Roadside memorials - driver distractions?

[canetoad]

Story in our local paper about a woman killed in a road accident because she may have been distracted by an ad hoc shrine set up for four teenagers killed in the same spot a couple of weeks ago.

This particular shrine is not exactly unobtrusive. I can see how it would catch your eye when driving. Creating these shrines seems to be fairly recent - the last ten years or so - I can't remember seeing them in the 70s or 80s.



Yes, the responsibility is on the driver to resist distractions and yes, folk need to remember those who were killed, but is this going over the top?

[ourbluenation]

1. I find the fashions in that pic distracting. Not getting the skinny jeans on dudes. n/t

[canetoad]

9. We won't go there

That area of Melbourne is full of bogans and cubbies (cashed up bogans).

[madaboutharry]

2. They are all over Arizona.

n/t

[orpupilofnature57]

3. pLUS IT LOOKS LIKE UNADULTERATED SHIT IN NO TIME AT ALL

Remember,but don't immortalize tragedy.

[bigwillq]

4. This was an issue

in a town near where I lived. The town ended up taking down the memorial. I don't get it. I support roadside memorials. No one told that person to take their eye off the road to look. It's a shame that someone can't honor someone who died because people don't know how to drive. I am sorry this person was killed, it's unfortunate. But that shouldn't mean these memorials should be outlawed.

[NightWatcher]

5. I find it tacky to show the world where your family member bought it

gravesites are for memorials, leave it there.

[obliviously]

40. I could not agree with you more

life is for the living. We have appropriate places to feel our sorrow not our roadsides. Mourn reflect and leave the shrine at the cemetery.

[Tan Gent]

6. Over the top, gauche, unnecessary, unproductive and stupid.

They have some bad points too.

[Sukie]

7. There are so many distractions already

that I can't imagine how this would be an added distraction. Someone who would be distracted by this, would be distracted by just about anything.

[dysfunctional press]

8. those roadside memorials are just plain stupid...

ego-centric displays for emotional weaklings.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

10. Here in Northern Virginia,

there were so many of these morbid bits of nonsense on the Interstate, the lawmakers passed a new one that gave these things something like thirty days, and then they're gone.

I am weary, ever so weary of the need people have to be noticed, to have the world take note of their loss, to somehow frame their loss in public terms.

Jacko was the final straw. Unadulterated gaudiness with absolutely no basis in reality.

And, yes, I am a cold, hardhearted person who believes in a private life..........................

[bigwillq]

11. I would support a 30-day law.

And I am a supporter of roadside memorials. I have no problem with people honoring someone with these types of memorials. I am weary of people that have an issue with how people mourn.

[vadawg]

15. an exception to this rule would be the memorials to troopers and deputies who die on the roads

these are good reminders every day that the roads are dangerous even to emergency responders, im quite sure that any politician who tried to remove a fallen hero memorial in Virginia would be run out of town and they know this.

[bigwillq]

17. True, but that's not the issue

in this specific case, or in many similar cases.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

20. Not so -

there was a "memorial" to a VA trooper who got killed on an exit ramp of I-95 at the Potomac Mills/Woodbridge exit, and that was taken down.

It was in a horrendous spot, just made the curve of the exit ramp harder to navigate. I'm sure the trooper would have found it untenable as well..........................

[vadawg]

25. i know the one you mean, if i remember rightly theres now a plaque commemorating him

as i said this is something we take very seriously, when an officer/trooper/deputy goes down that spot becomes sacred and they are remembered.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

27. I haven't been down there in a while,

but a plaque would be proper, and a whole lot less dangerous.................

[vadawg]

31. yup depends on the area of the road, personally i like the thin blue line painting on the jersey

barrier on 95 north of richmond i believe, and theres a very nice one in stafford on 95 south.

[ContinentalOp]

39. Yeah, true

because the lives of cops are worth more than those of civilians. :puke:

[vadawg]

41. you really dont get it at all do you, these cops your are puking over are our family

so like a family we memoralise where they fell, if you cant understand that then you will never get it.

[yodoobo]

47. Family - Thats the point isn't it?

I think treating cops family is on par with treating family, well family.

If its fair to remove memorials of fallen family members, then its fair to remove memorials of "cop family" as well.

[vadawg]

50. wont happen, as i said this is something no politician would touch

difference being the unions and fop raise a lot of money for the pols, also the communities at large support these memorials to the fallen.

[noamnety]

51. I agree.

Either they should allow memorials to people killed, or not. Otherwise, it's not a memorial to the person, it's a political statement about how people should value those in authority positions.

