NWR: Funeral Processions

Wegl13

I was wondering how often you guys see this in your part of the world, and how often correct etiquette is followed?
I currently live in a suburb of a large Southern city, and have run into several funeral processions over the course of my time here, all of them on major roads. In all cases, everyone did the etiquette approved thing, which is to pull over immediately until the procession passes. I will admit that I pulled all the way up to the stop light they were going through for my own sense of safety (I'm always afraid I will get rear ended or side swiped by someone who doesn't know "the rules").
I ask this because I have heard proper funeral processions are dying out, especially outside of the Southeast, and was wondering what your experience was. I have been a part of a procession in a large city and hope never to be in one again, as it seemed very dangerous, especially to the escorting officers (our close family friend was hurt badly when he was escorting a funeral procession by motorcycle- he has said it is one of the more dangerous things he did as a police officer).
TLDR: where do you live (region and city size) and how common are funeral processions and proper road etiquette seen where you live?

ShesSoCold

I live in the suburbs of Chicago and I've seen and been in several. I can't say I see them often, but when I do, I've seen some ass pass them or something. 

I believe the only funeral I have ever attended that did not have a procession was my mom's because she was cremated.

ohmrs2014

In my area, people have no common courtesy regarding funeral processions.  

Cookie Pusher

Funeral processions are still fairly common in New Jersey. I always pull over when I see them. I've seen people cut into them, which I think it very disrespectful. Unless you are having a medical emergency, the 2-5 minutes it takes for the procession to pass by isn't going to kill you.

IrishPirate60

Funeral processions usually have two motorcycle officers escorting here in the big cities in WA. One cop will hold all crossing traffic until all the funeral cars have passed, then the other cop speeds up to the next major traffic point and they repeat the process. All the cars in line have their lights on to indicate they are in the procession.

JCbride2015

Cookie Pusher said:

Funeral processions are still fairly common in New Jersey. I always pull over when I see them. I've seen people cut into them, which I think it very disrespectful. Unless you are having a medical emergency, the 2-5 minutes it takes for the procession to pass by isn't going to kill you.

All of this.  Here in NJ I still see them and would pull over.  Sometimes people cut into them and those people are assholes.

We were recently part of a procession from Brooklyn into Staten Island and on the local roads most people either pulled over, or just were clueless and pulled over once they realized what was going on.  On the Belt, several people tried to cut in.  I got to vent a lot of my grief by yelling and cursing out the window and flipping multiple asshole drivers the bird.

"This is a funeral procession, asshole!  Have some fucking respect!"

larrygaga

I used to live in very northern Michigan, and everyone would stop (as they should). I now live in detroit and never see anyone stop, but people in Detroit can be pretty clueless. 

huskypuppy14

I've seen them in Boston, and I've been in 3 processions in CT. One was a huge processional, and the officers had all the intersecting road traffic stopped. People were beeping like crazy.

Then another time, it was a small processional and people were passing us and cutting in. They were going to the beach (surf boards and bathing suits). My sister yelled at the window at them.

 Honestly, though I think some people just don't know the proper rules.

bethsmiles

IrishPirate60 said:

Funeral processions usually have two motorcycle officers escorting here in the big cities in WA. One cop will hold all crossing traffic until all the funeral cars have passed, then the other cop speeds up to the next major traffic point and they repeat the process. All the cars in line have their lights on to indicate they are in the procession.

Yup, this is how I always see it done in Colorado. I've never seen anyone cause a problem.

hellosweetie1015

I always, always, always stop. I'm southern, so maybe that's it, but at no point in my life and no matter where i end up living, I will always do so. 

I also pull over for emergency vehicles. That's what I've noticed slacking off, and that pisses me right the fuck off. A funeral procession - it's a sign of respect. Some people are assholes, and some people are oblivious. An emergency vehicle - they are working to save a life. GET THE FUCK OUT OF THE ROAD.

PhoneCardLady

My family is from the South, so I knew before I started to drive that you pulled over until the last car passed.

Fast forward to the first funeral procession I encountered after I start driving (1977).  I live in the northern suburbs.  I pulled over out of respect but I almost got hit in the process.  Seems they have no respect for the deceased or the procession.  I have to go with the flow of the traffic, but if I were in a procession down South, you can bet I'd pull over in a heartbeat.

pegasuskat

In my small southen town everybody stops.  If some jerk rarely doesn't, I have saw them get pulled over by police.  My father was a police officer here before he died and he mentioned a few times having some rude people pass or cut thorugh, it made him furious!

