Horrible woman filmed stealing flowers from child's grave

[Rageaholic]

This is one of those things that I think you'd only do just to be a spiteful jerk. I can't imagine the flowers holding any amount of value other than sentimental value FOR THE PEOPLE SHE STOLE IT FROM.

At least the headline pulled no punches calling her horrible.

[Canarr]

Dick move, Mongo. Major dick move.

Actually, no, it wasn't, for various reasons already set forth. This, however...

Christ, I am surprised he didn't file a letter of protest for someone having the gall to die on his property without permission.

... definitely was.

For the future: when attempting to maintain a position of moral superiority, it helps to avoid morally reprehensible comments such as this one.

[protege]

You know, that part of the yard that is technically your land but the county maintains the drainage ditches and pipes under your driveway...the part that is technically yours but you can't put anything on legally apart from reflectors around your driveway and a mailbox.

I don't know about other areas, but here...any objects being that close to the road, would constitute a hazard. Imagine if someone was to *hit* that memorial. Anyone want to guess who would get sued?

Locally, I know of several memorials erected where people have died. There's one just over the hill from me. Two kids were driving home one afternoon...and some jackass in a truck ran a red light. They were killed instantly About a day later, someone put up a pair of crosses. Technically, you're not supposed to do that. But, since the crosses aren't right on the road, they're allowed. The families that installed them, actually mounted them on the hillside, directly across the spot where the accident happened.

That sort of thing, I have no problem with. It's tasteful, installed in a way that's legal, and they got permission to do it. With that said, I could see why Mongo was upset. You don't go around building shit on someone's property without permission. Ask before doing anything.

[lordlundar]

Those roadside memorials are increasingly becoming illegal because they tend to be a distraction for drivers especially as they get more elaborate over time and one fatality could spawn more.

[AdminAssistant]

Those roadside memorials are increasingly becoming illegal

Exactly.

And, quite frankly, don't put anything of value on a tombstone. Don't go to town setting up statues and altars. Dad is on the local cemetery board and it's a huge pain for the people they pay to mow to go through first and move elaborate set-ups so that they can mow it.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Thief turned in by own daughter.

The worst part is in the first picture in this article, you can see the woman looking around to make sure nobody sees her stealing the flowers.

How's that for action, though. Not even a full day gone by and she's already been named.

^-.-^

Good on the daughter; at least she's shown to have more moral fibre than her old bitch of a mother.

Just goes to show that no-one is safe from getting caught now we have the internet; remember that old bat who got done for dropping a cat in a bin, who also got caught due to her picture being circulated?

Have to say, the nickname the Mirror gave that woman is very catchy and will probably hang on her for the rest of her life. She'll never shake the "Granny Grave Robber" title. XD

[HYHYBT]

The roadside memorial things also only work when they're rare. Naturally, as time goes on, more and more places will be where *somebody* died, and certain places would have hundreds of markers if they are allowed. Save the flowers (crosses, whatever) for the actual grave please.

[Ree]

There was actually a situation such as Mongo mentioned in our area this summer.
A young guy was killed in a car accident last year, and his family had erected a memorial. (He was speeding and had been drinking and his car went out of control, and he was killed.)

The homeowner on whose property this was constructed had gone to the local municipal government to see if there was any way of forcing the family to remove the memorial.

The boy's mother went to the local paper with a letter.

You would have thought the property owner was one of Satan's minions the way people reacted.
The property owner had a point, though.
What started out as a small roadside memorial had turned into several feet of space taken up with a permanent structure to hold all the tributes and mark the spot where he died. It was gaudy, really, and brought down the property value.

I have no problem with a small wreath hung along the roadside at the site of a tragic death.
Just down the road from my old family home, there is a bad curve, and there were numerous tragic deaths over the years. Quite a few wreaths have been hung.
I often wonder how many more deaths were prevented by the reminder to slow down and be careful.

