Roadside Death Shrines

[regency]

There's a cliff / out cropping over the reservoir at Nimbus lake ( Sacramento, Ca ) where a young boy got killed jumping to the water below, last year. He misjudged the jump and hit the shallow area and killed himself. Friends & Family did a Shrine there as well. during the funeral service at the "jump" site, two of his friends jumped off the cliff, they survived.

Steve

73 911 T MFI Coupe, Aubergine

[A930Rocket]

Between Columbia and Charleston SC on I-26, there are a dozen plus markers of different types where a loved on has died. It's easy to see why, when the pine trees are 20' off the road and downhill some. Once you go off road, there's no getting back on.

They don't bother me, but do remend me to be careful.

[DanielDudley]

I'm an onward and upward kind of guy myself, but some people are of the never forget mentality.

I have some sympathy for that.

[slow&rusty]

Please provide a locations of this roadshide shrine, I see some glass \ aluminum recycling money that I could put to great use.

[Buckterrier]

I don't get it either. I swear this 'trend' started in NH on Rte. 101 between Manchester & Portsmouth. Simple white crosses. The road is just a regular stretch of road no tough corners, turns etc. Legend has it the road was made over an indian burial ground.
That is what cemeteries are for IMHO.

[imcarthur]

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

Between Columbia and Charleston SC on I-26,

You are right. That is a particularly hairy road. Especially I-95 to Charleston. A lot of truck traffic & a virtual tunnel through the woods.

Ian

[widgeon13]

This can all be blamed on Burma-Shave advertising from years ago.

It's littering, distracting and serves no useful purpose.

[jwasbury]

Fairly common in these parts as well. If done tastefully (a simple white cross of wood, for example), I personally don't mind them and appreciate the reminder to stay safe and of the fragility of life.

Unfortunately, far too often these shrines are completely "ghetto" for lack of a better term. I see many around here where cheap plastic flowers and candles are taped to a sign post or utility pole. Duct tape or clear packing tape seems to be favored. This stuff doesn't weather well and ends up looking like a trash heap in short order. I can understand the desire to have some sort of physical memorial for a departed loved one, but a pile of garbage is more of an insult than a tribute to my eye.

In NYC, there are white painted "ghost" bicycles marking places where cyclists have been killed by cars.

[daepp]

I agree with a previous poster, save it for the headstone.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Originally Posted by Buckterrier

I don't get it either. I swear this 'trend' started in NH on Rte. 101 between Manchester & Portsmouth. Simple white crosses. The road is just a regular stretch of road no tough corners, turns etc. Legend has it the road was made over an indian burial ground.
That is what cemeteries are for IMHO.

I'm on that road regularly and the crosses never bother me. I suspect most of the crashes might be weather related. It's a good reminder to be cautious as it's very tempting to let 'er rip on that road - especially in the wee hours when nobody's around. Lots of nothin' out there, fairly straight, a few little rolling rises. Fun to drive really, really fast, but I see how one could come over a ridge and all of a sudden there's a puddle or ice patch or deer or moose standing and then... *wham*

I did see a gigantic frozen waterfall of ice hanging off of one of the few bridge overpasses on there last year. Kinda' scary - if that thing ever broke loose it'd definitely go through a windshield and kill someone. Had to have weighed hundreds of pounds. There are weird hazards like that.

[Rikao4]

we call them DWI/idiot markers down here..
twit who blew past me on his ninja at 100 plus in the rain/fog..
got one as well...
he should have several..
as the cables sliced and diced him...
he was everywhere..

this is followed by the ritual of selling barbecue plates..
gotta pay for the funeral...

Rika

[Danimal16]

Makes you want to put up a "died from stupidity" sign.

What a waste.

[scottmandue]

We had one here too, on western Ave... a wide street where I used to race as a kid... and my brother rolled his van on the same street.

Some kid hit a pole and died... alcohol and street racing... the had a shrine at the pole for over a year.

And kids would congregate around the pole... at a bend in the road... on a street with a 35 MPH speed limit and no parking... surprised they didn't cause another accident.

I don't get it.

Also the memorials in the car windows... don't get that either.

I don't mind the white cross to remind people it is a dangerous part of the road.

[12own911]

There are two on Western now. Blocks away from each other. Klye still gets remembered once a year now and the other is monthly. New candles and ballons.

As for the memorials in car windows... I hate that I cant read them. If you are going to have them plesae make sure that others can read them otherwise dont put them on your car.

[Zeke]

I've seen it all now, meaning I've never seen the graphics on the road before. I think that would pass for graffiti here.

[vash]

i'm cool with it. whatever.

maybe it is a cultural thing? i see them everywhere. recently, i saw a huge chainsaw sculpture of a cross next to a highway.

when i die, i want people to move on.

[Joe Bob]

Tends to be an ethnic thing....whilst driving the Baja peninsula....crap like that was all over.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by vash

i'm cool with it. whatever.

when i die, i want people to move on.

Whatever gets them through the day and the next until they don't need it is none of my concern.

Bothers me not at all.

But most things don't.

And people don't get to move on when I shuffle off this mortal coil until they laugh at my expense, tell stories and revel in our adventures: quickly appreciate the next day.

[Hawkeye's-911T]

^^^^ Amen

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by 12own911

There are two on Western now. Blocks away from each other. Klye still gets remembered once a year now and the other is monthly. New candles and ballons.

Kyle = is that the one in at the bend in the road between 9th and 19th?

Do you know the story on that? S.P.H.S teacher told me it was drinking and street racing involved.