We understand why the family and friends of the late Peter Reid were upset after his body ended up on the side of the road instead of in his grave.

As The STAR reported yesterday, the carriage with Reid's coffin was damaged when the bus pulling it was hit on the nineteen miles main road in Clarendon. A relative of Green told The STAR that the family had paid $125,000 for the funeral package. However, the police told The STAR that the carriage had not been passed by the Island Traffic Authority, as it did not have a licence plate.

This trend of fancy funerals, including how the body is sent to its final resting place, has taken off in recent years, as people seek to make their loved one's send-off more meaningful. However, the fancier things get, the more complicated they are and the greater room there is for mishap.

The living do not deny themselves the need for fanciness either. It extends to shoes, many of which are elaborate but do not last long. This applies, especially, to women's high heels - as well as motor vehicles, which often have fancy paint jobs but are mechanically unsound.

We have to question what is there in our psyche, which drives us to want fancy ones, always at a higher price than the simpler item, without questioning if they meet our needs, if they are durable or if they safe?

So, there is a lesson to be learnt from this mishap - simpler is not only cheaper but also safer.