Funeral home offers drive-thru casket viewings
The one thing you learn at a funeral or visitation: everyone grieves differently.
Indeed, while some sit in stoicism as others throw themselves on the casket, dealing with death is by no means a one-size-fits-all process.
But now one California funeral home is allowing what may be considered the most convenient method of grieving. Introducing the drive-thru body viewing …
According to the L.A. Times, Compton’s Robert L. Adams Mortuary is getting a lot of buzz for its new drive-thru display window, which showcases coffins for friends and family to see.
“It’s a unique feature that sets us aside from other funeral parlors,” Scott Adams, wife of the home’s founder, said of the 12-foot wide drive-thru lane off the side of the home. “You can come by after work, you don’t need to deal with parking, you can sign the book outside and the family knows that you paid your respects.
“It’s a convenience thing.”
Now, before we get to that last line, a little more on the drive-thru set-up. If families decide, they can opt to have their loved one displayed in front of a giant glass window to the side of the building, a separate viewing generally reserved for times when the real, in-person visitation isn’t happening. Costs of the viewings start at $1,295 and up, Adams told the L.A. Times.
And on the surface, beyond the apparent morbidity, the drive-thru theory seems to make sense. It allows the elderly and disabled to view fallen friends without having to leave their vehicles, and the idea caters to those who can’t bring themselves to enter a funeral home – a common fear of death that often leads to visitation/funeral no-shows.
But my … what about that apparent morbidity? If you watch the L.A. Times video report on the story, they show one of the bodies in the funeral home window. And it’s right out there. The viewing pane wraps right around the building toward the street, and the glass is floor-to-ceiling; drive-thru viewings, then, aren’t just for family and friends, they’re for the whole neighbourhood to see. Privacy need not apply here.
And what about convenience? If your goal is to get as many people to view your dead relative as possible, the drive-thru visitation might be for you. But I can imagine many Canadians wouldn’t want those scared off by petty nuisances like issues with parking at their mourning in the first place.
What do you think? Drive-thru viewings: good idea or bad idea?
By Jason Buckland, MSN Money
*Follow Jason on Twitter here.
Posted by: Chip | Apr 19, 2021 3:14:19 AM
Drive-thru viewings: good idea or bad idea ? How about STUPID idea... then again, it depends on whether you can get a Timmy's coffee and doughnut while "watching". What do you expect from California or the USA for that matter. Next thing you know, they'll create something whereby you can do your viweing and mourning via the computer or television screen !! Hey... while were at it, YouTube the damn thing and people can write up their condoleances via the comment box. Seems to work for Michael Jackson and other celebrities.
Posted by: binder dundat | Apr 19, 2021 7:53:27 AM
Great idea, there are many people who have problems dealing with the conventional viewing and funeral and this at least will take some stress off them. Two thumbs up
Posted by: Wade | Apr 19, 2021 8:45:15 AM
Its not that new of idea. I actually live one block from one where I live. Its been there since the 70's. Oh and by the way I live in Canada.
Posted by: Jacqueline | Apr 19, 2021 9:13:57 AM
This does seem like a strange idea to most but to those of us in the funeral industry it makes sense.
Part of the fear of death is the mystery surrounding it, however this is not a new idea as one mentioned above this has been around for sometime. There are a great deal of things in the funeral industry that come with a great deal of morbidity. In some funeral homes they will allow you to watch your loved one be pushed into the retort and then you can wait while the whole cremation process takes place, some places even allow you to watch as they check your loved ones burning status. All funeral homes in Canada will allow you to accompany your loved one into the prep room during the whole embalming process, So I suppose displaying your loved one after preparation doesn't seem so far fetched after all.
Posted by: licensed professional | Apr 19, 2021 9:45:29 AM
I'm a Funeral Director in Canada. Licensed for 10 years. I can assure you that we DO NOT allow family members to enter our preparation room or to view their loved one during this process. The gal above definately does not speak for the whole funeral industry in my country and she is completely misinformed.
Personally, this idea of "drive through viewing" is ridiculous ! How completely insensitive and detached. I can't even find the words to explain how unsettling I find this idea.....
Posted by: Claire | Apr 19, 2021 3:24:32 PM
I have mixed feelings on this topic reading the comments from the readers. I understand the pros and cons of having this service. I feel uneasy with having a loved one displayed for the neighbours while walking their dogs past the funeral home if they want to 'take a peek'. I have so many thoughts about the benefits of this and the uneasiness at the same time.
I do not agree however with the loved ones being present for the embalming process. That is too invasive to watch. Cremation, if the loved ones wish to be present that is their personal choice. Not a choice that I personally would make myself.
Nurse Claire,
Ontario Canada
Posted by: Bill | Apr 19, 2021 6:40:17 PM
How could someone get off on this kind of shit?
Posted by: Victoria | Apr 19, 2021 8:39:22 PM
I as well am a licensed funeral director and embalmer in Canada and though each province has different and similar regulations, each company must abide by their own policies and procedures implemented, while obeying the law. Drive thru visitation is definately a concept that applies to each their own. As each person is unique, so is their relationship with each person who knew them. Who are we to judge. Is it my place to limit someone because I may or may not agree? Our world is changing and a large percentage of the population are contributing to the changes...convenience and grieving on our own terms is a huge part of how we deal with loss. If the drive thru viewing permits an opportunity to be a part of the death experience and people are making effort to see the deceased, at least it is not enabling them to deny the loss has even occurred. It is providing another option and tool to use. There are all kinds of people in our world and "everyone" has an opinion.
Posted by: Jeff | Apr 20, 2021 11:10:08 AM
Victoria hit the nail dead on ... "Who are we to judge?"
Personally, I think a drive thru funeral is tacky, insensitive and disrespectful. It just goes to show how lazy we've become in not even having the decency to get out of our car to say our final goodbyes to a friend or loved one. What's next? A smartphone app so you don't even need to go to the funeral? Seriously, is iFuneral the app of the future?
Posted by: jim | Apr 20, 2021 11:32:18 AM
this is great we should be serving coffee with this and helping the customer to pay for the funneral
what a great way to go
drive through vewing
hey we have drive by shootings and drive in movies drive through washes
why not
Posted by: don | Apr 20, 2021 5:54:39 PM
Wont do much for climate change if we cant even get out of our cars to mourn.
Posted by: Bill | Apr 22, 2021 2:20:11 AM
Funeral homes should also offer drop boxes, to drop off your dead.