One of the young men who was killed there was a wonderful person. I had babysat him as a small child. He was always so sweet to my Mom. (He was sober, but was hit head on by a drunk driver and killed.)
Every time I see that wreath hanging there, I think of him and I often say a little prayer for him.

If his family had decided to turn it into the huge spectacle that the other family has done, I think I would feel the same way, despite the difference in the circumstances of the deaths, and the fact that I am personally connected to the second young man.

[blas87]

There's a spot on a certain highway where people constantly get into accidents, there's almost always a cross or wreath on the side of the road.

One of my childhood friends died in a car crash this past June, and it was out in the middle of nowhere on the freeway, and for a week or so, there was a giant white cross in the median area, until they had to take it down. I really wanted to drive past and see it, but I don't get out that way very often and it was down in a week anyway.

I thought that was kind of dickish, because it wasn't by anyone's house or place of business.

[Sarah Valentine]

There was actually a situation such as Mongo mentioned in our area this summer.
A young guy was killed in a car accident last year, and his family had erected a memorial. (He was speeding and had been drinking and his car went out of control, and he was killed.)

The homeowner on whose property this was constructed had gone to the local municipal government to see if there was any way of forcing the family to remove the memorial.

The boy's mother went to the local paper with a letter.

You would have thought the property owner was one of Satan's minions the way people reacted.
The property owner had a point, though.
What started out as a small roadside memorial had turned into several feet of space taken up with a permanent structure to hold all the tributes and mark the spot where he died. It was gaudy, really, and brought down the property value.

If she went to the paper and made a monster out of the guy for not wanting all that crap on his property, couldn't he go to the paper to and have them point out that the idiot was drinking and driving and speeding and caused the accident that killed him. Bet she left that out, and seeing as she did make everyone hate him he should let everyone know the truth about why he dosent want that stuff on his land in big bold letters on the front page. That's what I would do.

[BeenThereDoneThat]

Back to the original post...as a bereaved parent I hear a lot of stories about things being stolen from gravesites (not talking about other places of memorial outside of a cemetery) and it infuriates me...but then again, sucky humans will always be sucky humans, I guess. I know it helps some people to have their loved ones buried and a grave to visit (and some people believe that is the only right thing to do which I have no argument with), but at the same time I personally am glad my daughter's ashes are in an urn here in my home, where hopefully they are as safe as they can be.

[anakhouri]

Taking stuff from graves is reprehensible.

Roadside memorials, though...

There's a really, crappy dangerous highway to go back to visit my hometown. There are dozens of crosses along it.

Crosses are fine, small, white, unobtrusive.

But then there is one that has been there for several years now, and the family or whoever decorate it for the holidays. Easter, Christmas, you name it, it's decorated.

I have two problems with this:

1. When you pull over to the side of the road to change the decorations, you are putting yourself and other drivers in danger.

2. Drivers who are going by and have their eyes caught by these tacky decorations might create more roadside memorials.

I can't see putting up a memorial in the place your loved one was killed; at home, maybe, but not on some highway shoulder. Everyone mourns differently but I think these sort of things should be illegal for the above reasons.

[Lace Neil Singer]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-sto...5875-23624817/

As expected, Granny Grave Robber offers up personal tragedy sob stories as an excuse for her behaviour.

[Andara Bledin]

It says that the flowers "caught her eye." She could have admired them and then moved on. She knew what she was doing was wrong. You can see her looking to the side as she stuffs them in her bag. Her whole posture shows that she knew she was doing wrong and trying not to be caught doing it.

And this has been going on for long enough that the family went through the process of getting permission to have their son's grave monitored. I'm not positive of course, but I really don't believe that of all the graves she chose to pilfer from she happened to choose the one that had been stolen from before.

^-.-^

[Peppergirl]

I don't think the topic I'm about to bring up warrants it's own thread, but how does everyone feel about those signs and stickers on cars that say something like:

"In loving memory of Joe Smith", along with DOB and dates, and sometimes a very elaborate cross or praying hands sign, etc?

They irk the hell out of me.