Cookie Pusher

JCbride2015 said:

Cookie Pusher said:

Funeral processions are still fairly common in New Jersey. I always pull over when I see them. I've seen people cut into them, which I think it very disrespectful. Unless you are having a medical emergency, the 2-5 minutes it takes for the procession to pass by isn't going to kill you.

All of this.  Here in NJ I still see them and would pull over.  Sometimes people cut into them and those people are assholes.

We were recently part of a procession from Brooklyn into Staten Island and on the local roads most people either pulled over, or just were clueless and pulled over once they realized what was going on.  On the Belt, several people tried to cut in.  I got to vent a lot of my grief by yelling and cursing out the window and flipping multiple asshole drivers the bird.

"This is a funeral procession, asshole!  Have some fucking respect!"

My dad's funeral procession was HUGE, and we had to drive from Union county down the Parkway to Red Bank. Every car in the procession had their lights/hazards on, there were troopers escorting us, the first several cars (immediate family) had little flags on them - the whole nine.

Some asshole cut me off going into a toll plaza. Needless to say, I was NOT a happy camper.

Ven&Radio

I live in the northeast.  I've never heard of pulling over and allowing a funeral procession to pass.  The only etiquette I'm familiar with is to not pull out into one/allow it to pass at an intersection.

That said, I HATE funeral processions.  I've seen one on the highway once.  I spent 2 miles trying to pass it (2 lane highway) and eventually had to cut through to make my exit.  I wasn't going to keep driving until I could avoid them.  Last year I ran into 2 processions in the span of 10 minutes in my town, holding up some major roads.  It just seems so pointless to me.  Give everyone travel time + 10 minutes to get to the cemetery and let them get their individually.

lc07

I've only ever seen them on large freeways here in CA where it would be dangerous and stupid to stop or pull over. I do stay away from them and do not cut in.

cowgirl8238

I am originally form Long Island and most processions I have seen there are respected.  There are always a few people that insist on pulling out in the middle of them, and cutting through them.  I don't understand why people are in such a god damn rush all the time!  I was in a processional for my grandfather...he had the full Army Vet processional the went from western suffolk to Calverton National Cemetery (about a 30-45 mins away) during that time, about 75% of people would pull over, but the other 25% were just sensless assholes!!!!

Now I live in Central PA, and am about a half hour from the Amish in Lancaster.  Not too long ago we were on the road when a funeral processional came past.  There was an officer on a motorycle tat stopped traffic.  The deceased was amish so first the horse drawn hurse and family members came through, then all the amish families in buggies intermixed with regular cars went through.  At one point an officer came speeding up the side to get in the front, and once they all passed the other officer left the intersection and caught up with them.

From what I've seen the people in PA aren't as bad, but I also haven't witnessed near as many processionals, so don't take my word for it!

ShesSoCold

Ven&Radio said:

I live in the northeast.  I've never heard of pulling over and allowing a funeral procession to pass.  The only etiquette I'm familiar with is to not pull out into one/allow it to pass at an intersection.

That said, I HATE funeral processions.  I've seen one on the highway once.  I spent 2 miles trying to pass it (2 lane highway) and eventually had to cut through to make my exit.  I wasn't going to keep driving until I could avoid them.  Last year I ran into 2 processions in the span of 10 minutes in my town, holding up some major roads.  It just seems so pointless to me.  Give everyone travel time + 10 minutes to get to the cemetery and let them get their individually.

How nice and respectful of you.

banana468

Ven&Radio said:

I live in the northeast.  I've never heard of pulling over and allowing a funeral procession to pass.  The only etiquette I'm familiar with is to not pull out into one/allow it to pass at an intersection.

That said, I HATE funeral processions.  I've seen one on the highway once.  I spent 2 miles trying to pass it (2 lane highway) and eventually had to cut through to make my exit.  I wasn't going to keep driving until I could avoid them.  Last year I ran into 2 processions in the span of 10 minutes in my town, holding up some major roads.  It just seems so pointless to me.  Give everyone travel time + 10 minutes to get to the cemetery and let them get their individually.