[vadawg]

52. so you okay for just an obituary and small graveside ceromony for carter, or clinton when they die

after all its a political statement about how people should value those authority positions. Guess we should have nothing named after them also.

[noamnety]

53. Who would be paying for it?

Carter and Clinton's burial arrangements should be like anyone else's - paid for privately by the families if they can afford it, with or without other private donations.

There are a lot of real needs in our communities that tax dollars would be better spent on. It irks me no end, for instance, that congress is setting aside money to carve some slogan about God into some building ... instead of actually feeding the poor, which I suspect is more in line with Jesus's teachings.

I would hope that Carter or Clinton would opt to feed the hungry if given a choice between spending thousands of public tax dollars on combating poverty vs. spending it on shrines to themselves.

[vadawg]

54. so your okay then with the fallen officer memorials as they are paid for by private funds

[noamnety]

55. If they are arguing that the memorials are a public danger

then I'm not okay with having them installed for police, no. I don't think we need two classes of people like that with double standards.

I think they need to decide if they are allowing memorials for individuals on roadsides, or if they are building shrines to positions of authority and power structures.

[vadawg]

56. okay you go with that, your still going to get the memorials to fallen officers

no matter what you think, or say.

[noamnety]

57. Well, yes,

some things are inevitable for political reasons. People in power have an interest in exalting those who help keep them in power.

Sometimes, though, we voice arguments as to why we oppose an action, even though we know it will still come to pass. The Iraq War comes to mind. We all knew we were going to get it whether or not we spoke out against it.

[vadawg]

59. you think we care what the politicians think, as i said this is a family thing

these fallen are our families and a big part of the family is looking after the immediate family and the sacred ground were an officer fell, you can make it part of a big power structure thing, but to us its about family.

[noamnety]

63. Why is the ground more sacred because it was an officer?

If you are a policeman, I guess it's because you personally feel a connection to them ... but that doesn't make it public sacred ground, it just makes it personally significant to you. I strongly dislike the use of the word "sacred" here because it implies deification of people just because they went into law enforcement.

If a kid from a local school dies, the "big family" of the school feels the exact same way.

If someone who does volunteer work dies there, their big family feels the same way.

Special treatment is given to officers not because they are more sacred or better people or had more value, but because power reinforces power.

[vadawg]

64. nope its sacred to law enforcement due to the family ties we feel

that piece of road thats just a shortcut to you is our office, our lunch spot and unfortunately our memorial. Your analogy about a teacher is good, that classroom where she taught means nothing to outsiders but to other teachers and students it becomes more than a classroom.

[noamnety]

68. You're giving me an emotional response

which I understand, because it's an emotional issue.

But public law shouldn't be based on that. And public servants shouldn't be claiming that their emotional needs are more important than those of the people they serve. For a family who has lost a child on a piece of road, that spot is equally sacred to them.

But they aren't in a position of power, therefore their emotional needs aren't worth squat. Police officers can use their connections to get special consideration. You clearly think that's fair because they should have special status in our society; I believe it's an abuse of power if it's not extended to everyone equally.

[vadawg]

69. im not sue if we are talking by each other, i feel for everyone who loses someone on the highway

yes it is highly emotional, and yes we do gte special consideration in this, but that consideration is given by the community at large, most people realise what that stretch of highway means to us due to there own losses and they can understand and support the memorials. These things dont happen in a vaccumn. As to a special status, yes there are people with a special status in our society whether you like it or not, fire fighters, nurses, doctors, cops, emts, teachers etc etc are all considered to be public servants and serving the community as a whole so yes the communities give us a special status outside of the powers that the laws give us.

[fishbulb703]

60. uhhh.. i hate cops n/t

[vadawg]

61. well i guess if your a criminal thats to be expected....

[fishbulb703]

62. or maybe i just love liberty?

also, the people who score worst on the armed services entry exam become military police =D

[vadawg]

65. lol no idea, i was Recce before i became the popo

[fishbulb703]

67. you are whats wrong with america... arrest me

no knock search warrants, lying to suspects, arresting marijuana users, "disorderly conduct", searches subsequent to arrest. jackbooted fascist pig.

[vadawg]

70. lol well you got all the talking points in

yes we lie to suspects, yes the laws tell us that marijuana is illegal (talk to the politicians) yup disordely conduct is an offence, hell yes im searching you after arrest, we have had people have concealed weapons discovered on these searches, i dont wear jackboots, not a fascist though mayby to a rebel without a clue like yourself i could be, pig (pretty intelligent guy) definetly.

