WayOT death markers

Larry L · Joined: 17 Aug 2007 Posts: 213

A headline today in my local paper about the guy who got drunk and stoned
and managed to kill five guys on their way to work a few months ago ....
forced the image of the five neat crosses erected by someone ( family I
assume ) next to the country road where the "accident" happened, about a
mile from here.

It seems such crosses are everywhere now ( in the West, at least ) ... try
the drive from West Yellowstone to Bozeman ... but I don't remember them
from many years back. Any guesses ( real information OK, too Smile

as to
why they have increased in usage?

Larry L ( who wants any memorial that might be erected for me to be in a
place I loved, not the one where I suffered the last time )

Archived from group: rec>outdoors>fishing>fly

Larry L · Joined: 17 Aug 2007 Posts: 213

"Larry L" wrote

> forced the image of the five neat crosses

forced the image ( into my mind )

redietz · Joined: 29 Nov 2007 Posts: 4

On Feb 1, 1:56 pm, "Larry L" wrote:
> A headline today in my local paper about the guy who got drunk and stoned
> and managed to kill five guys on their way to work a few months ago ....
> forced the image of the five neat crosses erected by someone ( family I
> assume ) next to the country road where the "accident" happened, about a
> mile from here.
>
> It seems such crosses are everywhere now ( in the West, at least ) ... try
> the drive from West Yellowstone to Bozeman ... but I don't remember them
> from many years back. Any guesses ( real information OK, too Smile

as to
> why they have increased in usage?
>
> Larry L ( who wants any memorial that might be erected for me to be in a
> place I loved, not the one where I suffered the last time )

They're here now in the east, as well. You're right, they didn't used
to be everyplace. My impression is that they're an Hispanic import,
but this feeling may just be because the first place I remember seeing
them was in a largely Spanish speaking village in New Mexico. (Not
that those particular Spanish speakers were imports, the village is
centuries old.)

BJ Conner · Joined: 17 Aug 2007 Posts: 44

On Feb 1, 10:56 am, "Larry L" wrote:
> A headline today in my local paper about the guy who got drunk and stoned
> and managed to kill five guys on their way to work a few months ago .....
> forced the image of the five neat crosses erected by someone ( family I
> assume ) next to the country road where the "accident" happened, about a
> mile from here.
>
> It seems such crosses are everywhere now ( in the West, at least ) ... try
> the drive from West Yellowstone to Bozeman ... but I don't remember them
> from many years back. Any guesses ( real information OK, too Smile

as to
> why they have increased in usage?
>
> Larry L ( who wants any memorial that might be erected for me to be in a
> place I loved, not the one where I suffered the last time )

I first saw them while working in Mexico in the early 80s. After that
I started seeing them in areas wherr there were lots of Mexicans.
Pretty tacky IMO. What's next? Little heart shapped markers on canal
levee where you fist scored.

Wolfgang · Joined: 17 Aug 2007 Posts: 325

"Steve" wrote in message @news.easynews.com...
> On Fri, 1 Feb 2008 11:15:21 -0800 (PST), redietz
> wrote:
>
>>On Feb 1, 1:56 pm, "Larry L" wrote:
>>> A headline today in my local paper about the guy who got drunk and
>>> stoned
>>> and managed to kill five guys on their way to work a few months ago
>>> ....
>>> forced the image of the five neat crosses erected by someone ( family I
>>> assume ) next to the country road where the "accident" happened, about a
>>> mile from here.
>>>
>>> It seems such crosses are everywhere now ( in the West, at least ) ...
>>> try
>>> the drive from West Yellowstone to Bozeman ... but I don't remember them
>>> from many years back. Any guesses ( real information OK, too Smile

as
>>> to
>>> why they have increased in usage?
>>>
>>> Larry L ( who wants any memorial that might be erected for me to be in a
>>> place I loved, not the one where I suffered the last time )
>>
>>They're here now in the east, as well. You're right, they didn't used
>>to be everyplace. My impression is that they're an Hispanic import,
>>but this feeling may just be because the first place I remember seeing
>>them was in a largely Spanish speaking village in New Mexico. (Not
>>that those particular Spanish speakers were imports, the village is
>>centuries old.)
>
> Believe it or not there are state's laws (is that close to correct,
> Wolfgang?)

Maybe. Depends. What in hell are you talking about?

> governing why and where a marker can be located.
> They are a point of contention in a number of states, even the ACLU is
> in the fight.
> My guess is that where you have traveled allows them, or perhaps _now_
> allows them.

I've seen them here in Curdistan for about as long as I can remember.
They've never been common, but they may have increased slightly in number in
recent years. As for Hispanic influence, this is possible, but I've seen
nothing that has led me to believe so.

