In another thread I mentioned that at the site of a local cycling fatality, the widow had tended to the flowers since her husband's death in AUG 00 (seen here in 2000) .
This caused someone to mention that it was irrational behaviour to tend to these flowers after such a long period of time, so I rode the 7 miles there last night and looked at the bouquet.
On examining the flowers, it seems that they are plastic ones, so the initial concern that the grieving widow was tending them after nearly 3 years wasn't true - my mistake.
I don't think it's irrational at all; my wife and I and her family tend and replace the flowers on their ancestors' graves and will continue to do so for as long as any member of the family remains alive. In oriental society (my wife is Chinese/Vietnamese), such behaviour is regarded as not only normal but virtually expected.
Philip Taylor --------
Simon Mason said:
In another thread I mentioned that at the site of a local cycling fatality, the widow had tended to the flowers since her husband's death in AUG 00 (seen here in 2000) .
This caused someone to mention that it was irrational behaviour to tend to these flowers after such a long period of time, so I rode the 7 miles there last night and looked at the bouquet.
On examining the flowers, it seems that they are plastic ones, so the initial concern that the grieving widow was tending them after nearly 3 years wasn't true - my mistake.
"Philip TAYLOR [PC87S-O/XP]" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
I don't think it's irrational at all; my wife and I and her family tend and replace the flowers on their ancestors' graves and will continue to do so for as long as any member of the family remains alive. In oriental society (my wife is Chinese/Vietnamese), such behaviour is regarded as not only normal but virtually expected.
That's OK, tending a grave, but the poster who questioned the tending of flowers at a lamp post said that the person who died is not there and has no connection with the lamp post. If the widow puts flowers on his grave then that's a different thing altogether, I suppose -at least his remains are physically there.
Like you wouldn't put flowers on a hospital bed for years if someone had died there instead of a road.
Yes, I do find that stranger, but there are number of sites not far from my home (S.E. London/N.W. Kent) where people do replace flowers at the scene of a fatal RTA for years after the death ...
** Phil. -------- Simon Mason wrote:
[snip]
Quoted message said:
That's OK, tending a grave, but the poster who questioned the tending of flowers at a lamp post said that the person who died is not there and has no connection with the lamp post. If the widow puts flowers on his grave then that's a different thing altogether, I suppose -at least his remains are physically there.
Like you wouldn't put flowers on a hospital bed for years if someone had died there instead of a road.
"Philip TAYLOR [PC87S-O/XP]" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Yes, I do find that stranger, but there are number of sites not far from my home (S.E. London/N.W. Kent) where people do replace flowers at the scene of a fatal RTA for years after the death ...
I believe Marc Bolan's tree is fairly festooned with flowers, put there by people who never met him - and he was killed in 1977, so it does go on.
There's one on the A628 Woodhead pass between Manchester and Sheffield that never ceases to amaze me - masses of flowers, photos, even little trophies. I don't understand it - tend a grave by all means, but taking over a section of the verge on a main road? Still, each to their own, and if it helps them through the grieving, then fine.
"Philip TAYLOR [PC87S-O/XP]" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...
Quoted message said:
Yes, I do find that stranger, but there are number of sites not far from my home (S.E. London/N.W. Kent) where people do replace flowers at the scene of a fatal RTA for years after the death ...
That's OK, tending a grave, but the poster who questioned the tending of flowers at a lamp post said that the person who died is not there and has no connection with the lamp post. If the widow puts flowers on his grave then that's a different thing altogether, I suppose -at least his remains are physically there.
Like you wouldn't put flowers on a hospital bed for years if someone had died there instead of a road.
Maybe not but most road deaths are avoidable. Such things as going to fast for the road reading a map while driving eating a hamburger or texting someone. The flowers on lamp post and railings do actually bring home to drivers that cars do kill people and hopefully will pay more attention to what they are doing if only for the mile after seeing the flowers. I don't think most drivers (including myself) are aware of the danger they pose to pedestrians and cyclist. So seeing these flowers my make people think its not worth the risk of killing someone to save 10 minutes on a journey time.
Ivor Cave <[email hidden]> wrote in :"]news:[email hidden]:
Quoted message said:
So seeing these flowers my make people think its not worth the risk of killing someone to save 10 minutes on a journey time.
I was the poster Simon originally referred to. I partly agree with your statement, but as I mentioned in the original thread, in Australia it is said (may not have been exhaustively researched) that people "rubber- necking" these flowers in curiosity/reverence/sadness/whatever are the cause of many more accidents at that spot (not necessarily fatal). It is almost like the first accident created it's own little accident black-spot. Indeed I have seen one apparently danger free road with three of these little memorials in the space of about 100 metres. But as this was Australia, perhaps the kangaroos hide behind the bushes just there and play chicken with the traffic?
