A woman has been accused of being “disrespectful” after she admitted to taking home a bunch of roses from a Cornish beach even though she thought they were left in tribute.
The beachgoer, who spotted the wilting florals on the shoreline at Par Beach, near St Austell, took them home this week and put them in a vase with water. She then shared what she had done in a post on social media, saying she would remember whoever they were left for “even if we don’t know who they are”.
The act, which she seemingly thought was harmless, sparked outrage among members of a community Facebook group who said it was akin to taking flowers from a grave to enjoy for yourself. People said they were “obviously there for a reason” and told the woman to “put them back in the sea”.
With dozens of comments posted in less than an hour, people were quick to bash the woman. One said: “Really disrespectful. I’d be so upset if someone removed flowers I’d placed in a loved one’s memory.”
Another added: “I feel it would have been far more respectful to have left them there. They would have washed out at the next tide and that’s obviously where they were intended to be.”
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“If you believe they were placed there for someone then why would you take them,” said another. “Almost as bad as taking flowers from a grave. Such bizarre behaviour.”
One woman shared how she herself throws flowers into the sea each February to remember her child and would hate for someone to take them home. “I would hate for them to be picked up and taken home when it would be intended to hopefully reach them in my eyes. So nervous for February now as I don’t want this to happen.”
Another said: “Might as well go and take flowers from the graveyard.” One added: “Do they have ribbons round them? I just sent some off for my deceased sister. I’m shocked.”
Yet another comment read: “What possessed you to take them, after recognising they may have been in someone’s memory? This is disgusting. Put them back.”
In the original post, the woman who took the flowers explained: “I found these ross tangled in seaweed on the tide line this afternoon. Because of the fresh condition, I think that they may have been placed in the bay this morning in memory of someone.
“If that is so, please be assured that we will remember them, even if we don’t know who they are.” The post was later deleted.
What do you think about the woman’s actions? Let us know in the comments.