To think that if you find a deflated helium balloon in the street with a RIP message on it..

[Palomb]

You don't pick it up and post all over Facebook that you've found it, including pictures of the balloon and the note because you apparently want the poor bereaved person who sent it skywards to to know it landed.

That's not the point is it?

[CuttedUpPear]

Block them from your feed.
On my Facebook it's one strike and you're out of my feed. Two and you're unfriended.
Saves getting angsty over their posts.

[Silvercatowner]

one strike and you're out of my feed. Two and you're unfriended.

This. I don't understand why people put up with fuckwits on their FB feed. My feed is full of interesting education stuff, labour party stuff and cats, basically.

[TheHouseOnTheLane]

Oh God no!

[Palomb]

It's something that's been shared by someone I know from school, no someone I know directly.

It makes you wonder whether people actually consider the effects of their actions doesn't it! I seriously doubt this little boys Mum wants to know anything about the balloon.

[TenTinyTadpoles]

No. Just no. It's not like it's a balloon done by a child to see how far it ends up.

[x2boys]

Its typical of some facebook users though isnt it making everything all about them even a strangers greif.

[x2boys]

Grief*

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Did it not ask for this?

there was one recently that asked to tag the person in si they knew how far it went

[pluck]

It makes you wonder whether people actually consider the effects of their actions doesn't it!

The same could be said for the person, bereaved or not, who memorialised her child with something which becomes choking rubbish. It seems a beautiful symbol, but only for a moment, and there's a cost that the litterer doesn't pay. Less devastated people around her shouldn't have encouraged it.

I seriously doubt this little boys Mum wants to know anything about the balloon.

Yes, I do, too.

[Palomb]

Well I aggree with you about the littering aspect but that isn't what this thread is about really.

[VikingVolva]

The thing is, you can't just can't, make a point about the littering (and scarcity of helium) on an actual memorial or bereavement thread.

So talking about it when the subject comes up, but isn't posted by an actual bereaved family and is more about 'what do people do about this' seems fair enough.

I'm pretty sure my DC know that I would be horrified if anyone ever released either a helium ballon or a flying incendiary lantern in my name.

If I found debris from one, I would certainly clear it up. If there was a tag asking for information on where it landed, I would follow the instructions (because even though I deplore them, I wouldn't interfere with something that matters to an actual bereaved family). If no tag, then I would take no steps beyond clearing.

[BathtimeFunkster]

I'd have just binned it.

But I imagine the person who found it was trying to do a nice thing.

Misguided, perhaps, but presumably well intentioned.

The balloon was tagged, which indicates they were expecting it to be read by someone at some point. So maybe they'll be pleased that person reached out to them?

[MoMoTy]

Oh get over yourself pluck . Shame about the littering, I think the bereaved person's feelings are more important here and that person might be doing other environmentally friendly acts so it doesn't matter.

[Trills]

Are we sure that the balloon was "let go" on purpose?

I'm hoping it was intended like a wreath of flowers, to be tied to something on the grave, and it was just accidentally released.

[EponasWildDaughter]

Maybe there were instructions on the tag asking for it's finder to do this?

[Trills]

I didn't know that releasing balloons into the nether was a THING.

So if I found one I wouldn't know what the releaser intended.

I would bin it because I can't be bothered, but it's not unreasonable for someone to think of it as a "message in a bottle" situation where the releaser like to know where it ended up.

[VikingVolva]

I say it only on general threads, and do so because of voluntary work with wildlife.

[yankeecandle4]

Serious question: what is the correct etiquette if you find something like this with an RIP note? For me I would feel it was wrong to through it away (especially if it was for a child) and my gut reaction would actually be to somehow let the sender know it had landed.

[BartholinsSister]

The correct etiquette is to repair, inflate and launch. Probably.

[yankeecandle4]

Thanks MrsDeVere. I'm really glad that I read this because I would have probably done the wrong thing unknowingly (but not on FB)

[hobnobsaremyfavourite]

FFS I hope some of you develop a shred of empathy one day and let it cross your teeny tiny minds what sort of grief that poor mother must be experiencing.
Dear god what's the point in a planet if you don't care about the people that live on it.

[Sallystyle]

Not this again.

You cause more damage to wildlife by driving your bloody car.

If you have a cat you let out you have no fucking right to moan about people who release balloons because your cat destroys more wildlife than one ballon release does.

Like I have said time and time again, we all fuck up wildlife in many ways without thinking about it. Yes, I released a balloon but my husband who volunteers for wildlife organisations sees more damage by cats and humans just living their daily lives that he ever sees damage by someone releasing a balloon.

So unless you are whiter than white don't be a hypocrite.

I think the person in the OP was probably doing what she thought was right, but didn't think her actions through at all.