to stop.

 

[HunnyPots]

Yep, all are huge around here. So many cars have the window decals now its becoming cliche. Tattoos, I haven't really noticed, but my son assures me that everyone he knows who ever watched Miami Ink or LA Ink has one. As for the roadside memorials, I say that is what a cemetery is for and I wish people would get back to visiting and decorating the gravesite if they are so inclined to do something - not commemorate the site of the tragedy.

 

[Sparx]

I think those window decals are really tacky. I'd roll over in my grave if someone had one of those on their car after I died. I've seen some really bad ones too, like "In memory of so and so" with a big picture of a football team's logo or a picture of a hunting rifle.

The roadside ones around here are usually for car wrecks. Its usually just a cross on the side of the road.

 

[NotUrsula]

I'm sorry, but every time I see the window decals I cringe. To me, it reads like, "Momma died, and LOOKEE what we bought with the insurance money!!" It reminds me of a joke that Larry the Cable Guy might tell.

As far as what they look like, here is an example from a site that sells them: http://www.customlabels4u.com/decals-memory.shtml

 

[Ember]

I'm sorry, but every time I see the window decals I cringe. To me, it reads like, "Momma died, and LOOKEE what we bought with the insurance money!!" It reminds me of a joke that Larry the Cable Guy might tell.

As far as what they look like, here is an example from a site that sells them: http://www.customlabels4u.com/decals-memory.shtml

Thanks for the pictures, I was having real trouble picturing what a window decal memorial would look like.

 

[JerseyJanice]

Roadside memorials have been around awhile. They're usually just flowers on the spot where someone died in a traffic accident. I personally think flowers should be at the grave site, but I guess that's not practical for all situations, like if the deceased were cremated or buried far away.

The only place I can recall seeing the window memorials is down the shore. I don't see them around here as a matter of course.

Tattoos I see here and there.

My son and I were waiting on a line to ride Moby Dick at the shore last summer. A woman in front of us had a huge tattoo on her back of a praying turtle that had a halo and angel's wings. There was an inscription of RIP Toby and a date of 1991-2002. I guess Toby really liked turtles.

My son (12 at the time) told me that he thought it was tacky to advertise your personal business like that. I think I brought him up well.

 

[Sparx]

Roadside memorials have been around awhile. They're usually just flowers on the spot where someone died in a traffic accident. I personally think flowers should be at the grave site, but I guess that's not practical for all situations, like if the deceased were cremated or buried far away.

The only place I can recall seeing the window memorials is down the shore. I don't see them around here as a matter of course.

Tattoos I see here and there.

My son and I were waiting on a line to ride Moby Dick at the shore last summer. A woman in front of us had a huge tattoo on her back of a praying turtle that had a halo and angel's wings. There was an inscription of RIP Toby and a date of 1991-2002. I guess Toby really liked turtles.

My son (12 at the time) told me that he thought it was tacky to advertise your personal business like that. I think I brought him up well.

Maybe toby was a turtle.

 

[Mermaid02]

I think those window decals are really tacky. I'd roll over in my grave if someone had one of those on their car after I died. I've seen some really bad ones too, like "In memory of so and so" with a big picture of a football team's logo or a picture of a hunting rifle.

The roadside ones around here are usually for car wrecks. Its usually just a cross on the side of the road.

Thank you for saying what I was afraid to- they are TACKY.

I'm sorry, but every time I see the window decals I cringe. To me, it reads like, "Momma died, and LOOKEE what we bought with the insurance money!!" It reminds me of a joke that Larry the Cable Guy might tell.

As far as what they look like, here is an example from a site that sells them: http://www.customlabels4u.com/decals-memory.shtml

Agreed.

 

[MM27]

I'm in NJ and I've seen many of these memorials, all three types. If you ever catch an episode of LA Ink, they do memorial tats all the time.

I don't care what people put on their body or on their car, but the ones on the road that get to be too much are tacky and need to be cleaned up. We had a guy in my town that was murdered and people were leaving random crap on the sidewalk where it happened, up the telephone pole, on the lawn of the house by the incident location. I think people were afraid to clean it up because they suspected the murder was gang related. As a homeowner, those people should not have to have all that stuff on their front lawn and on the sidewalk in front of their house years after the thing happened. I get that you miss your friend, family member, whatever, but memorialize them at home.

 

[dicar123]

I don't care for most of the public stuff.

My older son was hit by a car and killed while on a school field trip. The site has nothing. The freshman class (of which he was a part) planted a tree at the school for him with a memorial plaque. We donated a flagpole for the middle school football field, and it has a plaque as well.

One of his friends did get a tattoo, not mentioning my son by name. I was touched, but a little bothered. It's so permanent. I'd like my son remembered, sure, but the kids need to move on too.

 

[FireDancer]

The only thing we get around here are little crosses on the side of the road and maybe some flowers. When the grass is mowed sometimes they are removed. There really aren't any of the over-the-top gaudy ones that I hear about.

