Death

Not the happiest of titles for today's ramblings, but I want to warn you up front what this is going to be about. I would also like to take this opportunity to warn you early on that I may offend some of you, particularly if you have recently lost a loved one, or if at some time you have lost someone through a tragic accident.
I don't intend apologising for my opinions because that's exactly what they are, mine and so of course you are entitled to yours. Please feel free to comment or not or even to write something of your own to express how you feel.

I have recently had the misfortune of losing a friend and neighbour at way too young of an age to a brain hemorrhage. One day she was waving and saying good morning as we set off for our day's work, the next she was gone. The only good thing to have come from her death was the fact that through being an organ donor, she has changed five people's lives for the better. The aftermath that has been left for her husband and children has been unthinkable, but between us we will make sure they reach some sort of peace with their loss.
Although she was initially taken seriously ill from home, to hospital by ambulance, the actual place she died was in the new City Hospital. We've had her funeral and those that wanted to, sent flowers, others donated to her favourite animal charity.
Sadly this week, there have also been two tragic deaths on the roads around Peterborough, one was a young woman of 21 and the other was a man that I knew vaguely from many years ago.
As I passed by both of these crash sites today, I was once again disappointed to see that people had been to these spots and laid flowers. Exactly as we've seen on the news this week, for where that poor little six year old boy was killed in Wakefield.
I'm afraid I really do not understand why people insist on doing this flower laying ritual at the site of the death or accident. Not only do these floral displays now distract other drivers as they pass, to gain access to these spots means walking on or across extremely busy roads, therefore potentially causing another accident to occur.
Most bewildering to me is why anyone actually wants to remember where their friend or loved one was lost when it was next to a busy road? I know that in very religious European countries candles are lit in a similar way and left and I understand that even less!
I have no intention of going to the City Hospital and laying flowers next to a hospital bed for my dear friend, nor do I visit any other hospital and do this for the many loved family members I have lost over the years.
So why oh why do people feel the need to do it at the side of the road?
I remember some years ago the Chief Constable of Lincolnshire police banned such tributes in the county and I think he had the right idea. These so called tributes should be banned country wide and if you want to remember someone you've loved and lost, whether it's through old age, illness or tragedy, why not take some flowers or even just your quiet, private thoughts to a place you know they loved.