Is anyone else bothered by the make-shift memoriums that people put up after a fatal accident or fire?

Flowers, teddy bears, crosses, and statues around a site of a fatal incident are not for me. I believe you should remember these people in how they lived, not in how they died. I now have to drive by one of these sites everyday. It is lined with flowers and an angel statue. I now go by each time and remember the entire incident as it unfolded upon my eyes.

I understand many people grieve in different ways, but, I just wish there energy and thoughts would be put to better use of rememberance of the loved one.

I wonder also what road workers who mow along the highways do when come across these crosses and other items. Do they mow over them? Do they move them? Do they leave them in place? Let me know your thoughts on this topic, good, bad, and ugly.

Keep safe
sgpjroh54321

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Permalink Reply by JEREMY on January 16, 2008 at 8:39am

I agree, It's not the place for it. My best friend was killed in the line of duty in an ambulance and his family put up a large cross. It has fallen into disrepair and is pretty much gone now.

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Permalink Reply by Casper on March 12, 2008 at 7:30am

A few years back there was a head on accident involving some relatives of mine, A girl was following her boyfriend up a curvy road one night at a high rate of speed and lost control then ran head on into my cousin and her niece, My relatives got of with a few broken bones and some other mild to moderate injuries, The girl driving the other car was trapped in her car and gravely injured and died before they could cut her out.
The girls family built a large shrine to her at the scene including a 10 foot tall cross of 6x6 beams. Every day my cousin had to drive by the scene and be reminded of horrible night. Now I don't mind people puting flowers on the side of the road to remember a loved one but The large shrines built all to often now adays just brings more pain to the innocent people involved and the responders who were there when they have to see these day after day.

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Permalink Reply by Karen on March 12, 2008 at 2:32pm

People set up memorials to people who died as an unspoken way to express their grief as well as to keep their memory alive. The memorials of flowers, teddy bears and crosses that we see along our roadways are no different then the tributes that are left everyday at the Vietnam Memorial in DC or the many, many flower and candle tributes that were left after the 9/11/01 attacks. I see nothing wrong with erecting these memorials, sometimes it helps the people left behind cope with the loss of someone they loved.

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Permalink Reply by Arkymedic on March 12, 2008 at 4:52pm

Your first sentence was my thought while reading the replies here. Who are we to tell them what is appropriate? If it bothers us then we have to deal with that ourselves. If it provides comfort and closure to the family we don't have a right to say a damn thing about it. Like Siren said these also serve as a warning. While on shift I counted 12 of these in various parts of our district yesterday. Who am I to say anything about any of them?

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Permalink Reply by mike wright on March 12, 2008 at 7:59pm

I feel this is just a way for a family to remember the person that has passed. It is kind of like the headstone at the cemetary. It just lets the family grieve in their own little way. it is not hurting anything or anyone so let it be there if they want it to be. Most people dont do it disrespectfully. Most people put little things out that that person loved in their life.

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Permalink Reply by Greenman on March 12, 2008 at 10:04pm

I don't see any problem with a small memorial, but think a 10ft tall cross made of 6x6 beams is overkill. I think maybe there should be a law limiting the size of the memorial, but other than that I don't see a problem with them.