Why would they become more common? Well, if there is anything to the theory
of Hispanic influence, there are certainly more Hispanic people dispersed
about Wisconsin these days than there were 30 or 40 years ago. But, again,
I've seen nothing that suggests that influence. My guess is that, like so
many other inexplicable fads, it's just something that has caught on among a
certain segment of the population. Maybe folks think that some sort of
public tribute to lost loved ones is more meaningful than simply living with
the loss in private.

Wolfgang
who figures the place, style, or anything else to do with any memorial
erected to him.....or not.....is somebody else's problem.

redietz · Joined: 29 Nov 2007 Posts: 4

On Feb 1, 3:00 pm, rb608 wrote:

>
> I don't think there's much mystery about them. One person puts one
> up, others see it & think it's a good remembrance. A few more go up.
> The more visibility, the wider the phenomenon spreads.
>

Beyond being a good remembrance, it also can be a good alert that
certain sections of road are dangerous.

George Adams · Joined: 17 Aug 2007 Posts: 14

On Feb 1, 1:56 pm, "Larry L" wrote:
> A headline today in my local paper about the guy who got drunk and stoned
> and managed to kill five guys on their way to work a few months ago .....
> forced the image of the five neat crosses erected by someone ( family I
> assume ) next to the country road where the "accident" happened, about a
> mile from here.
>
> It seems such crosses are everywhere now ( in the West, at least ) ... try
> the drive from West Yellowstone to Bozeman ... but I don't remember them
> from many years back. Any guesses ( real information OK, too Smile

as to
> why they have increased in usage?
>
> Larry L ( who wants any memorial that might be erected for me to be in a
> place I loved, not the one where I suffered the last time )

They've become quite common here in New England over the past 10/15
years. The first one I remember seeing was a cross erected on a state
highway in honor of a state trooper who was killed on that spot, hit
by a drunk driver, while giving roadsise assistance to a motorist. I
think it was put there by his family.

All this reminds me of an old song by a homeboy, Dick Curless of
Barre, MA., who had something of a carrer in Nashville thirty odd
years ago, and wrote a song lamenting the dangers of driving logging
trucks in the Haynesville Woods area of Maine. IIRC, the refrain was:
"There's a stretch of road up north in Maine. that's never, ever, ever
seen a smile." "If they buried all the truckers lost in those woods,
Theyr'ed be a tombstone every mile"

BJ Conner · Joined: 17 Aug 2007 Posts: 44

On Feb 1, 12:18 pm, Steve wrote:
> On Fri, 1 Feb 2008 12:03:35 -0800 (PST), BJ Conner
>
> wrote:
> >Little heart shapped markers on canal
> >levee where you fist scored.
>
> Oh dear, that's an unfortunate typo.

I did it on purpose. Some people in roff get their jollys proof
reading finding mistakes. It will make LeCourse and Dickydeans day.

rb608 · Joined: 17 Aug 2007 Posts: 58

On Feb 1, 3:04 pm, "Wolfgang" wrote:
> As for Hispanic influence, this is possible, but I've seen
> nothing that has led me to believe so.

Nor I. They're quite common here, and quite often bear the first name
of the victim. I can't remember a one that has an identifiably
Hispanic name. It may well be that roadside shrines are prevalent in
Mexico, but my guess is this phenomenon has developed independently
here.

Joe F.

Larry L · Joined: 17 Aug 2007 Posts: 213

"redietz" wrote

>
> Beyond being a good remembrance, it also can be a good alert that
> certain sections of road are dangerous.

For sure ... after seeing them all on the section I mentioned, West to
Bozeman ... I may never take that route again

However since they are thick as trees in a rain forest along there, it seems
doubtful they increase driver care as they increase awareness of the danger
Sad

Larry L · Joined: 17 Aug 2007 Posts: 213

"BJ Conner" wrote

>>>Pretty tacky IMO.

I tend to agree ... seems there are much better ways to remember a loved one
..... a "green burial," no marker, and occasional walks in a place he
enjoyed, for instance.

I know of several 'angler's rest' memorials and find them a bit tacky too,
but not nearly as much as scene of the crash crosses.

