# Non-Americans - name a thing you know about the US you got from the SDMB **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 7, 2012, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-americans-name-a-thing-you-know-about-the-us-you-got-from-the-sdmb/633930 "2012-09-07T00:30:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-americans-name-a-thing-you-know-about-the-us-you-got-from-the-sdmb/633930/161 "2012-09-19T02:55:15Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > I’ve seen a collection taken up and given quietly after a wake or a viewing to help defray the cost of an unexpected funeral; nothing overt or like the ‘wishing well’ or card basket one would see at a celebratory event, though. Can you point out where you saw what you’re referring to? > > Another thing that’s done in the States on a regional basis is pulling over to show respect when a funeral procession approaches on the other side of the road. > **[Funeral card etiquette - money in card?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=260328)** > > I don’t go to many funerals outside of my own family, so I’m asking for help on this one. My husband and I will be going to a visitation tonight to pay our respects to a long-time friend of the family. I’ll be bringing a sympathy card, of course,... It used to be the custom in Australia to avoid, where possible, cutting into a line of cars in a funeral procession. That has largely gone by the wayside because people have become a lot more impatient with such niceties but also because it’s now no longer really possible to know which cars are actually part of the procession. Headlights on used to automatically mean ‘give way to this car because it’s part of the procession’ but no longer seems to be the case. ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-americans-name-a-thing-you-know-about-the-us-you-got-from-the-sdmb/633930/162 "2012-09-19T03:01:43Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > Another thing that’s done in the States on a regional basis is pulling over to show respect when a funeral procession approaches on the other side of the road. I thought this was done every where ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-americans-name-a-thing-you-know-about-the-us-you-got-from-the-sdmb/633930/163 "2012-09-19T03:17:05Z")
> [@jabiru](#): > > [Funeral card etiquette - money in card? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=260328) > > It used to be the custom in Australia to avoid, where possible, cutting into a line of cars in a funeral procession. That has largely gone by the wayside because people have become a lot more impatient with such niceties but also because it’s now no longer really possible to know which cars are actually part of the procession. Headlights on used to automatically mean ‘give way to this car because it’s part of the procession’ but no longer seems to be the case. We use the hazard lights in the States. Blinking hazard lights mean you are part of the processional and I know at least here in the South you usually have at least one police officer, if not two or more, specially assigned to ride along on motorcycles with flashing lights stopping traffic at intersections and directing the procession to the proper destination. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-americans-name-a-thing-you-know-about-the-us-you-got-from-the-sdmb/633930/164 "2012-09-19T03:29:45Z")
> [@April\_R](#): > > I thought this was done every where I have never ever seen this. ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-americans-name-a-thing-you-know-about-the-us-you-got-from-the-sdmb/633930/165 "2012-09-19T03:38:13Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I have never ever seen this. well hum. I thought it was as common as getting out of the way of an ambulance, but I was wrong ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-americans-name-a-thing-you-know-about-the-us-you-got-from-the-sdmb/633930/166 "2012-09-19T03:48:50Z")
> [@jabiru](#): > > [Funeral card etiquette - money in card? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=260328) > > It used to be the custom in Australia to avoid, where possible, cutting into a line of cars in a funeral procession. That has largely gone by the wayside because people have become a lot more impatient with such niceties but also because it’s now no longer really possible to know which cars are actually part of the procession. Headlights on used to automatically mean ‘give way to this car because it’s part of the procession’ but no longer seems to be the case. Thank you for the link - I hadn’t heard of money in a card like that. I see responses are split in the thread, I don’t feel \*\*so \*\*foolish. > [@April\_R](#): > > I thought this was done every where > [@April\_R](#): > > We use the hazard lights in the States. Blinking hazard lights mean you are part of the processional and I know at least here in the South you usually have at least one police officer, if not two or more, specially assigned to ride along on motorcycles with flashing lights stopping traffic at intersections and directing the procession to the proper destination. > [@Acsenray](#): > > I have never ever seen this. Growing up in Michigan I didn’t see it; my mom’s from Kentucky and it was the norm for her to the point she nearly got run down the first time she pulled over for one when she moved to Michigan. We saw it as well when we went to funerals in Kentucky. ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-americans-name-a-thing-you-know-about-the-us-you-got-from-the-sdmb/633930/167 "2012-09-19T04:03:25Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I have never ever seen this. I have seen this in India. More so in small towns and rural areas. In big cities choc-a-bloc traffic makes it very difficult to do this. People get on to sidewalks to let the vehicle pass, in small roads. Same as letting an Ambulance overtake you. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-americans-name-a-thing-you-know-about-the-us-you-got-from-the-sdmb/633930/168 "2012-09-19T04:22:05Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I have never ever seen this. I had a police officer wag his finger at me in Indiana for not pulling my car over as a funeral procession passed. I had never seen it before, having just moved there from Chicago where it’s not done at all, or at least never when I was growing up. None of my relatives who still live there have ever seen it either, and were surprised when I told them about it. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-americans-name-a-thing-you-know-about-the-us-you-got-from-the-sdmb/633930/169 "2012-09-19T04:57:53Z")
