Are Funeral Escorts Real Cops?

Did you ever think funeral escorts for civilianhave a chip on their shoulders, and it can show in
funerals were real cops? They wear uniformsunprofessional behavior. These people are rude
that make them look like cops and drive simulatedand surly, cursing and unnerving drivers who are
police motorcycles. Well, here are somepart of the funeral procession, and terrifying
possibilities:they might be police officers, if the cityregular motorists who stray into their path.At a
can spare their time;they might be peace officerstime when family and friends are grieving the loss
picking up a little extra money on their day off; orof a loved one, the last people they need to
they might be off-duty firefighters earning extraencounter on the way to the cemetery are
cash. On the other hand, these motorcycle ridersmouthy, apparent dropouts from a police
may be full-time funeral escorts, not peaceacademy. Such individuals relish their opportunity
officers at all. Such professional funeral serviceto order other people around, and may well have
aides generally display compassion, skill, and afailed the required psychological screening for the
first-class knowledge of what is required to keepacademy in the first place.A Dangerous
a funeral procession together and moving safelyAssignmentAt times, it's not difficult to
through the dense traffic of a metropolitan area.understand why funeral escorts develop an
They are also the individuals who hand out theattitude they would not otherwise display, if they
funeral stickers for cars permitted to be in thethought before they yelled at drivers in the
procession after the funeral service.One point toprocession. The job of funeral escort is actually a
consider is, if the back of the funeral stickerrather dangerous assignment: about two dozen
contains badly misspelled or blatantly wrong wordsfuneral escorts have been killed on the job, due
in its description of the applicable state law, thatto being struck by inattentive or uncaring
may be a good indication of the quality of escortmotorists. For this reason some cities, such as
personnel they hire, too. (Careless inattention toSeattle, may no longer allow their firefighters to
detail.) Perhaps reason enough for those in thework as funeral escorts in "off" hours. Still, in spite
procession not to use the services of thatof the adverse aspects of the job, there is room
particular mortuary, when a need arises in theirfor improvement in the public image some funeral
own families.Certified Funeral EscortsThankfully,cops display.© 2006 Shirley Ann
some funeral escort services, such as GoldenParkerShirley Ann Parker is a full-time technical
Gate Funeral Escorts in the San Francisco Baywriter. She is also the author of Discoveries: A
area, guarantee that their fully trained escorts willJourney Through Life, a delightful collection of
be certified and courteous, and will behave in ashort stories about the joys and frustrations of
dignified manner. However, an unfortunatefamily life and friendships. Discoveries is available
percentage of other funeral escorts seem tofrom and other online bookstores.