Funeral Processions...

Some people may not realize it is a procession. If it is a long one, they may not have seen the police escort. I accidentally pulled out of a side street into a funeral procession line once and was rudely honked at. I pulled out as soon as I realized but I didn't see the police escort because it was such a long line. Everyone should be sensitive to all other people whether they are in the procession or not. We are all in this world together for better or worse.

I have not seen it done when the procession is coming from the opposite direction. When I was growing up in MN pretty much everyone respected the funeral processions and yielded to them. They were always accompanied by a police escort on motorcycle.

Here in the Chicago area I never see police escorts and I have noticed that very few yield to the procession. I don't know if it is that people just haven't been taught (Chicago has a very large first generation immigrant population, and, judging from my experience with my in-laws and extended family, they don't know anything about the funeral processions.) I don't think it is covered in Driver's Ed.

i see many examples of "nothing is sacred" these days. I live in the south, i rarely see processions, but when i do they look pretty smooth to me. and i live in one of the biggest traffic cities(houston)

Pulling over for a funeral procession is not a law...only a form of etiquette. Right or wrong, no one is legally required to pull over for a funeral procession...ever.

That being said....there is no reason on earth besides an emergency that anyone should go blazing past. Emotions may be high, and what time are you saving by shaving a minute or two off your commute to shoot past the grieving. It is more of a southern tradition, and a sign of respect...one that many people are not aware of until they go through it themselves.

I am not familiar with TN laws but in Texas it is actually not the law (just common courtesy). Having said that I usually see most cars pull over.

Yes, this is a cultural thing. My husband is the most couteous and considerate man I have ever met, yet he doesn't understand why we pull over for funerals "in the south". (He is from the Pittsburgh, PA area)

It is not against the law where we live, but I am sure there are places where it might be...

To me it has nothing to do with the law, it is completely how rude and a rush people are in nowadays.

Example: Tuesday night I was in the return line at a local Walmart, I bought the wrong size pull-ups. Well the guy in front of my was rude, there was an issue with an item the person ahead of him was returning and the manager had to be called over and then a price check and so on and so forth. It did take long, like 15 minutes to return a DVD. Wel this guy ahead of me spoke rather loud "how many walmart workers does it take to return something" there were three there, I ignored him. Then he looks at me and says loud again so everyone could hear him "You would think they would open up another cashier because the line is SOOOOO long." I simple replied well that is not up to us we are not working here. I was not going to let his negativity get to me. The he said "WE all think you should open up another lane because you guys can not figure that out." I then said loudly "speak for yourself but DO NOT speak for me, I am fine waiting and there is no reason to talk rudely to someone even if you think it is taking longer then you think it should. The lady behind me said "I agree with you ms, Americans are just too much in a rush." The man was very unhappy with me, almost thought he was going to hit me, but I am sorry but being rude is not ok with me. Those workers where just trying to figure it out and do it correctly.

I live in Wisconsin and usually people obey the rule of moving over or letting the procession go through. Of course it really depends where you are driving, I have seen downtown processions broken up by rude drivers.

We've always pulled over. It is what you do in middle Tennessee to show respect. I have noticed that some folks don't, but growth in Rutherford County has been crazy and most have come from up north. I'll continue to pull over if it can be done safely.

When my father died, they pulled over and cops directed traffic, but I've never heard of the other side of the road going in opposite direction doing that.

This is the statute in NC http://law.onecle.com/north-carolina/20-motor-vehicles/20... .

When my g'ma on my dad's side passed and the funeral procession was working it's way towards the small city cemetary, I was floored when folks pulled over, got out of their cars, took off hats, and bowed heads! Now this was quite a bit ago - and very small town where they all knew - but the effect the few other cars out at the time was to slow down as well.

I was in the procession of another relative's funeral and got cut off by "blue hairs"! OMG! That just blew me away! My cousin behind me knew I was probably saying something I shouldn't by my flip of my hand (not the bird tho) - and was laughing at me when we got to the cemetary!

If I can pull over safely, I will - otherwise I will slow down (much to the chagrin of drivers behind me). Should I be outside and one passes, I'll stand and wait. Several years ago as I was almost done w/lunch, I looked out and saw what I soon realized was a funeral procession (I had not seen the beginning of it) - it was amazing as it was a huge amount of wreckers from all over the city (all sizes) - paying tribute to someone who had started a service many years ago!

