moral/ethical dilemma?

[knight2]

I was riding on the A54 from Buxton to Congleton yesterday, nearer Congleton when I came up behind a slow moving queue of traffic. This road is bendy and up and down hill and overtaking places are few, but I managed to get passed a few of them and found myself one limo behind a hearse and we came to a short straight. So should I overtake or should I show respect and follow till they turned off. Take into consideration that this hearse was doing 12mph in places and the fastest was 25mph on a road with a 50 mph speed limit. I have been in this situation before and did the same thing then as I did yesterday I overtook it.
I would be interested in what others would do.

[Funkycowie]

Always hang back and at the earliest opportunity take an alternate route to get ahead.

[Waldorf]

Tricky; I think the answer lies in what you'd think if you were in the limo following the hearse and a biker overtook.
Clearly, not everyone would think the same.
I don't think overtaking shows lack of respect any more than not throwing bunches of flowers in the path of a hearse bearing a well-known person.
One could make a gesture such as raising a hand, nodding or touching the front of the crash helmet, a bit like a salute.

[Waldorf]

It occurs to me, too, that your having arrived behind the limo following the hearse you might have got into a queue of cars also carrying mourners.

[knight2]

I'm sure some of the cars I passed were mourners others just drivers who couldn't or wouldn't pass. I don't get the driving slow bit at all, maybe down the street or road of the deceased but when driving on A roads keep up with the traffic. I think it's an outdated idea that needs dropping.
By the way thanks for the answers, I am genuinely interested in what others think.

[MrGrumpy]

Its a tricky one. One doesn't like to piss people off, but I can never understand why driving the deceased at 12mph is showing respect. There again recent events have seen all sorts of mad things that are supposed to be showing respect! I must write into my will strict instructions that my coffin is transported a proper speed - its only appropriate as I am Mr Impatient!!!
As for passing funeral corteges, on a major road (especially a dual carriageway) I see no reason not to overtake. On smaller roads, I'd be more cautious. I'd certainly be wary of dropping in the middle of a procession of obvious funeral cars (hearse & limos), but as have been said, the cars following may be mourners as well, so I'd look for a decent gap to get past as many or all in one go (easier said than done). As I said, its tricky. If it was me, my sense of awkwardness would be playing off against my legendary impatience with holdups, so its stressful!

[wightegi]

I seem to remember a few years ago that someone failed their driving test for not overtaking a hearse, did you notice the police bikes going past the Queen ? and what bikes were they riding ?

[Funkycowie]

Just to add to why I don't, a few years ago I almost got taken out by a mourners car driver who decided he should hold me up from progressing along a bus lane when I didn't realise what was in front of me as the roads were very busy. So rather risk someone doing that to me again and possibly taking me out I just hang back and take an alternate routes as soon as I can.

[Data]

Yeah, I try to take a balanced view on this as I'm sure many do. If you need to make normal progress to get to work on time or some other appointment then overtaking at a suitable time is perfectly ok. You are allowed to do that. But for all the reasons listed in the above posts one has to be careful & a bit sensitive. Do it quickly & safely or hold back if you cannot do that. An issue is that many bike riders are rubbish at overtaking. Not having a go at anyone here but you only have to observe the many individuals you see on the roads today displaying terrible & quite often a dangerous lack of overtaking skills in a wide variety of situations. Another skill lacking, & it is a skill, is 'restraint'! Some simply are incapable of holding back to take time to properly assess the situation. But hey ho, that's life.

[smeghead]

Be rayt, get it overtook. You didn't know the stiff and maybe he/she was a right pillock. Have a bacon sarni and a nice cup of tea, that'll make you feel better