Tragedy and the Commons: A Crowdsourcing Appeal
If I were a journalist with an editor and a travel budget, one story I’d try to write is on the standardization and bureaucratization of roadside memorial shrines built by those bereaved after traffic fatalities. Each state’s approach to these sites says something about how it trades off sentiment against utility, and how much its managerial class values convergence with the rest of the country’s norms. Unlike the federal control of speed limits and alcohol age requirements, there’s no mandate from Washington dictating uniform, state-maintained signs instead of handmade memorials. It’s just well-meaning state officials looking out for the safety of those who don’t know better.
(photo from Flickr user e_pics )
Certain domestic commitments, however, keep me from traveling the country interviewing highway engineers and grieving families. Would Scene readers, especially those still traveling for the holidays, care to contribute their own photos and comments on how each state grapples with memorializing private tragedy in public places? Consider the comments thread open, and if you have an image online, stick its URL between exclamation points as detailed here. If you can’t find server space, email me at mw[mylastname]@gmail.com and I’ll store the image on our box.
Hi Matt, Interesting topic. As far as I know Rhode Island doesn’t have an official policy about roadside memorials, at least not a statewide one. I have gathered that the folks who maintain the roads are given a fair amount of discretion as to how long objects are left up etc. That is where your trade off between “sentiment and utility” comes into it, I think. Thanks for giving me more to think about and thanks for the link to my photographs.
— Erik · Dec 29, 04:16 AM · #
I don’t know about CA state laws that govern roadside memorials, but I’ve always noticed that there are certain folks whose deaths are marked by official street signs. For example, Cara Knott, a young woman who was murdered by a highway patrol officer here in San Diego County, was eventually honored with a sign near the site of her murder. (Incidentally, one of her friends, our neighbor for a while, named her little daughter after Cara.) There’ve been other murders and roadside deaths in the county that have gone unrecognized by any type of sign.
— Joules · Dec 29, 05:36 AM · #
I didn’t know this was an issue. I see a lot of those roadside memorials, especially when I’m out bicycling. I think they’re tacky, but I love them because it shows a bit of life that hasn’t yet been standardized and bureaucraticized. People just put them up without going cap in hand to some govt person to get permission. We should encourage that kind of behavior. I didn’t realize until now that the safety-uber-alles people were already starting to MacDonaldize these memorials in some states. I constantly take photos when out on the road, and often stop for to get photos of idiosyncratic personal signs, but so far haven’t taken any of these memorials.
— The Spokesrider · Dec 29, 08:24 AM · #
Wow. There are six within five miles of here — I live near lots of foolish young guys with muscle cars and drinking habits. Will send stuff…..Fascinating idea.
— Sanjay · Dec 30, 04:28 AM · #