> [@April\_R](#): > > We use the hazard lights in the States. Blinking hazard lights mean you are part of the processional and I know at least here in the South you usually have at least one police officer, if not two or more, specially assigned to ride along on motorcycles with flashing lights stopping traffic at intersections and directing the procession to the proper destination. This would never work here. For one thing, I don’t believe the police would be prepared to work as private contractors and for another, there must be hundreds of funerals per day. I think it’s an offence to use hazard lights when there’s no hazard. ---
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-americans-name-a-thing-you-know-about-the-us-you-got-from-the-sdmb/633930/170 "2012-09-19T14:24:30Z")
Moving over for funeral processions is the law here in PA. Cite: [http://www.ehow.com/list\_7411792\_pennsylvania-funeral-traffic-laws.html](http://www.ehow.com/list_7411792_pennsylvania-funeral-traffic-laws.html) ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-americans-name-a-thing-you-know-about-the-us-you-got-from-the-sdmb/633930/171 "2012-09-19T14:37:25Z")
> [@Reeses\_Monkey](#): > > Moving over for funeral processions is the law here in PA. I want every car on the road to pull over for me when I’m alive. Doing so when I’m dead is too little too late. ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-americans-name-a-thing-you-know-about-the-us-you-got-from-the-sdmb/633930/172 "2012-09-19T14:59:06Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > Thank you for the link - I hadn’t heard of money in a card like that. I see responses are split in the thread, I don’t feel \*\*so \*\*foolish. > > Growing up in Michigan I didn’t see it; my mom’s from Kentucky and it was the norm for her to the point she nearly got run down the first time she pulled over for one when she moved to Michigan. We saw it as well when we went to funerals in Kentucky. MD here. I have never pulled over for a funeral procession no matter what side of the road they are on. I’ve never seen it done. The only time I have ever gotten into the middle of one is if they are on the highway and I have to cut through for my exit. If I know it’s a procession and my exit is close I will get behind them but sometimes you don’t know until it’s too late. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-americans-name-a-thing-you-know-about-the-us-you-got-from-the-sdmb/633930/173 "2012-09-19T22:19:39Z")
I saw one guy try to blow past a funeral procession, doing 55 mph. Bad mistake. It was the funeral of a retired local cop. Wow. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-americans-name-a-thing-you-know-about-the-us-you-got-from-the-sdmb/633930/174 "2012-09-19T22:43:44Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > I want every car on the road to pull over for me when I’m alive. Doing so when I’m dead is too little too late. Word. ---
**Author:** ![gms453](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@gms453](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gms453)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-americans-name-a-thing-you-know-about-the-us-you-got-from-the-sdmb/633930/175 "2012-09-21T01:41:36Z")
> [@Eliahna](#): > > Dear American friends: > > We generally do understand that it’s a large, diverse place and what’s true of San Francisco probably isn’t true of Salt Lake City or Tulsa or St Louis or Milwaukee. We’re talking about our surprise that pockets of such radical difference exist in the US in fairly sizeable numbers in certain areas. > > It’s ok, we don’t think you’re all gun-toting Creationists. We know there are those who tote guns and those who are Creationists and there’s a certain overlap, but we understand many of you live in areas where the concept is just about as foreign to you as it is to us. > > Just read the words that aren’t there: “In _some parts of_ America…”. > > Regards, > The Furriners This post is one of the best examples of smugness I’ve read on this site so far. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-americans-name-a-thing-you-know-about-the-us-you-got-from-the-sdmb/633930/176 "2012-09-21T02:52:12Z")
> [@gms453](#): > > This post is one of the best examples of smugness I’ve read on this site so far. I don’t think that word means whatever you think it means. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-americans-name-a-thing-you-know-about-the-us-you-got-from-the-sdmb/633930/177 "2012-09-21T03:07:34Z")
> [@gms453](#): > > This post is one of the best examples of smugness I’ve read on this site so far. Hi. I’m guessing we haven’t met before. ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-americans-name-a-thing-you-know-about-the-us-you-got-from-the-sdmb/633930/178 "2012-09-21T03:10:14Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > I don’t think that word means whatever you think it means. hehehehe, snicker:p ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-americans-name-a-thing-you-know-about-the-us-you-got-from-the-sdmb/633930/179 "2012-09-21T04:47:52Z")
> [@gms453](#): > > This post is one of the best examples of smugness I’ve read on this site so far. Gotcha-ya? ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-americans-name-a-thing-you-know-about-the-us-you-got-from-the-sdmb/633930/180 "2012-09-21T06:32:18Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > Growing up in Michigan I didn’t see it; my mom’s from Kentucky and it was the norm for her to the point she nearly got run down the first time she pulled over for one when she moved to Michigan. We saw it as well when we went to funerals in Kentucky. Huh. I grew up in the 80s around the suburban Detroit area, and would come across one quite often. I’ve been in a few chains of the procession as well. It was always an interesting experience, as dozens and dozens of cars follow each other through red lights, as the on-lookers in their vehicles would wait. Some on-lookers would beep their horns in honor of the deceased. The hearse would also give each driver an [orange, magnetic flag](http://www.embalmers.com/images/homes/flags1.png) to stick to the roof of their vehicle. But, now that you mention it, I haven’t seen one in years. Wonder if the State put the kibosh on that? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-americans-name-a-thing-you-know-about-the-us-you-got-from-the-sdmb/633930.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-americans-name-a-thing-you-know-about-the-us-you-got-from-the-sdmb/633930.md?page=10)