No respect for the dead. What changed?

[WuzzFuzz]

Many states have laws prohibiting passing a funeral procession. My state is one of them... A funeral procession has the right of way. The only vehicle that is allowed to pass is a Postal Service vehicle..


I wish more would be ticketed, then posted in the newspapers, much like parking in a handicap parking with no sticker, then maybe it would stop.


WuzzFuzz

 

[Brian41]

I've seen that lack of respect for funeral processions and it's sad. I don't think people know any better these days as has already been stated.
I was in Canada a few years back for my Uncle's funeral and everyone was pulling over and many men got out of their vehicles and took off their hats too like I saw here as a kid.
Maybe it's my age now but I have seen an increase in respect for others recently and have been called sir more often, doors held and a general increase in respectful behavior. It just may be I'm in my little town more now than the big city when I was working. I know people are more respectful when I first treat them that way myself.
It does seem though that manners get dropped real quick once people get behind the wheel of a car. I see many not pulling over for the emergency vehicles as well.

 

[NYlakesider]

I come from a family of funeral directors (Father, 4 uncles and many cousins) but I did not go into the business. With that said I have been in way too many funerals both professionally and known people.

Respect is almost as dead as the person in the back of the hearse. I can give out countless things I have personally seen or been told by my family.

No one wants to wait a nano second for anything anymore. When my father (now deceased) was in business he always prepped the people to keep real close to the car in front of them and not to stop at lights or stop signs unless an accident was imminent. Most all people were much more aware of funerals and we hardly ever had a LEO escort unless for a VIP or military.

For about the last 25 years or so there is no respect for a procession. You leave enough room and some dingbat will pull out and cut in and of course he then will stop at a light and totally screw up the rest of the procession. Same on a 4 lane roads. Leave a little space and a left lane person will pull in line go a distances and then back into the left lane and thus gain about 20 seconds or a few car lengths advantage.

I have been in processions and been yelled/cursed /long horn honks used because I “Ran” a light or was too close to the vehicle I was following because someone wanted to cut in. Now understand we have headlights on, 4 way flashers and magnetic signs on all procession vehicles. It makes no difference if its LEO led as most of these problems occur father back in the pack.

FWIW most of the processions today are much smaller than in the past. Lately maybe 10 vehicles make up an AVERAGE procession, years back we could easily have 30 -40 vehicles and I remember 70 on one local VIP we conducted.

Respect, we “aint” got time for nonsense like that no more!

 

[Cyrano]

On the way to the range, I pass by the Fort Bliss National Cemetery. If the flag is at half staff, meaning an interment is in progress, I'll salute as I go by. I'ts an unfortunate commentary that the flag is at half staff a large pereentage of the time when I drive by; I guess there's a lot of vets in town.

 

[moosedog]

How can people respect anyone, if they don't respect themselves?
Honesty, modesty, loyalty slowly eroded by our liberal media and propaganda machine.

 

[Engineer1911]

If you don't expect much from today's Society, you won't be disappointed.

 

[Bert Man]

I am a Patriot Guard Rider and as we have a National Cemetery in our area we are regularly engaged in Honor Missions escorting military funerals. Folks around here for the most part show respect for these funeral processions. Most pull over and stop from both directions, Many pedestrians stop and bow there heads or cover their heart and military veterans often stand outside their vehicles and salute as the Colors pass. Similarly this also holds somewhat true for other funerals though not always to the same extent. Some do seem to be oblivious but thankfully they are in the minority.

The respect we show at the passing of a funeral procession is not only to honor the life of the deceased but also to show their loved ones, on the worse day of their lives, that we care.

 

[BUFF]

The golf course I play has a large, old cemetery for a neighbor- the road to the cemetery parallels the sixth fairway. One day, playing with a 'scratch' foursome (strangers put together by the starter because we had no one else to play with that day), we were going down that fairway when a funeral procession came by. The fellow I was sharing a cart with stopped it, got out, faced the road and, as the hearse passed, removed his hat and put it over his heart. He waited for the group to pass before putting his hat back on and getting back in the cart.

"That was very respectful," I told him.

