AIBU to overtake a hearse?

[confusedabouthormones]

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?

'do you get annoyed too if you get held up in traffic because a car has crashed? Or a child hit on the road? Or a road closed because a building is on fire?'

But these are unexpected accidents. Funerals are planned.

Other people's processions and rituals should not disrupt those who are not involved.

@DavidBeckhamsrightfoot so you are happy to startle horses ?
Just funeral ones or general riders too?

@Gloriia there's barely any hold ups. Five minutes if that at the start of the journey.
Along main roads/duel cartridgeways they will travel at regular speeds.
Horses may be slower but so will tractors.

You just pulling stuff out of thin air now?
OK so you're OK with punching babies?

I'm sorry you don't get it. The vast majority of people have emotional intelligence. I hope you develop some.

Why would it matter if you like the person? What a silly comment. It's about respect for the mourners. You jumped the shark there.

I and others have shared our experiences that this just is not the case.

I've every sympathy for those bereaved, I think we sadly have all experience of it but whilst out driving I will overtake as appropriate and pull out where appropriate and safe. This is not disrespectful it is just what we all should be doing whilst driving to save hazardous tail backs and disruption.

But what respect? Why aren't they respecting my time? You never know what someone is doing.

So again I will always follow safety and the rules of the road but that includes my right of way.

'Horses may be slower but so will tractors'

Tractors are a necessary part of farming, ditto jcbs with construction and many other slow moving vehicles. No one is using a tractor daily as part of a procession.

@DavidBeckhamsrightfoot to be honest I have lost the point of what I am arguing with you about.
I originally said about a scenario I witnessed where some vehicles were held up at a traffic junction for a few minutes (despite their lights being green) because a horse drawn hearse and a couple of cars were turning in the junction.
I can't understand why you think that is such a terrible thing to do?

@Gloriia You've never seen a Christmas tractor procession then?

Not directed at me but I'd like to comment. Because it is unnecessary. The important part is the service not the journey there. Strangers should not have to give way to processions.

As a pp said what if you were rushing to get to an important hospital appointment or to get home if you were ill. Green and red lights should be respected not processions.

Like I said it's about emotional intelligence. If your responses are genuine I'm sorry you don't get it.

A once a year festive event is different to a multiple times a day situation if you live in the vicinity of a crem.

I don’t drive so this won’t be an issue for me but I agree with @DavidBeckhamsrightfoot. I’d never heard of this so-called convention before this thread but now it’s been explained at length, it seems to me to be an unrealistic expectation that everyone else will stop their lives and schedules for some random’s funeral. So if I ever do start driving I would overtake a hearse. Sorry, but my convenience is more important.

I don't see how a couple of minutes delay disrupts my day so much (emergency vehicles aside of course). I'd far rather lose a minute or to two than potentially add to the distress of a bereaved family.

Fortunately I live in an area where it wouldn't happen anyway.

Agree

@Gloriia so if the horses (with the coffin) turned the corner and then the traffic lights turned red so the following car with the family stopped you would happily go directly behind the hearse with the coffin and not feel just a little bit awkward. Or could you just politely wait 2 or 3 minutes to let the car turn ahead of you.

In that situation I would grit my teeth and wait.

Generally though if processions were on dual carriageways or single carriageways with plenty of space for overtaking then I would.

I do happily wait or pull over for the emergency services though.

Yes, because those are the rules of the road and it isn't our fault that the light turned red.

@Gloriia there you though then. We agree 🙂
It's fine to overtake on a duel carriageway/main road.

@itwasnevermine well as a pedestrian road rules appear to be broken every single day by many many car drivers so I won't argue with you anymore.

On a dual carriage way is totally fine, if it was on a single road and you risk cutting up the procession, obviously wouldn’t be great but a dual carriage way is fine.

I think as long as you didn’t cut in between the hearse and the first car carrying the grieving widow and children, then sit there for a mile*, you’re okay.

*Like some thoughtless prick did at my FIL’s funeral.

But why did they sit there for a mile I wonder, surely they'd just nip past the hearse too.

Why do you think it is thoughtless? I'm genuinely interested. I've been in a couple of processions and it has never occurred to me to look and see if the convoy only has attendees in it. It is just the drive to the crematorium or church. The destination is what matters.

@Gloriia I think if it's the obvious big black cars (usually only 1 following a hearse - sometimes 2) then it is just polite to not get between them and the hearse.