Warning: A funeral procession may be hazardous to your health! What?

I have come to expect almost daily announcement from newscasts or news posts that research has detected yet another health hazard in our food, our environment or our habits. It is a challenge to know what information to take seriously as many of these dangers have only recently earned the label of being essential to our health.

I was not prepared for what I recently heard as a funeral director was giving closing instructions for forming a funeral procession to travel from the church to the cemetery where the body would be buried.

The funeral director explained that each car must have a flag that would be provided by this director, each car must have it’s lights on bright and each car must follow the car ahead closely.

Then, this warning: Be aware that drivers do not respect funeral processions anymore.  If the car you are following drives through a red light you MUST also drive through the red light. This may mean, however, that a car may come from either the left or the right and drive into your car. It is dangerous, though, to stop while you are driving in the procession because then the car following you will hit you from the back.

It didn’t feel like a comfortable closure for a grieving group.

I think I recommend giving a map and letting people find their way. Or else, just learn to laugh at ourselves.