"It was the least I could do," he replied, "we were married for 25 years."

 

[Kilibreaux]

And I thought Kalifornians were bad!

 

[williamlayton]

I think it to be bad judgement to put a funeral procession on a freeway.
It is not that it slows up traffic, it is dangerous,
I wish that they would use the feeder.
On a two lane road---always slow or pull of and stop---by don't do as some I see---just stop on the road---and for heavens sake get completely off the road or if impossible , just slow down.
Now---I don't know anyone in a funeral prcession that I am not a part of. I certainly don't expect another person to show "respect" for someone they don't know. What is show respect anyway ? What is the purpose for "showing respect".
Honoring, you might say !

Again---they don't know them. In days gone by and in small towns especially, where everyone knows everyone---yes, I agree to this.
Folks, I really don't think it is lack of respect.
Now driving unsafely in slow moving traffic is not respectful of anybody.
Blessings

 

[wheelgun28]

While out in public repeat after me

I am more important than you

My time is more valuable than yours

Get out of my way

repeat as needed

Be sure to teach your children too

If I am wrong and people dont say this, they sure seem to act it.

now get out of my way I am in a hurry

 

[imashooter2]

I've never heard of stopping on the road when traveling in the opposite direction of the funeral procession. Doesn't even make sense to me. Stopping to let the entire procession make a turn in front of you or cross an intersection? Absolutely.

 

[cmort666]

Whenever we do escorts you would not believe the number of people that will not yield the right of way to a funeral.....or the marked escorts.

I always yield the right of way to funeral corteges, but I've never heard of pulling over and STOPPING as though they were some sort of emergency vehicles.

 

[Old TexMex]

This is another example of the "fundamental change" our country and our culture is being nudged toward. To consider someone we don't know to be worth

a moment of our time would acknowledge the "old" philosophy of John Donne:
.
.
No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.

The respect I pay is not to the deceased, it is to the ones left behind
in their time of need.

 

[hd28cw]

I understand the point. This is what I was taught and is a lesson I still follow, except when simply passing a procession on a highway... If they're turning I will stop, I will not stop if they're just driving by me. More than likely you will cause another accident or send somebody into a fit of road rage

 

[jimmyj]

Hi:
Respect is still "Alive" in some places.
Example:
A young Marine and former local LEO killed in the "Sandbox" and was flown home to the nearest airport that was 25 miles away. The drive from the airport to his hometown is normally 30 minutes. The funeral escort took 3.5 hours due to the route lined with citizens, and former military members lined on both sides of the highway holding American Flags and standing at attention, saluting.My neighbors and myself sung "God Bless America" as the escort slowly drove by.

 

[BigCityChief]

I find that such apparent disrespect is often a function of complete lack of situational awareness on the part of the "offending" drivers.


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[bovw]

I've never heard of stopping on the road when traveling in the opposite direction of the funeral procession. Doesn't even make sense to me. Stopping to let the entire procession make a turn in front of you or cross an intersection? Absolutely.

I'm sure it depends on the area. Here in central VA, most yield right of way, some pull over. I do if I can get off the road. I attended a funeral in Big Stone Gap, VA a few years ago, there wasn't an escort at all. In the 7 mile drive to the cemetery, not a single vehicle failed to stop for the procession. Even farmers in fields stopped tractors and took hats off.

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[gm272gs]

I don't think that traditions (and a lot of knowledge in general) were typically handed down to the "kids" these days. When I say "kids", I mean anyone aged 13 to 40.

When I taught my son to put bread bags on his feet before he slipped his snow boots on, you'd think I just taught him how to build a nuclear reactor. He taught all of his friends, and NONE of them had ever heard of it before. He said to me "This is genius! The bread bags make it easier to slip the boots on and off, AND they keep your socks dry!" Yeah, duh!

The first responsibility of parents is to make sure their kids turn out to be honorable members of society. You do that by teaching them everything you've learned - preferably before the age of 16 - when they already know everything.

 

[NCTexan]

With too many of our fellow citizens these days... you could complete this in an unlimited manner:

"What Changed? No respect for ____________."