AIBU as to disagree with ashes being scattered in a public place?

[Ssanne]

AIBU?

Going to a music in August. Great. On the Facebook group for said festival, someone wants to scatter their dad's ashes at the festival in the arena area.
The weather is due to be hot and dry and I don't like the idea that could be inhaling someone's ashes in the arena/tredding the ashes in the ground.
The comments seem to be mixed with some saying go for it and others to be against it like me.

A couple of years ago, a whole ride at a theme park had to shut down after someone scattered ashes mid-ride. So I suppose I have pre-conceptions about these things.

I just feel like there is a better place to scatter ashes without affecting the general public?

AIBU?

When people are cremated they return to the minerals that constitute us. Ashes are just very clean grit. I would have no problem with ashes being anywhere near me.

Bones don't biodegrade.

From AI.

Cremated bones do not biodegrade in the traditional sense. Instead, they are primarily composed of bone mineral fragments and other minerals that remain after the cremation process. These materials are stable and do not decompose like organic matter. The ashes are often described as a fine powder, which is not ash in the traditional sense but rather a processed bone mineral content.
While cremated remains are stable and do not change significantly over time, environmental conditions and how the ashes are stored can influence their long-term presence. For example, scattered ashes may blend into the soil or landscape over time, depending on factors like wind, rain, and plant growth.
It is important to note that while cremated remains are stable, they can still have an impact on the environment if not properly managed. For instance, untreated ashes can be toxic to plant life and soil ecosystems due to their high sodium content. Therefore, it is crucial to consider the environmental impact of scattering ashes and to choose appropriate memorialization options that can benefit the environment.

So apart from people thinking gross what actual issue are Ashes causing people that this is a problem?

I have no issue with ashes being scattered somewhere (park, flowerbed, sea lake etc) However I do have an issue with some twat who think it’s appropriate to throw their Dad’s ashes up in the air, in the middle of a crowd at one of the Heaton Park Oasis concerts. It was boiling hot, people were crushed together and there was no way of escaping it falling on everyone getting in to eyes and mouths. It wasn’t the fact of what it was. I’d have been equally annoyed if they’d thrown the contents if an ash tray in to the air over the crowd.

They asked. I did the streets then people who knew us asked, so I did. What was left is in the local church yard which because its under sea level doesn't have a grave yards.

Did that happen to you? I agree that's not on at all! Bloody Oasis fans!

👆

That is awful.

You in your ash form would be fine but not so nice for the festival goer who inhales the ash or gets it stuck in their hair. It's not the right place especially with no rain to settle it.

Exactly I don’t want ash human or otherwise in my hair or on my clothes.

Ashes at a theme park being released compared to a ground at a festival is completely different.
How.about not worrying and in a cemetery thry have ash gardens...is that weird too.

We scattered my grandparents ashes in a local beauty spot they loved and had walked in for years. It was what they wanted. My grandad died many years before my gran, when we scattered his ashes she was very clear that she wanted the same to happen when she died. Both times we went very late in the day just before it got dark and made sure there was no one around. Their chosen place was on top of a cliff and the ashes were blown out to sea so no one would have known afterwards. I think scattering ashes in a place meaningful to the deceased is a lovely idea. It’s what I would want for myself. But I can understand that other people may not like it so I think it should be done discretely. I have witnessed someone scattering ashes at a fairly busy beach in broad daylight. The wind blew them everywhere and other beach goers didn’t appreciate it!

Strange place to want to do it. People would immediately be trampling on the relative's remains, literally all over the dead body. Yuck.

How would you scatter the remains at a busy music festival without the possibility of the ashes blowing onto someone else?

My mum's ashes are held hostage by my stepdad and they can't be scattered until he dies. Bloody annoying

My friend has strict instructions where on a particular beach I want my ashes scattering. It also happens to be next to the local nudist beach/ dogging space so if a bit of me ends up on them- serves them right!

They’ve been silly to post online about it.

Wouldn’t bother me and I doubt I’d know or realise unless they told me. They should have kept quiet!

I think it’s nice that people can be scattered someone special to them and their family and remembered in fun ways rather than at a gravestone!!

I scattered my gran's ashes on a remote beach, making sure I was well away from the few other people around. Didn't think about the wind angle and of course some blew straight back onto my face. Thanks Gran!

I'm a bit squeamish about ashes, after my Dad scattered my stepmum's ashes around a tree in their garden. I was heavily pregnant in my defence, but the sight of what looked like cat litter all round this tree really upset me. And there was a LOT of it. It just seemed so undignified.

I don't care about them being scattered anywhere, really, if others aren't around. But I think it's incredibly anti-social to scatter them where there are lots of other people about. There's nothing harmful about ashes really, but they obviously hold meaning and, even if they didn't it wouldn't be appropriate to scatter normal ash where it would have a good chance of blowing on others. The festival idea is really poor (and the rollercoaster one was just stupid).

Old Northern joke in the Les Dawson fashion. You may well have already heard it

An elderly lady whose husband had died and had be cremated. Put some of his ashes into an empty egg timer Which she kept on top of the kitchen counter and used daily.

A relative asked her why she did this.
Her reply was "Well he was really lazy sod in life. At least he can now do some regular work every day

Seems like the rule should be simple - don't scatter them anywhere that other people are nearby and the ashes could hit them. Beauty spot with nobody else around, yes. Crowded arena at festival, no.

I am not really bothered about people scattering ashes but as someone that lives in a very pretty part of the country I have had ashes thrown on me and my DC more times than I care for when walking below viewing points. I wish people would be considerate and check around for others, do it at quiet times of the day etc.

Where to scatter ashes is a deeply personal thing and usually relates to somewhere the person loved or remind the mourners of that person. If that feeling comes from a festival, then so be it. This is very different to a theme park ride where the ashes fall back on the people behind; these will be scattered on the ground. Yes, the ashes scattered in high traffic areas will get trampled on and end up caught up in the soles of people's shoes, but some will be scattered in less busy places. Before the festival, the land was most likely farmland and will have the remains of animal poo in it. I don't see how somebody's ashes are any different.

I’ve never heard of the firework option, but I’m actually quite taken with the idea. Their website says they use 200g of ashes. What proportion is that of a usual amount? I have never seen any cremated ashes, so don’t know how much they would weigh for an average adult.