I was driving home tonight along a five mile stretch of country lanes ..wide enough for two cars easily ..and then the traffic slowed down. i was about ten cars and two lorries behind a hearse..now i didnt mind traveling at 30 mph for a few miles ..i was bought up to show respect..i witnessed every vehicle in front of me swing out into on coming traffic to over take ..have we no patience left ..no respect..would you over take a hearse with its occupant in the back?
No never . Of course you are right its about respect. I was brought up in a part of the world where we still stood at the kerb and bowed heads when one passed, and if it was in your street the whole street would stand out to see them off.
I once followed a funeral courtage(sp) for 6 miles because I refused to overtake...
A big nono from me to overtaking...
Is it a northern thing that when they see a funeral cortège they hold their collar? I have vague memories of it from when I was a kid.
We were always told to stand and wait until the cortège has passed when we were kids. Doesn't seem to happen much nowadays.
Down here people tend to gather outside the persons home an *see em off*.
Bit of a tangent, but this thread made me think of my father in laws funeral. We had to go round a large roundabout on the way to the cemetery and an ice cream van got stuck in the middle of the cortège playing *Popeye the sailor man*. My FIL would have roared with laughter...
foldareeeeeeeeeeeee, foldaraaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. foldareeeeeeeee foldarah ha ha ha ha ha
Icecream !! :shock:
under normal circumstances id never ever overtake a hearse, empty or in use, its a matter of respect and if i was walking and one passed me id stop and bow my head
the only time id overtake is if i was on an emergency drive to my kids or gary
My dad was a bit of a character. When he died a couple of years ago, his will requested a hearse drawn by 4 black stallions.
My family and I followed in cars on a journey that took us 5 miles down the main roads towards central Birmingham and took about an hour and a half.
The tail backs were horrendous but I recall not a single car overtook us and there was much collar touching hat doffing and chest crossing. I was very touched by the respect shown at the time although I confess I felt like a gangland heavy.
I have followed similar processions through Brixton on my way home form work and my observation is that once one driver overtakes it becomes acceptable to others.
I wouldn't over take a funeral either its so bad! I have done it by accident once , turned on to a dual carriageway and tootled along happily the realised I was passing a hearse. I almost died of shame !
We used to have a rhyme "hold your collar , never swallow until you see a four legged animal" but that was when we saw an ambulance.
I think it's both. Lack of respect because they are impatient, because they're rushing.
I was at a funeral a few weeks back, and what amazed me is how going round roundabouts some people held back to make sure the hearse and cars stayed together whilst some others just wanted to be round regardless.
A death, a funeral warrants respect.
sorry to admit it but yes i would..nothing to do with lack of respect on my part more to me being a impatient driver..sorry :shock:
I wouldn't overtake a hearse traveling slowly, but when the family aren't with them (running empty for instance) they will travel with the rest of the traffic anyway. So no need to there.
On a dual carriage way, I think I would 'overtake' since in doing so I wouldn't be inconveniencing either the cortege or oncoming drivers. But I would do it like passing a police car - just fast enough to pass without roaring by.
The reason? As we drove to the crematorium after my Dad, my Mum was fretting the whole way about the queue building up behind us - she's always been a worrier. It's not a lack of respect, nor impatience, it just doesn't seem totally necessary in that specific situation.
If I had to be somewhere by a certain time, and if it were definate that the procession would delay me past that time, and if I could pass safely, ie without endangering on-coming traffic, I would do it.
i also would like to add as someone who has been in plenty of funeral cars(not much family left now)ive never even given a thought to cars passing as ive been grieving and concentrating on the day ahead of me so on the other end of a coin i wouldnt notice or care if someone overtook us
at a funeral I was unfortunate enough to attend the other year... the coffin was being drawn by 6 black horses in a glass carriage. I was in the last car of the cortège and I was aware of a long line behind me. At some points we were even beeped. I wasn't that surprised but I was quite unhappy that people felt that they needed to rush the dead.
I must admit I'm married to an impatient driver who occassionally suffers road rage but he never over takes a funeral procession and can't remember him ever passing an empty hearse either.
I feel it's a shame that more of the drivers on the road don't possess what I tend to think of as old fashioned family values. I was raised to show respect and manners to my elders, if only more people had either of these values there would be less aggression and injuries on the roads and streets. I have 4 children and they all know when and how to use manners and show respect to others.
Maybe it's something they should try to instill in children from the moment they enter schools as it appears unfortunately that the culture we live in today that some people have no idea about either.
I'd have to smile to myself too, I can think of several funerals I've been to where the deceased would have found that hilarious, and I would too - in fact, I'll be asking for that to happen when I get to wherever we go next :lol2:
I drew the short straw and was driving at the back of the family procession. I was a little unsure of the route we were taking (the most direct route from my grandparents house meant many more sets of light, awkward right hand turns at very busy junctions and far too many chances to get separated) so I chose to turn a blind eye to the colour of the traffic lights, pray there were no police watching me and just keep following 
ops: 
