sf wrote:
> On Sun, 04 Jan 2009 19:34:28 -0500, Dave Smith
> > wrote:
>
>> They are welcome to their own private and personal
>> memorials, but when they want to erect them at the side of the road
>> where their loved one's idiocy cause a traffic accident it is a
>> different matter.
>
> How do you know the memorials aren't for victims?

I can't speak for those in the rest of the country or across the
continent, but I read all the local newspapers and get the story, and I
see the monuments. They are almost without exception the fault of the
driver who was killed, usually excessive speed and careless driving.
That is why I suggested the monuments to idiocy mentioning the innocent
victims. People are entitled to their private grief, but if they insist
on making it public then they are going to have to expect that the rest
of us do not always share their sympathy.


FWIW.... several years ago there was a fatal accident in front of my
neighbour's. I used to get home from work at about 3:45, and when the
weather warmed up enough for motorcycling, withing 5-10 of my getting
home, a crotch rocket used to come flying down the road. It is a 60 kph
(35 mph) zone, and this kid was always doing well over 100 kph, well
over. It went on every day for a week and a half. There is a good
reason for the 60 kph zone. It is a rural road, with rolling hills,
blind intersections, private driveways, domestic animals and wild life,
and no shoulders on the road.

Then one day an old lady was coming the other way and moved over to
avoid a flock of geese crossing the road. The kid came along doing his
usual 90-100 MPH, went tearing over the crest of the hill and smacked
headfirst into her car. He was killed on impact and the bike exploded
from the force. There were parts scattered for a radius of over 100 feet.

My poor neighbour had to put up with weeks and weeks of the victim's <?>
school mates hanging out day after day, just sitting around crying and
leaving mementos.

My neighbours and I were not sympathetic. We had been seeing this guy
pulling the same stunt day after day. We knew that he was going to crash
some day, and probably some day soon. Personally, I was glad that he
only killed himself, because the way he was driving he could easily ahve
killed someone else.