283VZ Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 I posted this on another site what do you think. Am I a bad person? I think these Roadside memorials are a form of littering.Thier everywhere it seems in my town( lots of illegals) . I want to rent a U-haul pickup and go around town cleaning this trash up! I've never lost a loved one in a traffic accident, but I didn't put a memorial in front of my old house were my grandfather died. I think there is a place for this, it's called the CEMETARY! Thats my rant and I'm stickin' to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest l28et Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 Yea they are tacky, but they help people grieve and get through a hard time. Also, when they are placed at a dangerous intersection, rail road tracks or a sharp bend it is somewhat sobering and I think thats the idea... Now political signs in yards.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunlover Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 Lets see.. I was driving up a lonely stretch of road last summer, and something caught my eye.. A big white cross with flowers and a picture about 30 feet up on a rock cut. Seeing as evrything else around is just rocks, trees and roadway, my attention was briefly drawn to it... A few seconds later, I'm hitting the soft shoulder and about to drive into the rock cut myself!! I say they are a dangerous distraction to any motorist... I'm sure it's well intentioned by whoever put it there, but if it CAUSED another accident in the same spot, well.. that's not good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 My personal opinion is that a SMALL cross or something isn't such a big deal and I think that's OK. But I have seen some that look like shrines and have a ton of old "garbage" (old flowers, toys?!?, photos, and other stuff) getting really ratty looking, growing and spreading out from a central point and yes, it begins to look like trash. I agree that something large or bright could be a visual distraction. Isn't the cemetery where the body is laid anyway? Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two40MuscleZ Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 I agree Davy, and yes it can be a problem. Here in SoCal you see these shrines pop up, mainly Hispanic...candles, flowers, toys, crosses, pictures etc. However, after a certain amount of time the City's Maintenance Crews remove them. If it is "reestablished" then Code Enforcement gets involved. And that usually is the end of that. There are exceptions i.e. if the City Fathers want to errect a memorial for some specific reason or purpose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperPickle Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 Along the highway between 29Palms, CA and Las Vegas (rte 66 I believe) there are dozens of miles of road where memorials are done up. The road has a slope going up on each side, and the memorials are usually painted rocks forming names and initials. There're also a lot of "John hearts Jane" and the like. The road is never heavily travelled, and it helps break up the monotony of a couple-hour trip. All that said, I agree with you, with the exception of a cross hanging right before a turn I don't know. Very sobering indeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
283VZ Posted February 26, 2007 Author Share Posted February 26, 2007 I agree Davy, and yes it can be a problem. Here in SoCal you see these shrines pop up, mainly Hispanic...candles, flowers, toys, crosses, pictures etc. However, after a certain amount of time the City's Maintenance Crews remove them. If it is "reestablished" then Code Enforcement gets involved. And that usually is the end of that. There are exceptions i.e. if the City Fathers want to errect a memorial for some specific reason or purpose. I wish my City would do something like that,I wouldn't have a problem with it if thats the case.I first called the Sheriff to see where I stand legally, they said out of respect that it wasn't a tickitable offence and that they didn't want to get in the middle of it. I was refered to Code enforcement were the girl gave me a guilt trip. instead of answers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 There was a local newstory where some family was pissed that their roadside memorial kept disappearing. They staked out the site and caught some old guy who spent his time cleaning up these shrines. I can't remember the details, but they somehow got the guy arrested. The paper said the only legal way to handle it is to report it to the county and let the road crews do it. so be careful if you take it upon yourself to clean up these shrines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mike Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 "...driving up a lonely stretch of road last summer... something caught my eye... my attention was briefly drawn to it... about to drive into the rock cut myself!! ...just think it's a little ironic that your sig is, "Wisdom is knowing what to overlook", heh, heh These memorials pop up from time-to-time in the San Antonio area but I never see them stay for long. I think the road crews clean them up regularly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest l28et Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 ...just think it's a little ironic that your sig is, "Wisdom is knowing what to overlook", heh, heh These memorials pop up from time-to-time in the San Antonio area but I never see them stay for long. I think the road crews clean them up regularly. What part of SA you in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mike Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 ^^^ I'm in the NE area... in Converse. I work at FSH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest l28et Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 ^^^ I'm in the NE area... in Converse. I work at FSH. Me too. Stationed at Randolph, live off of 78. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mike Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 ^^^ We're practically neighbors . I'm near the corner of Toepperwein and Kittyhawk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunlover Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 ...just think it's a little ironic that your sig is, "Wisdom is knowing what to overlook", heh, heh These memorials pop up from time-to-time in the San Antonio area but I never see them stay for long. I think the road crews clean them up regularly. Hey, I never said I WAS a wise man... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 ...they said out of respect that it wasn't a tickitable offense and that they didn't want to get in the middle of it. I was refered to Code enforcement were the girl gave me a guilt trip... Niiiice. Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoov100 Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 if i ever die on the side of a road, forget the shrine, just dig the hole, throw me in, burry me, thats all i want done, forget the little shrines on the side of the road, i hit one once and boy it did more harm then good.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 There's actually a bill in the state house up for approval right now (might have gone thru this past week actually) with regards to requirements for size of and maintenance of roadside memorials. Couple things come to mind though... Often the site is a fairly dangerous location (Hence the memorial in the first place), making it more of a danger with people trying to stop and pay their respects. The litter is another factor. I think it would be difficult to regulate these sites though. We'll see how it goes... I know when my Wife's mother died (Before we met), they had a roadside memorial for a while. However, after a period of time, it was dropped and now we all pay our respects at her grave. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Juday Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 ... I know when my Wife's mother died (Before we met), they had a roadside memorial for a while. However, after a period of time, it was dropped and now we all pay our respects at her grave. Mike This seems appropriate to me. It is, after all, an additional memorial. The main one being the head stone. The road into our little town from the west (Hwy 12) is particularly notorious. If a small cross were placed at everyplace a motorist had died along it you could walk the 22 miles from Fairfield to Rio Vista stepping from cross to cross and never have to touch the ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
283VZ Posted February 27, 2007 Author Share Posted February 27, 2007 The road into our little town from the west (Hwy 12) is particularly notorious.If a small cross were placed at everyplace a motorist had died along it you could walk the 22 miles from Fairfield to Rio Vista stepping from cross to cross and never have to touch the ground. That is were my idea is based. I live in the middle of Hwy 138, locals call it death Hwy.. could you imagine our roadways if everybody practiced this behaviour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COZY Z COLE Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 This seems appropriate to me. It is, after all, an additional memorial. The main one being the head stone. The road into our little town from the west (Hwy 12) is particularly notorious. If a small cross were placed at everyplace a motorist had died along it you could walk the 22 miles from Fairfield to Rio Vista stepping from cross to cross and never have to touch the ground. Man isn't that the truth... One place near the county dump you could walk on crosses in the ditch from the pavement to the fence line. LARRY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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