Roadside Memorials
Mood:  irritated
Topic: The American Way
Okay today I'm doing a two-fer. Why? Well, just because I've been meaning to write about this particular topic and I keep getting distracted, so I'm doing it now.

One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing those roadside crosses with tacky plastic flowers and dollar teddy bears wherever there has been a wreck. I have to pass one of those every time I take my kid back and forth to work, and every time I do, I shake my head, because its still there, day after day, week after week, month after month. Its a multiple memorial too. I guess a couple of people died in that crash. Anyway, all that stuff has been up there for at least 9 months now, maybe longer.

This is a sensitive subject, I know. So I am not making light of other's losses or tragedies. Its horrible to lose a loved one. And I totally understand the need to remember them, but in my opinion, this is not the way.

Permanent memorial markers belong in cemeteries, not along the roadside. For one thing, passing one is a distraction to drivers, who look to the side and as a result, can end up getting in a wreck themselves. For another thing, its depressing as hell to see. And lastly, unless one has permission to erect a memorial, its illegal. That property is owned by someone, be it a private owner or state or local government, and nobody has a right to erect anything on it without permission.

There was a case right here in Florida last year where a terrible crash occurred right on someone's front lawn. The relatives and friends of the victims erected a huge memorial with lots of tacky stuff right in the middle of some guy's front lawn. He was interviewed on tv and was very gracious about it all, saying how tragic the accident was, but I'll bet he was seething inside. Afterall, every time he looked out his front window, that's what he saw. Every time someone passed his house, that's what they saw and ever time someone came to his home for whatever reason, that's what they saw. And that just isn't right. I have no idea if the memorial is still there, but if it was me, I would have told those people to hit the pike and take their cheesy crosses with them.

Anyway, bottom line here is that if roadside memorials are to be legally permitted, then there should be some rules. Rules like, you can't put one on someone's front lawn, and that they can only stay up for a certain period of time, say...a couple of weeks, and lastly that they have to be respectable and small, with no tacky plastic plants or cheap bears.

I'm sure there are probably many people who don't agree with me and think I am absolutely horrible for saying all this, but tough! Its how I feel. And its what I would do, if God-forbid, someone ever died on my front lawn.