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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU to overtake a hearse?

409 replies

confusedabouthormones · 01/10/2024 12:10

So today on the way home from school I had just pulled onto a dual carriageway and there was a hearse with some cars behind it. They were going to a near by crematorium. I pulled into the outside lane and drove past it.

My mother was in the car and she had a right go at me for being disrespectful and how she was embarrassed to be in my car. When I looked in my mirror no one else had passed the hearse.

Is this a thing? In my 30 odd years driving I've never heard this.

Was I being unreasonable to pass the hearse?

OP posts:
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6
biglipslittlehips · 01/10/2024 16:54

Peony15 · 01/10/2024 14:49

You don't overtake a hearse, it's disrespectful. Thought it was common knowledge ?

You absolutely do on a dual carriageway or motorway if it's going at slow speed.
God forbid if everyone in all lanes hung back for 20 miles as a hearse traveled down the A3

InSpainTheRain · 01/10/2024 16:18

I would want to overtake it - especially on a dual carriageway or motorway. But I wouldn't. I think it just a few minutes of my time to show respect for someone, and for the mourners behind. I had this situation the other day, and just hung back.

godmum56 · 01/10/2024 15:15

DisforDarkChocolate · 01/10/2024 15:04

My experience of being in the family car at two recent funerals is that the hearse drove at normal speed on the dual carriageway.

mine too,

DisforDarkChocolate · 01/10/2024 15:04

My experience of being in the family car at two recent funerals is that the hearse drove at normal speed on the dual carriageway.

BeerForMyHorses · 01/10/2024 15:01

But she’d have been in front of it so the same thing.

That's not the same thing 😂. Being in front of hearse is fine. I went out of my way to stop to let it out.

ArabellaScott · 01/10/2024 14:54

blueshoes · 01/10/2024 14:43

A hearse might not even be transporting a body, just driving from one place to another.

I have in the past slammed on the brakes in mortal fear of upsetting a cortege, only to realise it was an empty hearse and the undertakers were in civvies.

MurdoMunro · 01/10/2024 14:53

CleansUpButWouldPreferNotTo · 01/10/2024 14:28

https://www.dignityfunerals.co.uk/advice/funeral-procession-etiquette/

I assume you are posting that in support of the OP as it says it’s acceptable to overtake a funeral procession on a dual carriageway

sorry x post with Typewriters above

LikeWhoUsesTypewritersAnyway · 01/10/2024 14:49

CleansUpButWouldPreferNotTo · 01/10/2024 14:28

https://www.dignityfunerals.co.uk/advice/funeral-procession-etiquette/

You are literally posting 'etiquette.' What is listed on that link is NOT THE LAW!

And even on there it says you are OK to overtake on a duel carriageway! Some of the responses on here at batshit! Pay no attention @confusedabouthormones !

LikeWhoUsesTypewritersAnyway · 01/10/2024 14:49

ArabellaScott · 01/10/2024 14:39

Not at great speed, or with death metal playing, but I would overtake yes.

😁

Blush 😆

Peony15 · 01/10/2024 14:49

You don't overtake a hearse, it's disrespectful. Thought it was common knowledge ?

Katiesaidthat · 01/10/2024 14:48

On a dual carriageway it is absolutely fine!

Tellysavelas · 01/10/2024 14:44

blueshoes · 01/10/2024 14:43

A hearse might not even be transporting a body, just driving from one place to another.

A bit of grim humour there, people doffing their hats to an empty hearse.

blueshoes · 01/10/2024 14:43

A hearse might not even be transporting a body, just driving from one place to another.

Tellysavelas · 01/10/2024 14:43

SoupDragon · 01/10/2024 14:31

No, she would have been in front of the hearse having not let it out of the junction.

Show quote history

But she’d have been in front of it so the same thing.

snoopyfanaccountant · 01/10/2024 14:41

Ellerby83 · 01/10/2024 12:49

When hearses go on motorways do they travel at normal speed? it seems a bit dangerous to crawl at slow speed on a motorway

They generally drive at 40mph, rather than the 20mph they would do in town.

ArabellaScott · 01/10/2024 14:39

Not at great speed, or with death metal playing, but I would overtake yes.

😁

itwasnevermine · 01/10/2024 14:39

@Anisty but if you go past at say 40, and someone comes flying behind you at 70, you risk an accident? Yes you should be respectful but you can't put others at risk

PussGirl · 01/10/2024 14:34

I once overtook a couple of hearses and the following entourage many years ago - It was too late to pull in by the time I'd realised - I still feel terrible about it some 25 years later.

snoopyfanaccountant · 01/10/2024 14:34

I have driven hearses in the past and I regularly had to drive to crematoria that were just off motorways or dual carriageways. Imagine the chaos if all the traffic in the other 2 or 3 lanes decided to not pass the hearse for 6 or 7 miles. Of course it's fine to pass a hearse on a motorway or dual carriageway as long as it is done without drawing attention to yourself.

AegonT · 01/10/2024 14:32

We once travelled hours through huge delays to a relative's funeral and were very stressed about being late when we encountered the hearse on a dual carriageway only a few miles from the chapel! I decided overtaking at a respectful speed whilst hoping we weren't recognised was better than arriving at the funeral after the deceased.

Waterboatlass · 01/10/2024 14:31

I would say dual carriageway was fine at a steady pace.

if I saw someone overtake in a residential area that's pretty well known etiquette so I think I'd try and give them benefit of the doubt and assume it was maybe a say a hospital doctor on call or a&e run (maybe not a blue light emergency but life needing to be prioritised over respecting the dead).

Don't feel like a douche OP, there are mixed feelings on it and you didn't know anyway. I would assume the young lad in the Fiesta years ago had no idea either.

SoupDragon · 01/10/2024 14:31

Tellysavelas · 01/10/2024 14:28

So you wanted to overtake the hearse…

Show quote history

No, she would have been in front of the hearse having not let it out of the junction.

Shade17 · 01/10/2024 14:30

No issue on a multi lane DC. I probably wouldn’t drop a couple of cogs and nail it though!

BeerForMyHorses · 01/10/2024 14:30

So you wanted to overtake the hearse…

What? How did you get that from my post?

I slowed down and stopped to let the hearse out at a busy junction.

chipsewfast · 01/10/2024 14:29

Dual carriageway - no problem. I would overtake.

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