I have to admit, I've never heard of pulling over for a funeral procession that is on the road going the opposite direction. There have been times when I have pulled over for a funeral procession though. Twice it was for a fallen soldier and once for a fallen police officer. Each time traffic was stopped at the intersections to allow them to pass. It was broadcast on the news when they would be going by, and people expected it. In fact, we stopped at the intersection and got out of our cars for the police officer. I don't think I had ever heard that area so quiet.

I do know that when a procession is going by they have the right of way despite what the light says. (Of course in our city they have police escorts that sit at all intersections to allow them through.)

When my son died, most cars did pull over. I live in MT.

I had never seen people do this nor heard of this custom until I moved to Oklahoma (from Florida). The only time we stopped for a funeral procession was if it was police-escorted and the police cars blocked the intersections. I knew you weren't supposed to merge into a funeral procession, but I guess the whole stopping thing just wasn't a custom where I used to live. Now, it's second nature.

my experience has been that it's not so much a southern thing as it is a suburb and small town thing. When I lived in Lubbock, TX and my friend passed, we had traffic on both sides pull over. In Dallas and St. Louis, I've seen people actually cut through them to get to other lanes. I know my biggest problem is that lately I can't tell when a funeral procession is coming or not. I had to be in one in Dallas at one point in time and the police were not stopping at the lights to direct the whole procession through as only one officer was able to be hired for the procession. The other day I was on the highway in St. Louis and there was a procession in the far right lane, but I had NO IDEA because not all of them had their flashers on and the line was very long and the police escort was only at the front. Plus, no lanes of traffic were stopping out of the four lanes. So it's not always because people aren't being respectful, but sometimes they just don't know. Other times people are being rude and don't care, but give some the benefit of the doubt. With that being said, I've never heard that it was the law to pull over, I've only heard that they have the right of way.

I live in East Tn....most everyone stops, if not they slow way way down. Can't imagine people not stopping to show there respect.....

first of all, although I understand you are upset by the behavior of others, it is NOT the law that one has to pull over for a funeral procession. It may be courtesy, or a common practice in the town in which you were raised, but it is not a law, and many people (those from rural, northern areas) may be unaware of the practice. Why don't you send a letter to your local paper telling them how pulling over is a way of honoring the life of the person who is being processed? If people do not know, they cannot act the way you want them to.

yep, it's a southern thing. i have heard yankee's that have been to funerals down here talk about how wonderful it was that people did that. they also said they had never seen it done before. for me and my family it seems like the least we can do. i know it sounds crazy but i even turn my radio off and say a short prayer. blessings R.

I grew up in the Chicago area and have never heard of this.
Yes, If the funeral procession is going through the intersection we wait and were taught to. If they are in the right hand lane it is OK to pass them, or ride along to the side if them, in the left hand lane. If one were to come at me from the other side of a highway, divided or not, I would say a small prayer for the family and continue on.

In the NW, people pull over, at least in Idaho here. PS I LOVE Tn! I think it is sooo beautiful there.

Where I live, we all stop and wait patiently if it's crossing our lane of traffic, but not if it's coming from the opposite direction. That seems silly, to stop when it's not affecting the flow of traffic. The only law here is to pull to the right if you hear sirens, all traffic stops until the ambulance/police car passes, regardless of direction.

I must say I have never seen anyone pull over nor have I ever pulled over. I also had no idea that you were supposed to. I just know that the cars lead by cops, followed with lights on and flags is a funeral procession and they get the right away...not a pull over to the side or anything.

I live in GA and most of the time folks pull over, but especially in the burbs, not so much in downtown ATL. I don't remember seeing this when I lived in NY or in MD but then I wasn't driving then - I was a late bloomer - so I may not have been paying attention to that kind of stuff.

It's a nice gesture, and fine for a sleepy southern town, however, I grew up in a city, and it would have been dangerous for people to stop all of a sudden. I learned about this custom when we lived in Ala. Now I am in N.C.. but in a busy area, and I stop if I can and don't if I can't. Better to be a safe driver than getting into the procession yourself!