Not Many Taking Offer At 'Drive-Thru Funeral Home'

SAGINAW (WWJ/AP) - Only a couple of families have taken advantage of a new service available at a Saginaw funeral home: Drive-thru viewings.

Paradise Funeral Chapel recently started offering the option, which allows mourners to pay their last respects on the go. The whole thing was designed in part to cater to those with physical limitations.

Curtains covering the window open when sensors underneath the pavement recognize the presence of a car. Mourners then get three minutes to view the body as music plays overhead.

The funeral home's president, Ivan Phillips, said he expects more customers to opt for the drive-thru once they learn it's not a gimmick and is safe to use.

"This is, more or less, an after hour viewing from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.," Phillips told WWJ in September. "It's only requested by the family, this is a choice that families will be able to have. It's just part of the service that we are providing for those who are unable to enter the building for visitation or those who are working to have the opportunity to still visit the loved one."

Phillips said drive-thru viewings are set up so they don't conflict with traditional indoor viewings.

Michigan Funeral Home Offers Drive-thru Viewings by Associated Press on YouTube

Drive-thru viewings aren't the only unconventional service the funeral home offers. It also live-streams funerals online, so those unable to attend can still view the memorial service.

TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.