[fishbulb703]

71. enjoy getting fired. do you even read supreme court decisions?

searches subsequent to arrest, except to ensure the safety of officers, are now illegal.

[vadawg]

73. lol i think you need to read what i wrote in the earlier post

we search subsequent to arrest for weapons, ie for our safety, and then the jail dogs search you for weapons, contraband and anything else illegal. Not sure how you missed the weapons part.

[fishbulb703]

75. ""hell yes im searching you after arrest" yes i can read, fascist. nt

[vadawg]

76. real simple dont get arrested then you wont get searched

if you dont like the laws, move or run for office...

[fishbulb703]

78. because cops stick to laws? how about that one in oakland

who shot a kid in the back of the head, handcuffed and on the ground?

[vadawg]

79. yup will be interesting to see what happens, as i said before either he was psychotic

or he had recently changed his batman belt, muscle memory is strange ive went for my baton before but had changed its position so i had to write a report of why i used a mini maglight to fight a female in a bar. But for evey cop who screws up or is bad there are thousands who just do their job.

[fishbulb703]

80. just dont do your job on me peacably drinking in a bar or smoking weed. thanks.

[vadawg]

81. hey i only arrest when your breaking the law so

the smoking weed part will get you a few hours in the jail and in front of the judge. Thats the code in virginia.

[fishbulb703]

82. "just doing what i was ordered" you'd make a fine nazi

[vadawg]

83. not what i was ordered, what the law says, you know that thing we take an oath to serve

i love the nazi references from people who have absolutely no idea the differences between the LEOs and the nazis, but i got to say you make a fine idiot.

[fishbulb703]

84. lol. however you justify it my good sir

[vadawg]

85. lol i guess your okay with me disregarding the laws

what other ones should i disregard, domestic violence, hate crimes etc we dont get to choose as that would be like the nazi's

[cabluedem]

86. These officers chose thier profession. They should be given special treatment. Thats whats wrong....

with this country. Oftentimes cops with double digit IQ's make a mistake that gets them killed, like writing a ticket out in traffic. How is that heroic in any way? How is that cop better then workers who do much more deadly jobs?

[vadawg]

87. okay you come out and put it on the line, or go be a firefighter

i dont know what you do for a living, but everyday i check my weapons, put on my vest, kiss my kids for mayby the last time, make my peace with my maker and head out. You do realise that every day we realise could be our last, that the next traffic stop could be our last, you might not find it heroic but the vast majority of the communities we police do.

[cabluedem]

88. No they dont,.Most people dont like or trust cops after all the abuse and killings. nt

[canetoad]

12. Hey hey Tangi

good to see ya. Personally, I blame soap operas for this lack of good taste. Many people don't know anymore what restraint means.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

23. The great author, Joseph Wambaugh (I'm only half joking),

once said, "Life doesn't imitate art. Life imitates melodrama."

The older I get, the righter Wambaugh gets.

Hello, canetoad - how goes it?

I thought of you recently when my lovely friend in the herbage business sent me more yummy greenery gifts. Excellent stuff, transcendent brownies ..................

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

28. Actually, I just starting noticing Virginia putting these up.

http://virginiadot.org/info/roadside_memorial_signs.asp

I understand and sort of agree with your opinion. I also think that they remind people that driving is serious, which is good considering how irresponsible a lot of drivers are.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

33. Oh, that's GOOD!

I haven't seen them, but that's a very good, very dignified and sensible way of commemorating the incident without spilling plastic flowers and teddy bears all over the place.

Thank you for that!!

:hi:

[tammywammy]

72. That's a great idea

I really like the idea of using that sign.

[Celeborn Skywalker]

58. These memorials are very common in Hispanic areas.

Most roadside memorials here in NM are done by Hispanics, and yes, death is more open and not "private". It's important to remember that not everyone has a Northern European concept of privacy.

[Dappleganger]

13. She could have been reading a street sign

or watching a squirrel on the side of the road.
The fact that she can't pay attention and drive was not the fault of anyone but herself.

[bigwillq]

16. ...

:thumbsup:

[hlthe2b]

14. Many areas of Colorado replace them with a formal sign,

memorializing them on the site... I assume it is like the adopt-a-highway program in that donations made on behalf of the decedent go towards purchase of the sign...I do think these are much better ideas because flower-strewn memorials are distacting--human nature.

[Obamanaut]

18. They should be no more of a distraction than a deer or other creature.

They are more unsightly though. I'd rather see wildlife than a memorial/shrine.