What I really wondered was if some variation on some religion is known to
suggest that the spot where the "soul departed" has to have a cross to help
that soul make it to heaven ( or some such thing )

To me, it seems a terrible place to actually remember ( you know, recall,
think about ) someone you loved

BJ Conner · Joined: 17 Aug 2007 Posts: 44

On Feb 1, 10:56 am, "Larry L" wrote:
> A headline today in my local paper about the guy who got drunk and stoned
> and managed to kill five guys on their way to work a few months ago .....
> forced the image of the five neat crosses erected by someone ( family I
> assume ) next to the country road where the "accident" happened, about a
> mile from here.
>
> It seems such crosses are everywhere now ( in the West, at least ) ... try
> the drive from West Yellowstone to Bozeman ... but I don't remember them
> from many years back. Any guesses ( real information OK, too Smile

as to
> why they have increased in usage?
>
> Larry L ( who wants any memorial that might be erected for me to be in a
> place I loved, not the one where I suffered the last time )

If people want a memorial maby they could combine it with a litter
patrol. The state could put up a sign that say "Roadside clean up in
tne next mile by the XXX family in remembrance of Jose killed here in
2005"
Iraq would be a good place to put them up. If GIs were killed by an
IED put up a cross. Just install connedted to the fuse of a 280 mm
artillery shell.

Opus--Mark H. Bowen · Joined: 17 Aug 2007 Posts: 88

"Larry L" wrote in message $kj1.335008@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
>A headline today in my local paper about the guy who got drunk and stoned
>and managed to kill five guys on their way to work a few months ago ....
>forced the image of the five neat crosses erected by someone ( family I
>assume ) next to the country road where the "accident" happened, about a
>mile from here.
>
> It seems such crosses are everywhere now ( in the West, at least ) ... try
> the drive from West Yellowstone to Bozeman ... but I don't remember them
> from many years back. Any guesses ( real information OK, too Smile

as to
> why they have increased in usage?
>
>
>
>
>
> Larry L ( who wants any memorial that might be erected for me to be in a
> place I loved, not the one where I suffered the last time )

When I was in Ecuador in the Summer of '96, I saw those types of memorials
(although much more elaborate) on the roadsides of the cliffs leading over
the Andes Mountains. Folks lose their lives in the Andes by the bus loads!

This site is pretty neat: http://tinyurl.com/2acabt keep clicking thru and
you will get to some amazing switchback roads!

Op

Wolfgang · Joined: 17 Aug 2007 Posts: 325

"Larry L" wrote in message $MJ6.1529@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
>
> "redietz" wrote
>
>>
>> Beyond being a good remembrance, it also can be a good alert that
>> certain sections of road are dangerous.
>
>
> For sure ... after seeing them all on the section I mentioned, West to
> Bozeman ... I may never take that route again
>
> However since they are thick as trees in a rain forest along there, it
> seems doubtful they increase driver care as they increase awareness of the
> danger Sad

Y'all might want to consult those obliquely mounted yellow square signs
posted at odd intervals along the road side.......um......well in some of
the more civic minded portions of the country, anyway.

Wolfgang

Wolfgang · Joined: 17 Aug 2007 Posts: 325

"Larry L" wrote in message $MJ6.134652@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
>
> "BJ Conner" wrote
>
>>>>Pretty tacky IMO.
>
>
> I tend to agree ... seems there are much better ways to remember a loved
> one
> .... a "green burial," no marker, and occasional walks in a place he
> enjoyed, for instance.
>
> I know of several 'angler's rest' memorials and find them a bit tacky too,
> but not nearly as much as scene of the crash crosses.
>
> What I really wondered was if some variation on some religion is known to
> suggest that the spot where the "soul departed" has to have a cross to
> help
> that soul make it to heaven ( or some such thing )
>
> To me, it seems a terrible place to actually remember ( you know, recall,
> think about ) someone you loved

It seems such a pity that so many people (not to mention entire cultures) go
through life without consulting you about what is acceptable and what is
gauche......ainna?

Wolfgang

Death underwater Another year, another list of divers death. As many rec.scuba subscribers know I have been monitoring diver deaths for close to 15 years. Started collecting reports on scuba deaths after assisting the Ontario Underwater Council in their annual fatality r

Death rigs A silly question I think but what the hell are death rigs. I know some people seem to think it is dangerous to the fish but where has this come from and who as it makes no sense to me. I was looking for more details on my loop rig that I know was so popul

Second death in the Lakes this week "A body found on one of the Lake District's highest fells has been confirmed as that of a missing Lancashire walker." Regards, -- Neil Pugh

doctors in the death zone Watching Doctors in the Death Zone made me wonder wether there was a fixed rope going all the way to the top of Everest. Nobody seemed to be leading. Is there a fixed rope?... On the matter of ethics, if the noble doctors stumbled across a sick mountaine

The Next Repugnant Party Death Exercise They are gathering the forces now for Iran. The carriers on patrol in the Persian Gulf, the series of accusations that hold Iran responsible for the violence in Iraq, the propaganda corps at the American Enterprise Institute turning up the heat--all the p