# Dead man sitting on motorcycle. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 3, 2010, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-man-sitting-on-motorcycle/538201 "2010-05-03T20:16:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Marmite\_Lover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Marmite\_Lover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marmite_Lover)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-man-sitting-on-motorcycle/538201/1 "2010-05-03T20:16:57Z")
SICK or modern art? Yesterday and today, callers who stopped to pay their final respects to the late Mr. Colón got a bit of a surprise. Instead of the traditional presentation of the body in a casket, Mr. Colón’s corpse, dressed in casual duds and sunglasses, was instead posed in a very lifelike position atop his Repsol-liveried Honda CBR600 F4. > **[Dead Man Displayed on Motorcycle Rather than in Casket for Wake](https://www.neatorama.com/2010/04/28/dead-man-displayed-on-motorcycle-rather-than-in-casket-for-funeral/)** > > (YouTube Link) When Puerto Rican man David Morales Colón died, he wasn't displayed in a casket at his wake, but astride his motorcycle: Yesterday and today, callers who stopped to pay their final respects to the late Mr. Colón got a bit of a... ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-man-sitting-on-motorcycle/538201/2 "2010-05-03T20:22:01Z")
> [@](#): > > SICK or modern art? Neither. Assuming such a stunt fit his personality, I’d think it was pretty funny/moving. There is a photograph in your link, which is not at all disturbing. If the body were grotesque or in poor condition I’d be pretty grossed out. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-man-sitting-on-motorcycle/538201/3 "2010-05-03T20:28:41Z")
Not something I’d choose for myself, but if it’s what his family thought he’d like, so be it. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-man-sitting-on-motorcycle/538201/4 "2010-05-03T20:57:06Z")
Can I assume that a serious of wacky, slapstick mishaps resulted in the bike doing a wheelie out the window of the funeral home and crashing into a fire hydrant, hurling the body into the back seat of a passing convertible driven by oblivious potheads who kept driving without noticing? ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-man-sitting-on-motorcycle/538201/5 "2010-05-03T21:01:38Z")
I hope that’s what he requested be done with his corpse. If so, I have immediate respect for him. I love people who can laugh at the idea of their own funeral. My personal dream (likely to never come true) is to be buried at the base of some fruit-bearing plant. I would hopefully be absorbed by the plant over a period of weeks (months?) and then people could eat the fruit and be, in a sense, eating me. ---
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-man-sitting-on-motorcycle/538201/6 "2010-05-03T21:01:44Z")
Wasn’t there a “My Name is Earl” episode where John Waters was a mortician specializing in funerals like this, where the deceased were posed in activities they loved? ---
**Author:** ![Marmite\_Lover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Marmite\_Lover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marmite_Lover)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-man-sitting-on-motorcycle/538201/7 "2010-05-03T21:02:29Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > Can I assume that a serious of wacky, slapstick mishaps resulted in the bike doing a wheelie out the window of the funeral home and crashing into a fire hydrant, hurling the body into the back seat of a passing convertible driven by oblivious potheads who kept driving without noticing? the makings of a movie there:D ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-man-sitting-on-motorcycle/538201/8 "2010-05-03T21:04:24Z")
Ahem…that would be a SERIES of mishaps ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-man-sitting-on-motorcycle/538201/9 "2010-05-03T21:04:50Z")
> [@Electronic\_Chaos](#): > > Wasn’t there a “My Name is Earl” episode where John Waters was a mortician specializing in funerals like this, where the deceased were posed in activities they loved? For that matter, there was a Twilight Zone episode with the same premise. ---
**Author:** ![Marmite\_Lover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Marmite\_Lover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marmite_Lover)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-man-sitting-on-motorcycle/538201/10 "2010-05-03T21:06:23Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > I hope that’s what he requested be done with his corpse. If so, I have immediate respect for him. I love people who can laugh at the idea of their own funeral. > > My personal dream (likely to never come true) is to be buried at the base of some fruit-bearing plant. I would hopefully be absorbed by the plant over a period of weeks (months?) and then people could eat the fruit and be, in a sense, eating me. it would be quicker to just have your relatives lob you into a pig stall after the funeral service, then they could all have a big bacon and eggs fry up celebration after they’ve smoke cured you:eek: ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-man-sitting-on-motorcycle/538201/11 "2010-05-03T21:17:35Z")
> [@Marmite\_Lover](#): > > it would be quicker to just have your relatives lob you into a pig stall after the funeral service, then they could all have a big bacon and eggs fry up celebration after they’ve smoke cured you:eek: Well, with my idea you could turn it into something beautiful. Maybe a family tradition of doing it so that a few generations down the road there’d be a row of apple trees or whatever. The Circle of Life playing on a loop is optional. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-man-sitting-on-motorcycle/538201/12 "2010-05-03T21:19:10Z")
