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OT- Personal highway fatality memorial markers on highways- legal ?

Milacron

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Staff member
Joined
Dec 15, 2000
Location
SC, USA
Here in SC they are all over the place but naturally the most elaborate tacky looking one I've ever seen was erected by the side of the road, Hwy 170, front of my new shop building a few months ago. Trying to be tolerant of such a personal disaster, but this one is way over the top, complete with large photo of the deceased, written messages, the obligatory cross, and plastic flowers all over the place.

I find the tradition* a bit odd in the first place, but if it means so much to some...ok put up a little cross and the deceased's name, and leave it at that.

All I could find in searches was below. Hell, I'd almost be willing to pay the $250 myself if they would replace what is there now with the official DOT version.

Roadside Memorial Signs

Thoughts ?

==========

*I imagine many of you don't know what the heck I'm talking about !
 
"The fee for manufacturing, erecting and maintaining the sign is $250."

Surprised to see that price tag there...it's reasonable. I might just pay for it myself also if I was in your shoes.
 
I hate to be not nice and understanding of your feelings but what is your problem with it?
I'm not grasping the complaint.
It makes your building look tacky? Your feelings are hurt by it being there?
Stop and think a minute......
When you get run over by a truck I'm thinking we will all put up a temporary shrine to you.
Bob
 
I hate to be not nice and understanding of your feelings but what is your problem with it?
I'm not grasping the complaint.
It makes your building look tacky? Your feelings are hurt by it being there?
Stop and think a minute......
When you get run over by a truck I'm thinking we will all put up a temporary shrine to you.
The problem is it's an eyesore* (I guess I should take a photo and post) and if I get run over by a truck they can perhaps salvage some parts, then cremate and leave no markers at all anywhere and I'm fine with that.

But to avoid "personal taste" issues and get back to the actual question... are these things legal ?

*In fact it's such an eyesore I can imagine a situation where someone is cruising down the road at 60 mph, rubber necking to see "what the heck is that ?" and having a wreck because of it !
 
I hate to be not nice and understanding of your feelings but what is your problem with it?
I'm not grasping the complaint.
It makes your building look tacky? Your feelings are hurt by it being there?
Stop and think a minute......
When you get run over by a truck I'm thinking we will all put up a temporary shrine to you.
Bob
Great idea Bob, I'm good for £ 5.00. Regards Tyrone.
 
I'm with Milicron on this. I believe them to be not only eyesores but dangerous as well. The last thing drivers need is more distractions on the sides of the road.

Where I live, I don't believe they are "illegal" but they aren't considered sacrosanct either. They create a problem for the road crews who are supposed to mow/maintain the road sides so they are regularly removed when the crews come through to do work.

Personally, I don't understand the desire to make some kind of monument out of each location someone gets killed.

JMHO

-Ron
 
I'm with Ron and Don on this one. We have an over the top elaborate such marker about 5 miles up the road. It is distracting to anyone not familiar with it (at least in my opinion) due to design and size. But of course this is New York so who knows - could well be a 'right' the way this place operates any more. Will have to ask my buddy who is retired DOT engineer. I do know the local DOT engineer required us to take down a sign that we used to advertise for a Community Chest fund raiser - we had it on a fence at the end of an exit ramp. They considered that a distraction - but the 5 X size 'shrine' must be OK.

Dale
 
The same thing is prevalent in Calif.
I want to know when it became a good idea ? That's why we have graveyards. It is a eyesore to me and a distraction. What happens if there's a shooting in front of your house ?
Or a car accident ? When is it going to start landing in YOUR front yard ?

The other deal is stickers on your car in memorial to the dead ---------------- how did we get by all these years without all this ?
 
The laws vary from state to state in regards to roadside memorials. I live in Illinois, but work in Missouri. In Illinois they are allowed for victims of DUI accidents only and a permit must be obtained. They are regulated as to size and appearance. Family and friends are not to place flowers and such at the memorial. They are permitted to remain for 2 years. They are trying to pass similar regulations in Missouri. It seems they have something similar in SC.

Roadside Memorial Signs

Brian
 
See them around here in the sticks quite a bit. Makes a huge mess when the highway mowers run over them with a shredder. It would be a shame if a truck backed over yours loading your equipment in.
 
Gospodor Monument Park

"It's weird. I drive past this, it distracts Me, and I want to then crash. "

the only county in Wa State which allowed an Alaskan to place interstate monuments to Mother Theresa,
Holocaust, and indians---is my county

it is a distraction and drivers are lured into crashing

link

Weird Washington

jh
 
You'll find a lot of discussion, pro and con, concerning this subject on the internet. For example, here's a piece published in the NY Times not too long ago. Further searching will show that some states support the practice, and others prohibit it.

Should Roadside Memorials Be Banned? - NYTimes.com

My personal view is that these memorials are shallow and tacky. But then, don't the terms "shallow" and "tacky" pretty much describe the general trend in American tastes these days?

I've known what I suppose to be an average number of friends and relatives that have died tragically and/or violently. I prefer to memorialize their passing in my heart, rather than with some cheesy plastic bauble placed out there where 99.9% percent of those passing could care less.

~TW~
 
When I was truckin' I noticed them in every state I passed through.
One actually had a granite headstone!?!? IIRC, that one was somewhere in NY.

Call me a callous prick, but the roadside memorials and the huge rear window sticker memorials (more of an urban thing it seems) are pretty tacky. My usual first thoughts on seeing a roadside were, "Duh, drivin' faster than they could think."


Rex
 
Some Russian gal once wrote - The savages' entire existence is public

Typical...more projecting from another public figure...who couldn't cram her not so private "civilized" views down the public's collective throat fast enough. Ain't that rich? ;)

On a more topical note...I'd be interested in seeing a picture of said memorial...tough to judge otherwise. Personally I'm wont to give deference to these memorials, and I much prefer them to some canned State version, however well intentioned. IMO Chances are once the grief passes, the memorial will become much more manageable, tasteful and smaller in size. I can't really ever remeber seeing one of the bigger ones maintained

...and fwiw I think they do serve as a reminder to lots of people to appreciate the time we have while living...and maybe slow down or drive a little safer. They do for me at least...
 
I've known what I suppose to be an average number of friends and relatives that have died tragically and/or violently. I prefer to memorialize their passing in my heart, rather than with some cheesy plastic bauble placed out there where 99.9% percent of those passing could care less.
Worse than that in this case in the sense that 99.9% could care less and a large percentage are probably downright annoyed by it. Plus it's entirely possible the .1% that do care rarely drive that highway except to occasionally replace the faded pink and purple plastic flowers with new ones...while risking yet another wreck* pulled over on a super busy highway that has no side median/curb.

*I know someone whose mother and friend were killed while loading a disabled car on the side of the highway when someone ran into them.
 
On a more topical note...I'd be interested in seeing a picture of said memorial...tough to judge otherwise.
I'll try and take one Mon or Tues.. Problem is it's a little bit dangerous to even take a picture of the darn thing due to proximity to speeding traffic.
 
I'll try and take one Mon or Tues.. Problem is it's a little bit dangerous to even take a picture of the darn thing due to proximity to speeding traffic.

Don't get killed taking the picture, as we'll be compelled to put up a marker to "Mil" made from a huge 4'x6' surface plate tombstone (auction buy of course), and a 12' tall stainless steel cross waterjet cut from 1" thick plate and polished like a mirror with your picture on it. We'll be there for you in your time of need. LOL
 








 
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