Spoken like someone who hasn't lost someone close or been in a foreign area. Even a cemetery isn't easily navigated.

slothiegal

Ven&Radio said: I live in the northeast.  I've never heard of pulling over and allowing a funeral procession to pass.  The only etiquette I'm familiar with is to not pull out into one/allow it to pass at an intersection.

That said, I HATE funeral processions.  I've seen one on the highway once.  I spent 2 miles trying to pass it (2 lane highway) and eventually had to cut through to make my exit.  I wasn't going to keep driving until I could avoid them.  Last year I ran into 2 processions in the span of 10 minutes in my town, holding up some major roads.  It just seems so pointless to me.  Give everyone travel time + 10 minutes to get to the cemetery and let them get their individually.

-------------------------------
I'm so sorry you were so inconvenienced by someone else's loss.

ETA no quote boxes?  cool.

short+sassy

Ven&Radio said:

I live in the northeast.  I've never heard of pulling over and allowing a funeral procession to pass.  The only etiquette I'm familiar with is to not pull out into one/allow it to pass at an intersection.

That said, I HATE funeral processions.  I've seen one on the highway once.  I spent 2 miles trying to pass it (2 lane highway) and eventually had to cut through to make my exit.  I wasn't going to keep driving until I could avoid them.  Last year I ran into 2 processions in the span of 10 minutes in my town, holding up some major roads.  It just seems so pointless to me.  Give everyone travel time + 10 minutes to get to the cemetery and let them get their individually.

 

SITB

Sorry for the long post.  This is actually a HUGE pet peeve of mine.  I know it is not the popular opinion, but I agree with this.  I live in a good-sized Southern city, but was raised on the West Coast.  In CA, you would occassionally see funeral processions, but not often.  And you NEVER, EVER, EVER saw a wedding procession.  Then I moved here, and it isn't just funerals that get processions...which I am more understanding about...but weddings get processions also.  I really hate that.  Someone's wedding is not an excuse to hold up traffic for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of strangers on the way to a reception.  Tell your guests to use Mapquest for goodness sake.

 

Again, I'm much more understanding about a funeral, but I still think processionals should be banned.  They are dangerous.  I've seen many accidents almost happen because of them.  In fact, I almost killed a motorcycle police officer because of one.  It was one of those ramps that have both an on and off ramp.  He was the first in line and came onto the FREEWAY, pulled in front of my car, and slammed on his brakes.  I still shudder when I think about this even though it was years ago and turned out fine.  The only thing that saved him from my ramming into him at 50MPH was I was planning to get off at that exit and had already been slowing down to do it.  As it was, I slammed on my brakes and was able to pull onto the shoulder of the road...not out of "politeness", but to keep from hitting him or one of the cars in the processional that had started to make their way on the freeway.  It was terrifying and totally unnecessary.  And, yeah, that was a wedding one btw.

 

I was actually surprised to hear most people saying that one is supposed to pull onto the shoulder.  I've never seen that done either in CA or my Southern city.  But then maybe that is because there is usually multiple lanes?  Here, it is expected to allow the processional to have their lane and not cut into it..but cars will still use the other lanes that they are not in.  With that said, if it is some crazy long processional and they are blocking my turn/lane I need to be in...then yeah...I'll cut in.

 

I'm all about being respectful and driviing safely, but I'm not driving blocks out of my way or having to take the wrong exit on the freeway because some jerk couple HAD to have a processional for their wedding.  I've also seen people try to do DIY processionals...as in there are no police involved and it is them and their buddies on motorcycles trying to ride herd around a line of cars.  Oh HELL NO to that.  I still try not to cut in if I don't have to...just like I would if I see a line of cars with their blinkers on sans motorcycles and/or police...but I have zero patience if they are in my way because they aren't allowed to be doing what they're doing anyway.

pegasuskat

I have never seen one for a wedding.... But in Tennessee people stop until a funeral passes, sorry if it makes you wait a few minutes, but thats how its done for respect.  I am from MI, so I also know not all areas stop like that, but they do here so I respect it.  When my dad  died ( he was a police officer), it was several miles long, that is not the norm though, they are usually not very long and you only have to wait a few minutes, no big deal.

labro

I live in Atlanta and have lived in various parts of the South for most of my life. I can say I've never seen a wedding processional but have seen and been in funeral processions. One person tried to cut in to the funeral procession for my grandmother. A cop got that asshole and pulled him right over. It was honestly really cheering on an otherwise somber day to see that asshole get what was coming to him. I always pull off to the side whenever there's a funeral procession. My FI grew up all over but most recently hails from Indiana. He didn't know about pulling over for a funeral procession. We were driving home one time and passing the VA cemetary when one started coming down the road from the opposite direction. He freaked out when people started braking and pulling off the road in front of him until I explained what was going on.

