Funeral procession

desertrat

desertrat

0_0
As I was driving home yesterday a funeral procession passed me going the other way. Lead, of course, by a hearse. There were maybe 50 cars and when the light at Town Creek turned red they just kept coming through. Is this normal? They had no police escort or anything. People stopped and let them through, but they seemed a bit confused by it all.
 
Geek

Geek

New Member
desertrat said:
As I was driving home yesterday a funeral procession passed me going the other way. Lead, of course, by a hearse. There were maybe 50 cars and when the light at Town Creek turned red they just kept coming through. Is this normal? They had no police escort or anything. People stopped and let them through, but they seemed a bit confused by it all.
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They should have had a police escort.
 
Dymphna

Dymphna

Loyalty, Friendship, Love
desertrat said:
As I was driving home yesterday a funeral procession passed me going the other way. Lead, of course, by a hearse. There were maybe 50 cars and when the light at Town Creek turned red they just kept coming through. Is this normal? They had no police escort or anything. People stopped and let them through, but they seemed a bit confused by it all.
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Yes it's normal. No police escort required. Last week there was a thread about folks cutting into a funeral procession. Somewhere in that thread, someone cited the law on the subject...as long as the first vehicle in the procession went through on the green, they can all go even if the light changes....must have headlights and flashers going and truly be part of the procession, not some opportunist who decides to turn their flashers on and dash through the light too.
 
vanbells

vanbells

Pookieboo!!!
The cars in a procession should have a visible display. I don't know how this works red light cameras.
 
B

BernieP

Resident PIA
desertrat said:
As I was driving home yesterday a funeral procession passed me going the other way. Lead, of course, by a hearse. There were maybe 50 cars and when the light at Town Creek turned red they just kept coming through. Is this normal? They had no police escort or anything. People stopped and let them through, but they seemed a bit confused by it all.
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Yes, if the hearse can stop they usually will. But the accepted practice is to keep the procession intact. That's why they tell those in the procession to have their lights and 4 way flashers on. It lets other motorists know that it's a funeral procession and not to break the line.

For really large processions, or for members of the public safety community they will have a police escort. Not always practical.

It's typically operates on courtesy of the other operators on the road.
 
Tomcat

Tomcat

Anytime
Since I grew up in a large city, this was common practice. When I first came to SOMD 38 years ago, common practice was to pull over on the shoulder or side of the road until the procession had passed. Don't see much of that anymore
 
T

toppick08

Guest
Tomcat said:
Since I grew up in a large city, this was common practice. When I first came to SOMD 38 years ago, common practice was to pull over on the shoulder or side of the road until the procession had passed. Don't see much of that anymore
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I did yesterday........just n. of the Sunoco store......always respect the departed..:yay:, and all you azzholes who passed me.....:1bdz:
 
desertrat

desertrat

0_0
Tomcat said:
Since I grew up in a large city, this was common practice. When I first came to SOMD 38 years ago, common practice was to pull over on the shoulder or side of the road until the procession had passed. Don't see much of that anymore
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Somehow I can't see that happening on a busy 4 lane highway, though.
 
krazd_kat

krazd_kat

Help "Invisible Dogs"
I grew up in Oklahoma, Kansas and New Mexico, we always pulled over for funeral processions. The first time I did it here I had a friend in the car from New York and she asked what I was doing, I said showing respect... She laughed and said if they did that where she is from, they would never get back out on the road....
 
I

ItalianScallion

Harley Rider
My Dad died in 2002 and the procession consisted of about 25 cars. We went up 301 from Waldorf into PG county (WITH A POLICE ESCORT) and a bro in a big shiny black caddy cut into the procession at Cedarvillle road. If I had a gun I would have blown the windows out of his car honest to God!!!
Anyhow, I used that experience when my Mom died in 2007. At the end of the viewing I told everyone to just meet us at the cemetary tomorrow at 10am. No procession. It is just too hard to keep them together. It worked out perfectly but I'm all out of parents so....:1bdz:
 
Dimwit Child

Dimwit Child

Chaos and Mayhem
vanbells said:
The cars in a procession should have a visible display. I don't know how this works red light cameras.
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They will still ticket you. Friend of mine got a ticket for going through a red while in a funeral procession. She had to go to court and prove she was, indeed, in a procession. Judge excused the ticket. No fine and no points.
 
desertrat

desertrat

0_0
Tomcat said:
38 years ago Rt235 was 2 lanes from Waldorf to the base, then I think it was still a dirt road to Point Lookout.
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Kinda what I'm saying. Times change.

Dimwit Child said:
They will still ticket you. Friend of mine got a ticket for going through a red while in a funeral procession. She had to go to court and prove she was, indeed, in a procession. Judge excused the ticket. No fine and no points.
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These cars all had highly visable tags hanging from their inside mirrors.
 
Roxie04

Roxie04

New Member
Everyone should stop and get out of the way for a funeral procession, it's called respect. If anyone does not stop during mine i will come back and haunt them..........:razz:
 
desertrat

desertrat

0_0
Roxie04 said:
Everyone should stop and get out of the way for a funeral procession, it's called respect. If anyone does not stop during mine i will come back and haunt them..........:razz:
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That's my point. When you have 4 lanes of heavy traffic there is no room for everyone to pull over. Ask any emergency vehicle operator how well that works. Maybe they should just roll three abreast down 235 at 30mph and everyone can show their respect by following along behind.
 
GWguy

GWguy

*
It is common practice. Usually all vehicles in the procession are told to turn on their headlights (kinda moot today...) and 4-ways. Most people recognize that and let them proceed.
 
nachomama

nachomama

All Up In Your Grill
Roxie04 said:
Everyone should stop and get out of the way for a funeral procession, it's called respect. If anyone does not stop during mine i will come back and haunt them..........:razz:
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That's what I told my girls when they first started driving. :roflmao:

"If you ever come across a hearse with it's lights on and a stream of cars behind it with their lights on, pull over and wait for the procession to pass. If you don't, you'll be haunted for the rest of your life by the person in the back of the hearse for disrespecting them on their journey to their final resting place."
 
desertrat

desertrat

0_0
GWguy said:
It is common practice. Usually all vehicles in the procession are told to turn on their headlights (kinda moot today...) and 4-ways. Most people recognize that and let them proceed.
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Everyone I saw did. And yeah, it was a dark day and everyone elses light were on too. If I hadn't spotted the hearse I'd have though they were just all running the light. So, then, why is a police escort and shutting down intersections necessary for a larger funeral? What's the cutoff point? Or is it just police and other "important" individuals that get that.
 
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