Despite the “SICK or great art?” question, this seems like more of an MPSIMS topic. Moved from Great Debates. And by way of another reference, [see this thread about a guy whose remains remained standing at his own wake.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=480316) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-man-sitting-on-motorcycle/538201/13 "2010-05-03T21:24:04Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > And by way of another reference, [see this thread about a guy whose remains remained standing at his own wake.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=480316) The link in the OP of this thread doesn’t work anymore, but [here’s the story. I notice that both wakes happened in Puerto Rico.](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26290833/) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-man-sitting-on-motorcycle/538201/14 "2010-05-03T21:24:56Z")
If anything, this makes more sense than the prevalent tradition of having the deceased just lying in there in a casket. A funeral is supposed to be a celebration of the person’s life, and apparently a big part of this guy’s life was riding his bike. So celebrate that. Nor would I have any problem with **AClockworkMelon** ’s idea, though that’s something for the burial, not the funeral. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-man-sitting-on-motorcycle/538201/15 "2010-05-03T22:04:49Z")
It sure makes a lot more sense than having the guy lying in a pine box. At least this has some relevance to his life. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-man-sitting-on-motorcycle/538201/16 "2010-05-03T22:14:21Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Well, with my idea you could turn it into something beautiful. Maybe a family tradition of doing it so that a few generations down the road there’d be a row of apple trees or whatever. > > The Circle of Life playing on a loop is optional. You can do this, at least in parts of the UK and New Zealand - called an [ecofuneral or natural burial](http://www.ecofunerals.co.nz/ecofunerals.html). No/limited embalming, cardboard coffin, shallow grave. Although in NZ at least they tend to plant native trees. I’ve requested one of these in my Will. ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-man-sitting-on-motorcycle/538201/17 "2010-05-04T05:53:40Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > For that matter, there was a Twilight Zone episode with the same premise. But the mortician in that one didn’t wait for nature to kill his customers, he did it then posed them. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-man-sitting-on-motorcycle/538201/18 "2010-05-04T05:59:35Z")
> [@Girl\_From\_Mars](#): > > You can do this, at least in parts of the UK and New Zealand - called an [ecofuneral or natural burial](http://www.ecofunerals.co.nz/ecofunerals.html). No/limited embalming, cardboard coffin, shallow grave. Although in NZ at least they tend to plant native trees. I’ve requested one of these in my Will. Very cool. But in the provided link it mentions a _cemetery_. Is it possible to do it on your property? Also: Placenta burial? Wtf? ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-man-sitting-on-motorcycle/538201/19 "2010-05-04T09:31:00Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Very cool. But in the provided link it mentions a _cemetery_. Is it possible to do it on your property? > > Also: Placenta burial? Wtf? Ooh, I can answer that one too! In fact my daughter’s placenta is sitting in a pot under a dwarf magnolia about 7 feet from where I’m sitting right now… It’s a Maori thing which has pervaded into the Pakeha traditions as well - helps form a connection with the land and tree which is planted over it. Re the cemetary, Ithink you need to apply for council permission to have human remains on your property. I know in NZ some members of Maori tribes who live on tribal land have successfully done this. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-man-sitting-on-motorcycle/538201/20 "2010-05-04T12:50:37Z")
That’s all kinds of cool. I guess its easier to pose a body than I thought. I assumed rigor mortis would make this difficult. I wonder if they had to break any of his bones to make him more…malleable? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-man-sitting-on-motorcycle/538201.md?page=2)