OliveOilsMom

I live in NJ across the river from Philly. I have not heard of pulling over for a funeral procession, just letting them stay together (not cut through it) and letting them go through red lights as necessary. I hardly see any police officers with the procession. For my grandma's funeral, the mass was in Philly and her cemetary is in NJ, so the whole procession had to cross one of the major bridges. We had police officers for that procession.

arrippa

I have seen a few funeral processions on the freeway. They were always in another lane (usually the slow one). but I have never heard of pulling over for it. What are you suppose to do if they are in the slow lane and you are in the lane next to them and your exit ramp is coming up? The processions are usually very long. Do you miss your exit? Do you cut in?

Maggie0829

Ven&Radio said:

I live in the northeast.  I've never heard of pulling over and allowing a funeral procession to pass.  The only etiquette I'm familiar with is to not pull out into one/allow it to pass at an intersection.

This is what I am familiar with.  If a funeral procession was going one way down a street and I was going the other, in my area, we do not pull over and wait for them to pass.  But if a funeral procession is going down the street the way I want to go down the street I wait until it is completely by before pulling out so as not to interfere.  And typically if the funeral is being held in a local funeral home and then the deceased is being buried in a local cemetery the police will come out an conduct traffic at lights/intersections so the procession isn't interrupted.

I have only ever been in one procession and that was for my Grandfather who was a former police officer so we had a police escort from the funeral home to the cemetery.  Also all the cars had their lights on and orange flags on their antennas that said "FUNERAL" so that others knew they were a part of the procession.

kns1988

It's always common courtesy to pull over and let them pass where I'm from. There are no official escorts.

The weirdest thing I saw recently was a funeral procession on the PA turnpike. They may have only been going from one exit to the next, but talk about dangerous.

Ashes_3

In Ohio you pull over and let them pass. Only exception is 4 lane highway. It is illegal in Ohio to cut into or through a procession. Vehicles are required to have headlights and 4 way hazzard lights on. Most funeral homes have flags they put on vehicles, but sometimes they don't have enough. As for wedding processions you have to have a parade permit in the town I live in. It only costs 10 bucks. Edited for spelling.

Wegl13

FWIW, in my ATL suburb, everyone pulled over, both directions, on a 4 lane highway. Seriously, it's 20 cars. You wait longer for a red light. The people that mention processions going onto the interstate/closed access highway- I think this is where it gets hairy, and from what I can tell, is avoided as much as possible where I have seen it. It's kind of impossible for a funeral procession to not put people into a dangerous situation in that case. However I think in all other circumstances, everyone pulls over. What was amazing is how dead silent the road was on this major intersection when the procession passed.

huskypuppy14

Maggie0829 said:

Ven&Radio said:

I live in the northeast.  I've never heard of pulling over and allowing a funeral procession to pass.  The only etiquette I'm familiar with is to not pull out into one/allow it to pass at an intersection.

This is what I am familiar with.  If a funeral procession was going one way down a street and I was going the other, in my area, we do not pull over and wait for them to pass.  But if a funeral procession is going down the street the way I want to go down the street I wait until it is completely by before pulling out so as not to interfere.  And typically if the funeral is being held in a local funeral home and then the deceased is being buried in a local cemetery the police will come out an conduct traffic at lights/intersections so the procession isn't interrupted.

I have only ever been in one procession and that was for my Grandfather who was a former police officer so we had a police escort from the funeral home to the cemetery.  Also all the cars had their lights on and orange flags on their antennas that said "FUNERAL" so that others knew they were a part of the procession.

All of this! I have never heard the pull over part, because usually the processional is going slower than the traffic in front of it. 

The processional gets the right of way, and you don't cut in.

I think different states may have different rules. 

huskypuppy14

So i looked it up, in CT (which is the only state I have been in a funeral procession) it is not a law that you have to yield the right of way for a funeral processional. I think it's common courtesy, but you won't get pulled over for it.

 This is probably why the ones I've been apart of all had police escorts. 

Viczaesar

California native here, have lived in several cities in both NorCal and SoCal.  I've never in my life seen a funeral procession.