AMoffatt said:Several of the men are saluting and others are clearly lowering their heads but the interesting thing is that they have left their hats on whilst the men carrying the coffin have removed theirs and have them strapped over their shoulders
oldrover said:AMoffatt said:Several of the men are saluting and others are clearly lowering their heads but the interesting thing is that they have left their hats on whilst the men carrying the coffin have removed theirs and have them strapped over their shoulders
That's because they're on guard duty, or on parade or something and wouldn't be properly dressed without them.
I seem to remember that saluting is thought to represent the older military protocol of lifting of headgear as an act of respect
oldrover said:While that makes sense I can't help thinking that the concept of it, as well as the idea of a formal standing army, might have been started in Europe by the Romans with their straight arm salute.
gncxx said:I think the Roman "straight arm salute" as seen in Asterix books is an urban myth, if they did salute they didn't do it like that.
I did so once when I came across a funeral cortege of a stranger. The undertaker walking in front of the hearse noticed and mouthed "thank you". Just seemed the correct thing to do to be honest.Hats should always be removed in the presence of royalty and the dead (for instance, when a funeral cortege passes)
I often stop in respect for a funeral cortege, but rarely if ever wear a hat.The section on Men and Hats in my copy of Debrett's New Guide to Etiquette and Modern Manners says
I did so once when I came across a funeral cortege of a stranger. The undertaker walking in front of the hearse noticed and mouthed "thank you". Just seemed the correct thing to do to be honest.
At my Father's funeral last year, the Funeral Director walked in front of the hearse, stopping traffic as we went through town. Once we were clear of traffic, he got in the hearse and we sped up. An old boy we passed took off his cap and others bowed their heads. One road worker stopped working, placed his hands together solemly on the handle of his shovel and bowed his head.
It did actually help a little. As we were driving along, the car was filled with sadness but the world outisde was going on as usual. No-one out there cared that my Father had died, the world was still turning. So when I saw someone bowing their head, it felt nice that someone acknowledged his passing.did it help you at all?
I stop and bow my head in prayer for funerals of any variety. Except ones where people are carrying balloons and waving, when I wave back and applaud while nodding. The prayer happens later.
I worry that my well meant paying of respects will irritate.
In an episode of Minder, George Cole's character Arthur Daley doffs his hat when a hearse passes by.
I'd visited someone local's flat a few years ago but he'd started acting aggressive to both me and his girlfriend so I left. I found out later the next day that a few hours after I'd left, he'd hung himself in his building. I knew his Dad so told him I'd also been there just in case the police might want to talk to me or anything but they didn't.l was reading my Force Standing Orders one day (bored catatonic, no doubt), and read, to my surprise, that officers on duty in uniform were allowed (expected?) to salute funeral corteges.
Not long after this, l was out on the beat and saw one approaching, so l came smartly to Attention and “slung ‘em one up”.
lt transpired that it was the funeral of one of our local druggies, who’d killed himself with a hot shot to universal acclaim among my colleagues and l.
l’d have saluted anyway, even had l known, but l couldn’t help wondering if the mourners thought l was extracting the proverbial. (l wasn’t.)
l always saluted funeral processions thereafter, anyway.
maximus otter
She looked down and saw all the anglers on the towpath standing with their heads bowed and fishing hats off in respect to the former fishing mate. She was absolutely delighted.
Reminds me of Compo's funeral!Recently I read about a funeral procession winding its way through a small town - the hearse and the following car with the widow had to slow at the hump-backed bridge over the canal. She looked down and saw all the anglers on the towpath standing with their heads bowed and fishing hats off in respect to the former fishing mate. She was absolutely delighted.
Problem is that that delivery driver probably has excreable working conditions, it's a gig economy job and his bosses have absolutely no sympathy for why he might be late and can sack him at any moment. Not much humanity there, unfortunately.Showing a little respect to those who have passed is surely worth falling 30 seconds behind schedule in delivering online orders.