I have never seen these but I have heard that in some places people take bikes, spray paint them white, and leave them as memorials on the road where kids were killed. I would find that extremely creepy and those should be removed the second anyone from the city sees them.

I also personally find the tattoos a bit wacky but to each their own.

 

[TheZue]

Road side memorials are huge here. Most of the accidents end up in the news so when I go past them I sort of know the story. There are two that really give me an eerie feeling when I go past. The first was an awful case where a man who lost custody when to his child's school and took his daughter, while driving away he crossed the center line & hit a mini van. The three year old boy in the mini van died, he was my son's age...when I drive by that I feel awful. It was years ago and the memorial is in good condition. The other is two teenage friends who drove into a tree while speeding down a back road and both died. Their picture is on a huge poster and a phrase that says "Bob and Roy forever" (I changed the names), it is just so sad to think what those kids would have been doing now...it was also years ago and it's just such a waste of young life.

I wouldn't want them on my yard, but when they are on a rural road they do remind me to slow down and I will probably talk to my boys about them when I'm older.

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

I had never even seen a decal memorial until DH's good friend, Daniel, was killed in Iraq in 2005. He just turned 18. His dad had the decals made.
It says

In Memory of Lt Cpl Daniel Swaim
and then it has a pic of the gun with the boot on top
the date of his birth and death
and

Freedom isn't Free
Semper Fi

We have them on all our cars.
Now I see them everywhere. And they are getting bigger. This is strange, and I haven't read the whole thread so I'm not sure if someone else posted something like this, but about 2 months ago, I got in behind a truck that had a memorial decal for the father of one of my best friends(she died when we were 19). I didn't even know he had died. So I actually learned of a death from a decal. I am hesitant to say they are tacky...but I know what you guys mean. I don't even think they would have done it for Daniel if he wasn't a Marine. His decal isn't big. And tacky or not, we had to order a stack of them a couple of months ago because we both got different vehicles. As long as my husband and I drive, we will have a decal on our vehicle in honor of Daniel.

 

[katiebug86]

I have seen the roadside memorials, tattoos, and window decals.

When I was in highschool my bestfriend's cousin (who i knew very well, she went to school with us) committed suicide. Her younger sister was 15 got a rose with her sisters name on it tattooed on her. She was 17 when she died and for her 18th birthday her mother and sister threw her a "birthday party." The sister handed out flyers at school for everyone who was close to her. I didn't go to the party but apparently they had balloons and cake and it was treated like a normal birthday party. I have never heard of this before and thought it was really strange. My friend told me they also had a party for her 21st birthday. I don't know why, but it just doesn't seem like something that is really necessary. I would never want that if something happened to me, but I guess different strokes for different folks.

 

[FireDancer]

I have seen the roadside memorials, tattoos, and window decals.

When I was in highschool my bestfriend's cousin (who i knew very well, she went to school with us) committed suicide. Her younger sister was 15 got a rose with her sisters name on it tattooed on her. She was 17 when she died and for her 18th birthday her mother and sister threw her a "birthday party." The sister handed out flyers at school for everyone who was close to her. I didn't go to the party but apparently they had balloons and cake and it was treated like a normal birthday party. I have never heard of this before and thought it was really strange. My friend told me they also had a party for her 21st birthday. I don't know why, but it just doesn't seem like something that is really necessary. I would never want that if something happened to me, but I guess different strokes for different folks.

I have never heard of throwing a dead person birthday party. Perhaps a candlelight memorial on an anniversary or something but not an actual birthday party. I would very much not go to one of those.

 

[katiebug86]

I have never heard of throwing a dead person birthday party. Perhaps a candlelight memorial on an anniversary or something but not an actual birthday party. I would very much not go to one of those.

I know. I found it really strange. The mother had a hard time coping with the loss. She also had a photo album and took pictures with her in the coffin and such. In my experience I would just rather remember my loved ones how they were when they were alive and would not want pictures when they are deceased. Too me it's just kind of creepy. I do feel so sorry for her mother because to this day everytime I see her she mentions her daughter and it's been almost 6 years. I guess we all grieve in our own way.

 

[Emeralda]

One time I saw an older gentleman putting up a cross and flowers for where his loved one died. It was on a windy mountain road with a step drop off where he was putting it up. He was putting a lot of effort into making it look nice with painting and arranging the flowers because when we drove by a again a couple of hours later he was still finishing it up. It was sad and reminded us how dangerous that road is.

I do see them everywhere, the roadside ones that is. They are kind of distracting to me at least. It in a way disturbs me thinking someone died where I am driving. (death freaks me out). But after seeing that older gentleman part of me understands it must help them with closer/grieving process.

I have not seen tattoo memorials before.
I think I have seen the window ones, but never understood what they where before. I usually block out decals on vehicles.