Why Do People Do This To A Funeral Procession?

[Rokkitsci]

I agree that this is a sad reflection on our times, and I see it getting worse.

Too many people have grown up with the idea of instant gratification - no respect for anyone - interested only in what 'feels good' at the time.

This sort of behavior will continue as long as we encourage our youth to look for ways to be a victim rather than ways to deal with life as it presents itself.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

My nephew was actually HIT while he was in procession during my dad's funeral.

The stupid thing was,it happened right in front of a cop who had someone pulled over for speeding.

The woman tried to blame my nephew, I guess because he was only a kid (17) but the cop shut her up by saying HE was in a funeral procession ( I think he had to bite his tiongue to avoid inserting the word "idiot")

 

[Disney1fan2002]

I agree that this is a sad reflection on our times, and I see it getting worse.

Too many people have grown up with the idea of instant gratification - no respect for anyone - interested only in what 'feels good' at the time.

This sort of behavior will continue as long as we encourage our youth to look for ways to be a victim rather than ways to deal with life as it presents itself.

I don't agree, I think it is a small handful of people who just have no clue.

I was quite impressed and moved during my brother's funeral procession. He died in the month of June, so it was warm, and the amount of people who were out doing yard work, or just on the sidewalks, who would stop their lawn mowers, or remove their hats as we passed. It was amazing.

 

[Amberle3]

I think it's a combination of a reflection of our times, and people who just don't know any better.

On the one hand, I think that there are many, many drivers out there who frankly don't care about funeral processions. They want to get somewhere, there's something holding them up, and they're not happy about it. Chalk it up to the "me" generation, the fast-food generation, the increase in road-rage or whatever, but there are a lot of very angry, impatient people out there driving. I had one of them behind me the other day, who was very upset that the lane we were in wasn't moving when he could clearly see that the intersection was blocked and there was nowhere to go. He slammed his truck into reverse, hastily maneovered out of the land and into the next where he sped forward exactly 2 car lengths. And you could see him still yelling and agitated. Someone like that, they don't care about funeral processions - all they care about is getting themselves to where they're going.

I also think that a great number of people don't know how to recognize a funeral procession, or don't know what to do regarding a funeral procession. Daytime running lights are law here, so all the cars have them. I don't recall seeing little flags or anything like that for processional cars, but I think that would be a darn good idea. I think they should also do some radio or tv reminders occasionally - one of our stations does them with regular driving tips so maybe they can add funeral processions.

But I think that in general people think that someone dying just has nothing to do with them so why should it affect their day... why should someone else's funeral stop them from driving where they want to.

 

[Rokkitsci]

I don't agree, I think it is a small handful of people who just have no clue.

I was quite impressed and moved during my brother's funeral procession. He died in the month of June, so it was warm, and the amount of people who were out doing yard work, or just on the sidewalks, who would stop their lawn mowers, or remove their hats as we passed. It was amazing.

Yes - people out doing yardwork are typically people who would pay proper respect to a funeral procession. People on rural roads would be more inclined to show proper respect.

I think where you have the most egregious examples of disrespect are in urban areas where the hustle-bustle seems to affect people's attitudes.

There are obviously still a lot of people in this country with good manners. What we are experiencing is the increase in the numbers of people who have no manners at all - in fact they have no concept of what "manners" really are - and if they do know what it means, they view it as a sign of weakness.

I hope to see a decrease in this rise in disrespect.

 

[my3kids]

Do you all pull off the road on a highway when the procession is going in he opposite direction? I've heard that we are supposed to, but I'd never get where I was going if I pulled to the side of the opposite lane of the highway for each funeral.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

What a jerk.

 

[~*Belle 2003*~]

What a ignorant jerk.

 

[HoneyPooh]

Our local funeral homes use small black flags on magnets that they put on top of each car in the procession. You can't miss them coming by and yet someone cut me off when I was driving my MIL to my BIL's funeral . Guess where he was in a hurry to go?.... McDonalds.

 

[chadfromdallas]

Guess where he was in a hurry to go?.... McDonalds.

Well, the McRib will be gone pretty soon....

 

[FroggyinArk]

what a jerk.. we always pull over for processions etc, and we even stop work and remove our hats if one passes our job sites, has been a carpenter and construction supervisor for the last 20 yeras and the guy that taught me always made uss top if we saw one passing, i thought it was very respectful and have always had my crews do the same thing .

