Funeral Etiquette A Forgotten Practice 10/30/2023

 Good Morning,

There is a bite in the air this morning. The house was a little cold when I woke up. But with a hot cup of Door County Toasted Praline Coffee to warm me up, I am ready to write. 

1 Corinthians:14:40 But all things should be done decently and in order. 

Last week I attended the funeral of a friend of mine and after the service ended the mourners formed a processional of their automobiles and began to follow the hearse to the cemetery for the burial. All the cars were marked with a sign. The hearse had on it's flashing caution lights. The driver of each vehicle was given instructions  on what to do while driving in the processional. This include having their auto lights on bright and their emergency flashes illuminated. Very slow travel was to be adhered to.

There was no way you couldn't tell that the string of cars was a funeral procession. Yet, during the  drive to the cemetery many people were cutting in to the line, passing the mourners in anger and plain old rudeness. Many people did not yield to the funeral procession of mourners. 

Some simple rules of encountering a funeral procession are. 

Yield the right of way. Just as you would for emergency vehicles.

Be respectful. Never honk your horn or show you impatience for observing some etiquette. 

In some states, funeral processions have the right of way. So pull over or wait at intersections for the processional to go by, This is the courteous thing to do. 

Never cut in or tag along. Watch for the last car in the procession and then proceed. 

Back when I was 15 years old I was taught in drivers education the proper funeral etiquette.  My dad also answered my first question as to why he was pulling over for a long string of cars.

Now in may states divers education is not mandatory anymore. The evidence of the lack of training can be witnessed by just driving around and watching the mayhem in traffic. We have made it too easy to obtain a drivers license just to accommodate inclusiveness. It is hard to blame people for their actions sometimes because of the lack their of knowledge.  I am all for mandatory affordable drivers training. It should once again be included in the high school curriculum.  

The act of observing and yielding to a funeral procession is showing respect for those going through one of the hardest days of the lives. We have tossed out that kind gesture with our fast paced life and lack of knowledge. We have made it too easy to be rude and ignorant and it shows.

Marty