Billy Ray

Would it be rude/disrespectful to ride in a cemetery?

There isn't a lot of good riding around my house (too much traffic). I usually drive 20 minutes to get to decent areas. I could get in a lot more shorter (~45 minute) rides in the evenings by riding through a rather large cemetery that's approximately 0.5 miles from my house.

What say you?

BR

InfamousG

This is a verrrrrrrrrrrrrrry grey area.

While on one hand, one might say "it's disrespectful to the dead", others may say "the dead won't complain." Personally, I think it's in poor taste to use the roads designed for people to travel to the burial site of their loved ones for an enjoyable event, but it's really your decision.

I think if you do decide to give yourself the "OK" on going through, give it a once-over and make sure there is no funeral service happening. I would be very upset if someone were to be training while I laid a love one to rest.

It's likely not illegal, just quite tactless. If you can handle being tactless for your rides, then our opinions probably won't change your mind anyway.

Sawtooth

Personally, I don't think it is that big of a deal depending on how you ride there. If you are just cruising and quietly going along, fine. If you are racing and blasting through areas where people are grieving, you will probably be looked down on and asked to leave.

KingTermite 

On a paved road through cemetary, or do you mean over the grass and burial mounds?

Even if on the paved road....I'm "sure" people would harass you constantly saying that it was disrespectful.

Billy Ray

On paved roads only, staying away from burial parties. On the one hand, it does seem tacky. On the other it wouldn't bother me to see someone using the nice, paved, car-free roads.

Based on a google search, some cemeteries encourage cycling while others ban it. I couldn't find a website for this specific cemetery, and I'm not too inclined to call and ask.

BR

Sawtooth

Different people handle death differently. We buried my sister in a cemetery that had a park where we used to go play as kids. She loved that place and we love to go there and remember the good times we had there together. Not all cemeteries are designed to be silent and somber graveyards. I love to see people having fun near where we layed my sister to rest.

cc_rider

Stay on the roads. Don't ride on the grass. Don't do jumps over the graves. Don't buzz the mourners.

WWIIHistory

approximately 100yds away from my house is a beautiful cemetary. I ride around it on the paved roads.

tactless..gimme a break

of course I wouldn't go through if a funeral was going on.

It is peaceful, out of traffic, and I slowly pedal around it if I need a quick out of traffic ride. I also stop at the vetrans graves I see from the road and pay respects even though I don't know them.

Hey...just because it is a cemetary doesn't mean your souvenir hunting through the titanic..

bwinton

I cycle through a cemetery on my commute home, and I rarely see people mourning. Occasionally I see staff watering the grass or driving around, but even that isn't all that common.

I do put on a somber face while I'm going through that area, though.

jbonus

It's probably trespassing.

madman91

same for me



madman

WWIIHistory

I highly doubt that cemetarys are not public areas

unless it happens to be a private family one..which are not that common anymore.

rideabike

I see nothing wrong with it. People won't know if you are going to visit a gravesite or not.

There is a huge cemetery in the city where I live. People always run and bike through it.

Keith99

Someone maintains the cemetary. Just ask. I do think it is not the right place for racing or training. But creating the kind of place one would like to take a nice quiet ride through is just what many cemetaries are aiming for and those who enjoy the area in a peaceful way may help them create what they are looking for.

recursive

Ok, I'm not the OP, but everyone seems to be assuming a racing/training type ride. What if you're going from point A to point B and the cemetary happens to be the best route?

SpiderMike

About 5 years ago I had a cemetery on my route. It was safer than the street. I was on my way home one day, and saw there was a funeral. So took the concrete drainage ditch that ran along the side of the cemetery. A cop pulled and was waiting for me at the next bridge. He told me how I was trespassing. I replied with how the streets were getting heavy with traffic. He actually suggested the cemetery, I then pointed to the funeral going on still, and told him took this route our of respect. He studdered an "oh", and let me on my way.

edp773

Qiute a few people ride or walk in our towns biggest cemetary.This includes myself at times. The only things I have to watch are the mowers, and one lady who drives 30 mph into the cemetary without looking(an accident waiting to happen).
Dogs were recently banned. IMAO, letting dogs do their duty is way more disrespectful than cruising around on a bike.

supcom

There are plenty of privately owned cemeteries. I suspect that most of them are.

CastIron

In my area it's generally posted at the entrance what's acceptable and not. That being said, my state's tresspass laws have some fairly strict verbage about cemetaries. I think it all depends on context and circumstances, personally.

HooKooEKoo

That's it!! End of discussion. Do you really consider riding on somebody backyard (well, may be with a few grave stones planted on it) without asking an owner for a permission??. Come to my backyard (without asking me first for a permission to go through) on your bike (no gravestones yet) - YOURS GRAVESTONE MIGHT BE THE FIRST!!

Thank you.

Roody

I've done it plenty and it never occurred to me that anyone would mind, and so far nobody has said anything. I sure don't get a peep of protest out of the poor dead bastards!

Funny true story: My mother (may she rest in peace) used to take us kids to old cemeteries as, I don't know, some kind of lesson. One time she squealed in glee, "Look! His head is still sticking out!" My sister and I freaked out and took off running. Then it turned out that she was referring to a little chipmunk she had seen by a gravestone. Mom laughed so hard I thought she was going to die.

Some cemeteries might be privately owned, but they are open to the public. Just make sure you follow the posted regulations.

Gordon P

I live 100 meters from Canada’s National Cemetery and I cycle threw it occasionally. It is nice and hilly and I should do more trail ridding there.

Cyclaholic

Don't call out 'on yer left' as you pass a funeral service and you'll be OK.

Seriously, I think it's far more disrespectfull to drive into a cemetery as it is to ride... plenty of people were put there by irresponsible use of a car, some of those may have been on a bike at the time. I think cyclying to/through a cemetery is more appropriate than driving.

Roody

A very sweet point. Are you the one who said "The bike is my church"?

Elvish Legion

When I lived up in Kansas we lived next to a cemetary. After school Iwould take my old walmart bike out and slowly ride around, paying respects to vets, trying to come up with a story for each person. It may sound morbid but it was my escape.


Elvish