Southern tradition or local quirk?
My sister in law (SIL) and I were driving on a 2 lane road in a smallish ‘burb. I’m gabbing (seriously didn’t stop talking the entire time she was here – poor woman shouldn’t visit a mommy starved for grown up conversation with someone other than hubby) and suddenly the car in front of me brakes and pulls to the side. It was so sudden and unexpected that I came close to hitting him. I refrained from honking but gave him a rather dirty look and went around him. Then my SIL and I noticed that everyone ahead of us on both sides of the road were pulled over. There was a funeral procession of cars coming on the other side of the road. Peer pressure made me pull to the side as well.
My confusion was this: we don’t do that in the north. We don’t pass a funeral procession or break into it but the cars don’t stop and pull over as if it is an ambulance. Funeral processions can run red lights and stop signs and traffic yields to it out of respect but no one pulls over.
So tell me dear readers – is this a southern thing? Or was it a local thing? I found it rather bizarre but I don’t want to be the rude Northerner flipping off the funeral procession (I kid…I didn’t flip anyone off…that time). Who says blogging is a waste of time? I’m educating myself here.
I live in Oklahoma and we pull over for funeral processions.
Love the bumper stickers!
Kerri and Ruby
It’s a southern thing. They do that in NC as well.
It’s very common in the South — so common that Huntsville (the city I live in) kinda passed a “law” or ordinance or something saying DONT DO THAT because it can stop up traffic so bad. Of course, people still do it.
If the procession is coming from the opposite direction and moving forward, it’s just expected that we slow down, especially since there’s always an officer with lights on.
However, in cases of traffic signals (red lights, stop signs, turning left) the procession has the right of way and is always preceeded by said patrol car so they are clearly visable. It’s also considered rude when heading the same direction to pass a slowly moving procession and a mortal sin to pass and break into the line.
That’s how things seem to be in the Midwest.
Former Southerner – where I lived we always pulled over.
Now I live in South Florida (not to be confused with “The South”) and yep, down here pretty much the hearse and funeral procession would get flipped off if cars started pulling over.
Didn’t realize it was just a southern thing, but YES we do pull over. I do know the smaller the town, the more reverant the pull over. I have been in small towns where not only do they pull over, but they get out of their car, bow their heads and remove their hats. I kid you not.
Hmm… interesting. I just noticed this too (Michelle and I live in the same town). i wonder how often I have been a bonehead and just driven on. Who knows.
I’m from PA and we don’t do that here- in fact never even heard of it!
YES YES YES..you def. pull over. I’m from a large town in the south and we still pull over. You do this out of respect. You don’t want to know what happens if you don’t!
Yep, it’s a southern thing. In fact, if you notice, people down here pull over more often for funerals than for fire trucks or ambulances. Maybe if we would let them through, there would be less funerals? Hmmmm. Something for southern folk to think about.
Yes pull over… I grew up in Indiana and they do it there. I pull over here in Va and have seen others do it too. I think its the respectful thing to do.
Born and raised in VA…it is a southern thing. I’ve been doing this my entire life (driving).
Yep.. looks like a southern thing. I’m from NY and we don’t do that. I wouldn’t cut into the middle of one… I’d get behind them, but I wouldn’t pull over.
Uh… California here… If you are not escorted by the Police, I advise you NOT to stop… Not even on freeways if you have a flat tire! HAHA… Just kidding…
No, we don’t stop, or even move over… As for Stop lights… Like I said above, It you don’t have a Police escort they will give tickets for running stop lights, even if you have the stickers on the windshields…
Yes, pull over. I live in the South…actually…very close to you. It is out of respect for the person/family. If you can keep driving you are more likely to be flipped off by your fellow drivers close by than to have an opportunity to flip off the people who are sitting still. hehe.
I have lived in Colorado, California, Boston, Ohio, and grew up in South Florida (which as Steph pointed out is NOT the South) and have never seen this . . .
Nope, not a common practice in the Philly ‘burbs. If anything I think people get annoyed because it slows down traffic and just adds to road rage.
It’s a Southern thing. I’ve lived in the South all my life and always pull over. It’s a respect thang! 🙂
We pulled over in the little town I grew up in Northern Ohio. They do it down here in Kentucky, also. Not always – but I have seen it.
yep, they do it in Central Florida
Yep… always done it… even if I do not stop completely ( on a busy main street) I pull as far over as possible and slow WAY down. Most times the people who don’t slow down/stop are the ones gettig the ill looks.