[bluethruandthru]

19. I always thought that cemetaries were the place for memorials.

I pass many of these roadside memorials every day. Many have been in place for years and have become permanent. One has been made into a what lookes like a gravesite with a carved marker with the names of the two who died along with their dates of birth and death. Unfortunately, it's in front on someone's home. I'm told the homeowners don't like it but when they attempted to get it removed, they were harassed mercilessly by the family and friends of the two who died. It's been in place nearly 10 years now.

[lindisfarne]

34. +1

[TygrBright]

21. Descansos are an old tradition here in NM.

No one has claimed them as a cause of accident or traffic violation yet.

Some of them are pretty cool.

They are an interesting cultural expression and some are very artistic, with wrought-iron crosses or carved wood figures. Some less artistic to my eyes, but then I'm not fond of dia de los muertos art either, and that is also popular here.

informatively,
Bright

[ProgressiveProfessor]

37. There has been some controversy about when they are placed on private property without consent

Not sure they belong on public land beyond a reasonable period (30 days)

[Art_from_Ark]

46. I noticed a lot of crosses by the side of the road in Montana

when I was up there. They made me think about how an accident might have occurred at that spot.

Also, here in Japan one can often see roadside memorials, usually a bouquet, which are sometimes replaced with a flashing red light to indicate a particularly dangerous part of the road.

[me b zola]

22. Attractive woman walking down the street/road...

Driver distraction? What if she is scantily clad? Does that then become over the top and need to be regulated?

[Matariki]

44. Heh - my first and only accident (I was 16) - attractive, shirtless men working at a garden center.

:blush:

[Quantess]

24. I like them. They remind me to drive more carefully.

You aren't supposed to slow down to read them, silly.
;)

[WeDidIt]

26. Cemetaries are where these things belong

I think roadside memorials should be outlawed.

[Raine]

29. I support the memorials

there are all kinds of distractions on the road some of them are moving like dogs or other animals etc. If you can't concentrate enough to block out distractions maybe you shouldn't drive. The memorials should make people think, driving is serious and should be taken that way. People eat, apply make-up and read while driving (which are real distractions) having a reminder that people's lives are lost on the road is a good thing.

[Stevenmarc]

30. Distraction, no... Ugly as shit, yes

[Lars39]

32. Do these same people put flowers in a person's hospital room when they die?

Do they decorate the person's home? I don't get it at all. Honor the person's life, not where they were mangled beyond repair.

[Piperay]

35. Americans hate being reminded of death

stick the dead person in the cemetary where no one has to think about them then you can totally forget them and not be reminded that you're going to die too. :sarcasm:

[Feron]

66. More like not wanting permanent trashy memorials.

I don't oppose allowing a family or loved ones to put up a small temporary memorial for two weeks to a month.

However unmaintained memorials and/or a collection of memorials alongside the road are an eyesore. Not to mention that it can impede roadside maintenance like grass cutting.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

36. They are a relative modern invention

and they can be distracting to a driver if they are huge like the one pictured. I think limits should be made to how large these memorials are. A simple cross or some flowers by the wayside (with the property owner's permission) are okay, but that one shown is just too big.

[CanonRay]

38. We have tons of them in S. Colorado/New Mexico

They are common in the southewest. I personally find them poingnant and make me think of the consequences of driving like an idiot.

[azmouse]

42. Celebrate the life of the person, not the death.

I hate the roadside memorials.

[vadawg]

43. i can see your point of view, for us these memorials are both to memoralise the fallen

but also to show they died doing what they loved to do, they died doing there duty, law enforcement is very into doing memorials for fallen brothers in blue, i think its ingrained into the culture.

[Gold Metal Flake]

45. Memorials to departed loved one have a place.

That place is in sticker form on the rear window of a truck or SUV where it can slowly shrink, curl and peel off thus showing the utmost respect for the person who passed. Now notice my grief motherfucker!

[Quantess]

48. How many of you think bumper stickers are ugly and distracting?

Now those are ugly and distracting.

[noamnety]

49. Maybe lawmakers should focus on banning billboards

since their entire reason to exist is to get drivers to read them instead of focusing on the road.

The reason they are picking on the memorials and not the billboards is that corporations are valued above citizens.

[notesdev]

77. Bingo

first thing I thought... if they got a problem with memorials, what about these huge signs that are specifically designed and intended to distract the attention of drivers?

Someone going to make this fair and make billboard companies pay a share of drivers' accident insurance or something?

[EndersDame]

74. I start paying attention to the road more when I see them

p don't want to become one of those!