Some strange things happened yesterday.

"Rainbow" (rainbeaux) 12/14/2015 at 14:17 • Filed to: None

1

11

I came to an intersection, saw a gap, and turned. A few miles later, a passing lane opened up and there were a bunch of slowpokes in front of me, so I overtook a couple. But it was strange; nobody else got out of line, and there was a backup as far as I could see. A few more miles, I noticed something really creepy: every oncoming car was either pulled over or stopped. And that’s when it hit me. I was in a funeral procession. Passing people in a funeral procession. Blasting the Beastie Boys through my open windows in a funeral procession. I felt like a huge asshole, but I’m still confused... Nobody had their flashers on, like they should have, and there was no cop blocking the intersection where I joined the convoy. There was no way to know what this was unless I could see the hearse, but it was evidently someone important/famous/popular, because there were at least 150 cars in the line. Luckily, I wasn’t the only one not part of the service, so hopefully that town will learn to send out more police next time. The guy directing us into the church parking lot seemed really upset by those of us who continued past him, and I still feel kind of bad for interrupting the service even though it wasn’t my fault.

Later at night, I was heading home on some back roads, doing about 50-60. (These roads have 45-50 limits) Anyway, being in a light car on good tires, I could have probably done 70 and not died, (I didn’t, of course) but for a larger vehicle, 55 is pushing it. Knowing these two things, it’s not terribly surprising that I actually caught up to a fire truck while it was on call, lights and sirens blaring. I couldn’t hear it over my radio, since the sirens aren’t directed backwards and my windows were up. So I thought it was a tow truck or something that illegally had red lights instead of amber ones until I realized what was going on. Must have been weird for the driver to see a car appear behind him when he’s already pushing his limits.

spanfucker retire bitch > Rainbow 12/14/2015 at 14:25

1

Last time I saw a funeral procession, all of the cars had flags attached to their hoods to make it blatantly obvious. Did they not have that?

Berang > Rainbow 12/14/2015 at 14:25

1

I did a similar thing. Same deal with nobody guarding the intersection, and no police. Still embarassing.

Rainbow > spanfucker retire bitch 12/14/2015 at 14:26

0

Nothing at all. Here, they usually just have their flashers on.

BigBlock440 > spanfucker retire bitch 12/14/2015 at 14:29

0

Last I was in a funeral procession, they put the flags on the important cars (closer family, etc.) and everyone else following just used flashers. If it really was 150 cars, they probably wouldn’t have enough flags for all of them.

Short-throw Granny Shifter is 2 #blessed 2b stressed > Rainbow 12/14/2015 at 14:44

2

I recently blew by a funeral procession doing 45 mph on I-55. I had to do a double take, wondering what those dingus’ were doing on the highway. The whole idea of a funeral procession is odd to me. The dead guy clearly doesnt give a shit, so just like meet up at the graveyard at a preordained time.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Rainbow 12/14/2015 at 14:47

3

I always found the whole funeral procession thing to be a bit BSish.

You have the funeral service at the church and then you drive to the cemetary or crematorium.

Why should someone’s funeral mean that a line of cars can go through red lights and/or hold up traffic by going so slowly?

Oh people are now suddenly so upset that they can’t drive normally and/or stop for red lights?? But they had no problem doing just that earlier in the day??

It strikes me more of a big display of faux-grieving than anything else.

And yes, I’ve had people close to me pass away. And I still don’t see how driving really slow through red lights and stuff like that makes anything better.

Rainbow > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly 12/14/2015 at 14:54

0

I could not agree more. The whole southern custom of pulling over while they pass is the biggest BS, though.

atfsgeoff > Rainbow 12/14/2015 at 14:57

2

Many years ago, I drove a ‘94 Mustang Cobra across the country. When I was going through North Dakota, patron state of hundreds of miles of NOTHING, I was doing about a hundred on the desolate interstate when I noticed some flashing lights a couple miles behind me get onto the highway. It was an ambulance. I kept a steady speed as I was in no way obstructing the ambulance. After a few minutes the lights went out, I’m presuming whomever they were trying to save, died. They never caught up.

BigBlock440 > atfsgeoff 12/14/2015 at 15:01

0

A few years back I had a grandfather that was taken to the hospital by ambulance for a reason I don’t remember. We left the house the same time they did and somehow ended up beating the ambulance to the hospital.

Grindintosecond > Rainbow 12/14/2015 at 15:29

1

When I go...

Everyone had best keep up or I’ll haunt them.

haveacarortwoorthree2 > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly 12/14/2015 at 15:55

0

I am one of the most impatient people I know. And these folks clearly weren’t doing it right sans cops and with no flashers on, so I completely understand why Rainbow did what he did.

That said, it’s just a matter of common courtesy. You have the service at a church or funeral home. You then have to go to the gravesite if it’s a burial. Must the family wallow in their grief waiting for everyone else to arrive since those folks have to stop for “red lights and stuff”? How do you know when everyone has arrived and you can start? I don’t know anyone who has ever thought that the processional is a display of grieving or takes place because people suddenly forget how to drive. Having the courtesy to wait for the processional costs you what 2-3 minutes at most? 5 minutes? [Edit to be clear: If you are going the opposite way, you shouldn’t have to stop. I was thinking more about cross-traffic and folks going the same direction on a multi-lane road.]