Lived in CO and now AZ, and we don’t pull over. If there is a police escort, they’ll get to blow through the lights, but that’s only if they are escorted.
From small town in midwest orginally oh yes you pull over. When my g-pa passed away the police officers block intersections until you are on the freeway. Ky I have seen it done also…
Pull over and stop? You’ve gotta be kidding me.
(um. NY. But no one ever did it when I lived in Chicago either.)
Oklahoma. Yes, we pull over. When my grandpa died I noticed an older man who not only pulled over, but he took off his hat and put it over his heart as well. Sweetest thing. That brings up another question; here it is very common for men to take off their hats as a sign of respect – is that common everywhere else? Then again, it may not be as common for men to wear hats as it is here.
Ok, I am from Michigan and in the small towns it still happens. I wasn’t aware until I went to a funeral in a small town and EVERYONE pulled over. I asked and they told me that is how we do it here. Where I was raised we didn’t, so I think it may be a Southern thing and a small town thing.
As for the bumper stickers my favorite is : Somewhere in Texas a village is missing it’s idiot.
I also wanted to add that I was rereading peoples reponses to your political post and I wanted to tell you and everyone that I DO know the difference between they, they’re, and their. I used the wrong one, don’t know why, but I did and I do know the difference. So glad I got that off my chest : )
I’m also from Michigan, and have never seen it done. I give you credit, you reacted better than me, LOL. I would have laid on the horn, flipped the guy off; then realized what was happening, and felt like a real ass for the rest of the day.
Great bumper stickers!
Those bumper stickers kick ass!!! Classic Mikki!!! It is so nice to speak with someone that has political views that are similar to mine. I am coming from the state that suffered a collective grand mal seizure and re-elected Bush to his second term and most of the people around here blindly support Big W, think immigration is the nation’s current biggest problem (?!?!?!?!), and think that gay people should NOT be allowed to get married because that would compromise the sanctity and sacredness of marriage. OK, if that is truly the argument that you are going to stick with, I have one small question: with shows like The Bachelor, Date My Mom Please, WIFE SWAP, and My Self Esteem is So Low That I Will Consider Dating Flavor Flav, does anyone honestly believe that anyone still even believes in the ‘sanctity and sacredness’ of marriage. The thing is, when I ask that question I usually get the same response, come on, we have all heard it, say it with me, “The Bible says Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve”. Now I ask you, can you really argue with such original, insightful and flawless logic?
Aaaaaagh in Ohio.
Everyone’s already said it, but yes, I’ve always pulled over. It’s a way to pay respects.
We don’t do it in St. Louis. Actually half of the time people are instead cutting you off to beat the procession. It is frustrating if you are part of the procession. My Steve’s family is from Northern Alabama and when we were there for his grandpa’s funeral people did it and I was shocked. I do think it is nice though.
We pull over for funerals in Southern Missouri, although when I lived in Texas, in the small towns folks would pull over, get out, and put their hands over their hearts… especially if it was a military funeral. In Dallas, however, they’d just run you over…lol… especially if you were on the freeways. It’s just a nice gesture of respect.
Should have said the nice gesture of respect was for the pulling over, not the running over…lol…
Not sure about it being just a Southern thing. I lived in New Mexico for awhile and they did it.
Out here in the wild west, we pull over for them.
We don’t do that in the Northeast. Respect the procession, but no pulling over.
I live in Kansas, smack dab in the middle of the USA and we pull over for funeral processions.
Gail
HA! Thanks Michelle! I am new to the South as well and am learning this only through you. Now I will know what to do and not be the idiot flipping people off! LOL THANK YOU FOR SAVING MY LIFE!!!!!!
Lived in both Delware and ohio and I dont remember ever seeing this, slowing down yes, but not stopping. The ONLY time I have actually stopped completely is when I was in the Air Force and unfortualtely saw hearse’s (not a funeral progression) on a reg basis.
I am so glad that I am not the only person who has noticed that the South is def different from the North!!!
Here in Indiana we pull over for them. Love the bumper stickers:)
I think it’s a small town thing, not a southern thing. I’ve seen it in the middle of nowhere MI, but not in Chicago.