DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
---------------------------------------------------------
Bad Manners and Brimstone
HTML https://badmanners.createaforum.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************
DIR Return to: Life in General
*****************************************************
#Post#: 45249--------------------------------------------------
Funeral processions
By: baritone108 Date: January 10, 2020, 8:35 am
---------------------------------------------------------
I was in a funeral procession on Wednesday and found there are
still people who will cut into a procession for a period of time
in order to be able to go through lights, etc. It happened to
us twice this time.
#Post#: 45253--------------------------------------------------
Re: Funeral processions
By: Twik Date: January 10, 2020, 8:56 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Unfortunately, funeral processions aren't covered by law in most
places, so they're not in the driver's handbook of things you
MUST know to get your license. They're covered by tradition and
etiquette, which means that some people will recognize them and
do the right thing, some people will treat them as nuisances,
and some (often newer) drivers will have no idea what's going on
with them or how to react.
I admit I was nonplussed the first time I came across one. I
knew you weren't supposed to butt in, but ... was I supposed to
just sit there with a green light? What if the guy behind me
started honking his horn to go? Should I make a U-turn and
leave? Fortunately I just caught the tail of the procession and
it passed me by quickly, but I remember feeling very unprepared
at how to deal with it.
#Post#: 45261--------------------------------------------------
Re: Funeral processions
By: Hmmm Date: January 10, 2020, 10:48 am
---------------------------------------------------------
I agree that it can be confusing at times on what to do. My DH
and I were on a rural one lane each way road and a funeral
procession was just about to exit a church parking lot when we
passed. We got to a red light about a 1/4 mile up the road and
the motorcycle police caught up to us and motioned for us to
move over to the side of the road once the light turned green to
let the procession, which had been behind us, continue to pass
in front of us. The motorcycle police were also forcing drivers
going the other way to move over and stop. While I will normally
pull to the side of the road to allow a procession to pass, this
one really annoyed me that we had to sit there for a good 10
minutes (very long procession). Then once the procession passed,
we were at a snail's pace until they finally turned off about
another 5 miles.
#Post#: 45336--------------------------------------------------
Re: Funeral processions
By: ClothoMoirai Date: January 12, 2020, 12:11 am
---------------------------------------------------------
I had the fun of spending 20 minutes at full stop on an on ramp
recently for the funeral of a cop. I estimate police had it
closed for 5-10 minutes when I arrived by the number of vehicles
already stopped ahead of me (the ramp is over 1 mile long.)
The procession itself passed in 1-2 minutes. I assume it got
moving late and police didn't revise the closure times, deciding
instead to just close over 20 miles of Houston's traffic
arteries for half an hour in the early afternoon. Effectively it
created a miniature version of the morning rush hour - it took
about an hour to completely clear while morning rush hour
slowdowns run about 3-4 hours.
#Post#: 45380--------------------------------------------------
Re: Funeral processions
By: Lkdrymom Date: January 12, 2020, 2:14 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
I was the first car behind the hearse at my mother's funeral
procession and some actually cut in front of me. I did not react
well.
#Post#: 45387--------------------------------------------------
Re: Funeral processions
By: Dazi Date: January 12, 2020, 3:21 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Honest to goodness I was in a retired police officer's funeral
procession several years ago, and some AH cut a group of us off!
We never did make it back to the procession either and it still
ticks me off because it was a really great friend of mine's
funeral. It was in an unfamiliar town and none of us ever found
the cemetery and we missed the graveside service.
People need to know proper etiquette/laws regarding funeral
processions and follow them!
#Post#: 45391--------------------------------------------------
Re: Funeral processions
By: Rain Date: January 12, 2020, 4:24 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
But how are people to be taught.
My DH didn't know funeral procession etiquette, until I taught
him after being married for years.
I always assumed everyone knew it, but no longer do.
#Post#: 45393--------------------------------------------------
Re: Funeral processions
By: Sycorax Date: January 12, 2020, 4:54 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
In my area (busy suburb), funeral processions aren't that
obvious -- only the first few cars have anything on them to
indicate that they're part of the procession. Just having
headlights on isn't a great indicator.. If there's a steady
stream of cars running a red light, of course I'll let them
through, otherwise, I don't know what is expected of me. I was
never taught anything, and there are no official laws about it.
#Post#: 45408--------------------------------------------------
Re: Funeral processions
By: baritone108 Date: January 12, 2020, 8:53 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=Pandorica link=topic=1577.msg45393#msg45393
date=1578869683]
In my area (busy suburb), funeral processions aren't that
obvious -- only the first few cars have anything on them to
indicate that they're part of the procession. Just having
headlights on isn't a great indicator.. If there's a steady
stream of cars running a red light, of course I'll let them
through, otherwise, I don't know what is expected of me. I was
never taught anything, and there are no official laws about it.
[/quote]
In Ohio it is part of the official traffic code but violations
are only minor misdemeanors.
#Post#: 45411--------------------------------------------------
Re: Funeral processions
By: Aleko Date: January 13, 2020, 2:31 am
---------------------------------------------------------
I have to say that this thread has been a real eye-opener for
me, because here in the UK a funeral cortège has no legal
privilege over other road users. Sometimes if it's a really big
event, and/or it's a horse-drawn hearse, it may have a police
escort who will have the authority to hold up other traffic as
they see fit; but even then, they may only extend that escort to
the hearse plus the 'official chief mourners' in the limousines,
and everyone else following in their own cars has to fend for
themselves. And everyone following in their own ordinary cars
knows this, and that it's up to them to know where they're going
as there is no guarantee that they will be able to just
follow-my-leader all the way.
In the UK, etiquette certainly dictates that you should give way
to a funeral cortège if you safely and legally can; deliberately
cutting through it or nipping in and inserting yourself into it
is rude. (That, of course, applies only if you can tell it's a
cortège. If the hearse and black limousines are already out of
sight and all you can see is a string of ordinary cars, how
could you be expected to know?) However, if the traffic lights
are green for you and red for the mourners, you have to obey the
lights, unless there are police there instructing you otherwise.
*****************************************************
DIR Next Page