About five years ago when COVID-19 lockdowns had just started, checkpoints were the norm. If you didn’t have a valid enough reason to travel, you’d generally be ordered to turn back. This became a problem when my family needed to bring my mother to her final resting place. She had lost her battle with cancer at the beginning of the pandemic.

Fortunately, the hearse which led our convoy was enough for the authorities to let our group drive through those checkpoints unchallenged. Thanks to the lack of traffic, we managed to reach the cemetery in record time.

One thing I remember refusing is the offer of a motorcycle escort to accompany our motorcade. The streets were nearly empty anyway. And even if we did end up using the services of motorcycle escorts, I would’ve required them to shut off their sirens, obey traffic lights, and avoid driving on the wrong side of the road—pandemic or not.

This brings me to how funeral motorcades are usually conducted in our country, which a lot of you might have stories about. We’ve all seen everything from convoys blasting through red lights to hearses driving on the wrong side of the road and underbones blocking traffic just to let the procession pass unimpeded. Just take a look at this video.

Forgive my insensitive tone, but I have always failed to see any valid reason why these things must be done. There is nothing to gain by driving from the wake to the cemetery as fast as possible—road rules and other motorists be damned. People will still be mourning their loss in the same way whether they reach the burial venue in 15 minutes or 45 minutes.

Some of you might argue that the bereaved party must be taken care of, and one way of doing that is by lessening the travel time to the interment site. While I am all for giving as much support as possible to those who are grieving, I just don’t see how that will be accomplished by running red lights or counterflowing. If anything, unsafe driving just exposes everyone—including those who are not part of the funeral—to unnecessary risks.

Call me heartless, but I am of the opinion that your grief should not come at the expense of inconveniencing the public. Other road users have schedules to meet, too. In my case, I certainly didn’t want the hearse carrying my mom’s remains to be cursed by motorists waiting for our convoy to pass. I wanted her to be respected on her last drive through town.

The loss of a loved one is an extremely difficult experience. My heart goes out to all those who are grieving. And no matter how seemingly long and emotionally arduous the drive to the cemetery is, I pray that you will find acceptance and peace in these trying times.