[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright]
I didn’t know until last week when I got yelled at by a cop for cutting into one.
You get invitations to weddings. People don’t send out invitations to funerals (do they?)
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Perhaps not written invitations, but one would need to be invited to a private funeral, I would think. People also might send invitations to a delayed funeral, such as a soldier’s remains returned from a war zone.
[QUOTE=Cub Mistress]
Perhaps not written invitations, but one would need to be invited to a private funeral, I would think. People also might send invitations to a delayed funeral, such as a soldier’s remains returned from a war zone.
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Also–for ordinary, non-private and non-delayed funerals-- funeral information is routinely printed in the Obituary section of the newspaper. Thus anyone who is interested can find out the date, time, location information.
In fact, I once recieved a phone call “inviting” me to a funeral–or technically, inviting me to be part of the special music. The deceased wanted a women’s chorus to sing a couple of songs, and the lady leading the chorus percieved me as a person likely to be available whose arm she could twist. So I went, and sang, and watched the funeral, but did not participate in the funeral procession, because my job was done.
I can say that my experience with planning family funerals in New Orleans (pre- and post-Katrina) and in Metairie is that the family has to pay for each police escort. It was considerable. Depending on how you are financing the arrangements, that may be the thing that has to give. And it seems the key to keeping an orderly procession is the number of escorts.
[QUOTE=Eureka]
Also–for ordinary, non-private and non-delayed funerals-- funeral information is routinely printed in the Obituary section of the newspaper. Thus anyone who is interested can find out the date, time, location information.
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Which will generally get you to the viewing and the church service, but often doesn’t include interment details - or if so, only in the general “Burial after service at White Oaks” sense. The fact that the cemetery is 3,000 acres of gravesites and you have to find the right one requires calling the cemetery or funeral home (often even the family can’t get to the gravesites).
[QUOTE=lisacurl]
I can say that my experience with planning family funerals in New Orleans (pre- and post-Katrina) and in Metairie is that the family has to pay for each police escort. It was considerable. Depending on how you are financing the arrangements, that may be the thing that has to give. And it seems the key to keeping an orderly procession is the number of escorts.
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In the middle Tennessee area, I have never even heard of anyone paying a police escort for a funeral escort. :eek: :eek: <—this would be my reaction to being asked to pay. I have heard of people hiring private funeral escorts that they paid, however, but I don’t know why they hired them when the police will do it as a public service.
[QUOTE=matt_mcl]
the two funeral home cars (the hearse and the other car) were up front, rather than having one bring up the rear.
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I think that’s how all of ours have been. Of course they were in small city, USA. But, how would have the limo at the end help, if people aren’t following the lead cars anyway?
[QUOTE=THespos]
With the exception of the hearse in front, you just described at least half of the vehicles on the Long Island Expressway.
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It’s funny you mention that. When my uncle, a NYC cop, died the motorcycle escorts we had to the cemetary actually shut down the LIE as we were driving down it(blocking off the entrance and exit ramps). I don’t remember any flags, but then again I was in the front limo.
[QUOTE=Cub Mistress]
In the middle Tennessee area, I have never even heard of anyone paying a police escort for a funeral escort. :eek: :eek: <—this would be my reaction to being asked to pay. I have heard of people hiring private funeral escorts that they paid, however, but I don’t know why they hired them when the police will do it as a public service.
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Hells yeah, you pay for them… their “special duty” hourly pay, or possibly even more than that, since they are using their vehicles or motorcycles.
When my grandfather died, there was an issue of his funeral being in Jefferson parish (county to the other 49 states) and the burial site being in Orleans Parish. I think there was a handover of jurisdiction at the parish line or something, or the Orleans cops had to get special permission to do the first leg of the procession.
[QUOTE=Cub Mistress]
In the middle Tennessee area, I have never even heard of anyone paying a police escort for a funeral escort. :eek: :eek: <—this would be my reaction to being asked to pay. I have heard of people hiring private funeral escorts that they paid, however, but I don’t know why they hired them when the police will do it as a public service.
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We did not have to pay for the police escort but I that is only because my grandfather was a former police officer in that city. He did not escort the entire way. They met us when we exited the freeway.
We did have to pay for the escort cars and we had to have two since we were going on the freeway for about 25 miles of the journey. It kept people from cutting in between us since even at a high rate of speed they could visibly see a flashing car in front and back. I don’t think high beams and flags would have done the trick.
I think the only time in our town that police would escort is for another cop, fireman, town official etc. If Joe Shmoe dies he is not getting a police escort.