 

[Disney Doll]

Well, in this procession we all had our headlights on and a fluorescent orange tag on our car that said "Funeral", in addition to 2 police cars who were "working the line" by blocking each intersection as we came upon it. That's pretty commonplace around here, and we do go through red lights etc around here if in a funeral procession.

I agree with the posters who said "ignorant jerk". Even if he couldn't figure it out immediately, when he saw 2 police cars with lights flashing etc, don't you think that should have given him pause?

 

[6_Time_Momma]

Do you all pull off the road on a highway when the procession is going in he opposite direction? I've heard that we are supposed to, but I'd never get where I was going if I pulled to the side of the opposite lane of the highway for each funeral.

Actually, I was just going to post that this is what we do here.

Also, I never even thought about someone not being able to recognize a procession as they hadn't seen one before. I see them very frequently here.....once a week to once every other week and just assumed everyone had seen them

 

[froglady]

More and more families are opting out of the funeral processions. I haven't been in one in years; my father was cremated, so we had a private viewing with memorial service at a later date. Most of our friends have had private internment, either after a funeral, or before a memorial service.

Many people cannot get a full day off for non-family members, so will only come to the service and skip the cemetary.

I suspect that the full ceremonial wake/funeral/cortage will eventually go the way of widow's weeds, black armbands and wreaths, and proscribed degrees of mourning. (All black and no social events...save funerals and church...for the first six months, addition of purple or grey for the next six months, resumption of all social events after a year, but only wearing subdued colors, resumption of "normal" life after two years, although some widows opted for mourning indefinitely...ala Queen Victoria.)

 

[jipsy]

Do you all pull off the road on a highway when the procession is going in he opposite direction? I've heard that we are supposed to, but I'd never get where I was going if I pulled to the side of the opposite lane of the highway for each funeral.

Yes, growing up in Alabama we always did this. It was a sign of respect. When I moved to Massachusetts, I did this and almost got run over. People behind me were passing me and honking at me like I was crazy. I stopped in a gas station and there was a policeman there. I inquired about why people don't pull over for funeral processions here, and his reply was:

They don't call it Assachusetts for nothing.

:roll:

 

[bubba's mom]

For the people who cut into funeral processions, I have one thing to say: what goes around, comes around. They are being rude and will eventually one day, be on the other end of the stick and know how it feels. I must add my funeral procession story: one of my best friend's mom died and while proceeding thru town to the cemetary, some idiot jerk cut in front of me in the procession line (I HAD to back off the car in front of me as to not have an accident (the jerk wasn't worth wrecking my car!))....anyway, here he is, in front of me (one lane road) and I am cussin' and fuming!! So, what did I do??? LAID ON THE HORN THE WHOLE TIME HE WAS IN FRONT OF ME!!! The first opportunity he had to get out of the line, he did!! Guess he was embarrassed! At the cemetary, there was talk about a horn....well, I fessed up to my girlfriend it was me cuz somebody cut in line and did she laugh! She actually thanked me! I (unfortunately) have been to many funerals, and get tired of the "line cutters".....I don't let them get away with it anymore.... I lay on the horn.......seems to work!

 

[disykat]

More and more families are opting out of the funeral processions. I haven't been in one in years; my father was cremated, so we had a private viewing with memorial service at a later date. Most of our friends have had private internment, either after a funeral, or before a memorial service.

Okay, I'm glad I'm not going nuts. I've been to lots of memorial services, but never to a service at the cemetary. The one funeral procession I saw was in the midwest while visiting relatives. I'm thinking this is one of those geographical things.

 

[luvindisneyworld]

They always make us have our headlights on and our flashers.
I always pull off the road and stop and I too turn down my radio.
But I am from a small town in NC,so I would probably get run over somewhere else.

 

[snoopy]

That type of thing just annoys me to no end.

I'm sorry this procession honoring this great lady was interrupted by such a moron.

 

[DCLuvinit]

Do you all pull off the road on a highway when the procession is going in he opposite direction? I've heard that we are supposed to, but I'd never get where I was going if I pulled to the side of the opposite lane of the highway for each funeral.

I don't think they do it here where I am in Florida, but I haven't seen too many processions to know for sure. When we had my dear cousin's funeral several months ago in a smaller town in Indiana, they did this and I thought it was incredible, and was touched by the respect that was shown. I even saw a semi truck pulled over. I will try to do that here as long as safety allows.