Funeral processions and right of way,specifically the opposite way?

In reply to yamaha:

I got places to be, not waiting on some stiff. It's not like they need to be in a hurry either.

I stop and wait if they're turning left in front of me, but if they're just headed in the other direction, I just keep on driving.

And now, I will derail this thread by posting a picture of an old Cadillac Flower Car.

About ten years ago, I used to frequent a local junkyard that was run by a guy who lived in the tiny office/trailer out front. I would often show up when he opened at 9 am and he was already drunk. He had two old flower cars and a hearse. They were late 50s to early 60s and were in beautiful condition. One was exactly like the car in the photo. One day, they were gone and I asked about them. He couldn't stop talking about them. He said that the steel was twice as thick as any other car he had seen and he made a lot of money when he cut them up for scrap. I almost cried.

I would not stop for his funeral procession.

Worst accident I've ever seen was caused by a funeral procession in Houston when I was in college. The procession entered the freeway from a feeder road at the bottom back side of an overpass and the cops stopped all 4 lanes to get the procession in.

Since no one on the freeway had any advance notice they came in waves over the overpass full speed into all four lanes full of standing cars.

Dozens of cars were destroyed while we watched from the BAP/Geon parking lot next to the feeder road. Not one of the police escort stuck around either.

I'd appreciate a little respect when I die, but don't kill anyone trying to give it to the meat I leave behind.

I posted a video last year of a semi almost clobbering a funeral procession because they were spread out, running a red light, and no police escort in the intersection.

Add me to the "never stop going the other direction" crowd.

Maybe I should write something in my will stating that there be no funeral procession...

I was in a funeral procession last summer. About 6 cars in front of me, someone came thru the intersection taking out 2 of the cars in the procession. It was ugly. Oddly enough the funeral was for my 18 year old nephew that died racing his brother on a back road. He tried to pass someone on a curve, hit the shoulder, overcorrected, and shot back across the road and hit drivers door first against a giant tree.

Death is very personal to the family of the deceased. The funeral procession is important because of the destination. If some nincompoop feels "imposed upon" if he's delayed for a minute or two at an intersection or letting them out of the funeral home, or turning into the cemetery, well... screw him. I've been through funerals for both of my parents and both of my wife's parents. It's a very emotional and personal thing. I've experienced both sides of this completely unnecessary debate. I know which side is the right side, and no amount of debate would ever change my mind. And if some people have a differing opinion ... they're completely (and morally) WRONG! Respect the deceased.

Even more reason for cremation and no funeral.

I'm dead, I don't need you to "pay respect" or berkeley with your commute.

The law in Minnesota: "Funeral procession. When any funeral procession identifies itself by using regular lights on all cars and by keeping all cars in close formation, the driver of every other vehicle, except an emergency vehicle, shall yield the right-of-way." My understanding is that means you don't need to stop for an oncoming procession, but you need to let one traveling in the same direction go by.

I see them on a semi-regular basis, as I live not far from the swankiest cemetery in the area. They're also fairly common for veterans who are interred at the national veteran's cemetery. The interesting thing is when they have a motorcycle escort during the winter - I've seen them when it was -10F and there's a guy on a Harley trike riding along in front of the procession down the freeway.

My dad's funeral fell during Biketoberfest here in Volusia County, and his funeral cortège had to make a left turn into the cemetery. We were unable to, because the Harleys riding to the Biketoberfest bike parade refused to yield to "losers in cages," and kept the cemetery entrance blocked for a solid 10-15 minutes. When a few cars desperate to not miss the interment decided to try to creep into the cemetery, they were swallowed in a mass of spitting, window-pounding bikers yelling about a lack of respect.

If you ride a Harley, sorry, but I will never be able to view you as anything other than a loud, entitled hypocrite.

Margie

In reply to Margie:

I agree 100%. From my experience with numerous so-called "Biker Rides," to the biker herd at least, it's more of a reason to ride without any rules, because they have a perceived socially correct reason, regardless of the practicality of it. But in reality their purpose is absurd. And contrary to normal socially acceptable behavior it's totally unacceptable in this context.

i stop. if i'm wearing a hat. take it off. turn off my radio, and if its oncoming i toss on my 4ways, so no one can complain i just stopped to block traffic.

Stop, hat off, radio off, no conversation in the car until after they're past. Lived in MO my whole life. Think this may have been one of the first things I did that impressed SWMBO's parents (from Arkansas). Wherever I'm going, I can wait 90 seconds.

as I pointed out earlier in this thread … I don't stop .. most of the roads around here don't have a pull off lane, which means I'd have to stop in the traveled lane … any respect I'd be paying to the dead (who couldn't care less) would be negated by the accidents that could/would be caused by suddenly stopping in the only lane available for travel

I grew up on the west coast and was taught to yield to funeral processions but stopping wasn't necessary. Never ran across stopping until I moved to the south. Took me a while to learn and get used to it but after being in a few funeral processions it was nice to see the respect it gets. I don't often get out of the car when I run across a funeral procession but I do move over to the side (road shoulder) out of the way of traffic and stop now. The funeral processions I have been in have always had a police escort and traffic blocked at main intersections and turns.

Very surprising about the bikers. I know they like to stay together and not be interupted in flow and can/will be a total @$$ about it but every biker I know are very curteous of funeral processions. I've seen them block traffic for funerals, even a non-biker or veteran funeral.

I stop, turn down the radio, take off the hat ect. It seems like such an easy thing to do.

Nothing I have going on is more important than showing a little respect and taking a moment to reflect.

The Canadian wrote: i stop. if i'm wearing a hat. take it off. turn off my radio, and if its oncoming i toss on my 4ways, so no one can complain i just stopped to block traffic.

Oh, I am still gonna complain if you stop. your four ways dont make it okay.

Follow the laws. Don't stop for a procession going the other way. That is the MOST rediculous thing I think I have ever heard.

Also, I do have respect for the deceased and their family and friends. I just have NO idea what that has to do with processions going the other direction.

If they are in front of me, I will not pass. If they are crossing in front of me, I will wait. I will take my hat off and turn down the radio.

I just don't understand the stopping of traffic going the other direction.

Yall are weird.

I saw it in Ottawa when my uncle passed years ago. It's not just a southern thing, or even a US thing. I'll usually pull over for the little time it takes.I do it because I was impressed by a work crew who stood still and doffed their hats as the hearse carrying my uncle passed. That was almost 40 years ago and it's stuck with me.

I had Never heard of stopping in the opposite direction. In NY traffic generally yields to the procession as it passes through red lights or stop signs but will pass them on a multi lane road.