317 Project: Tucked in a Carson Heights garage are Harleys and riders driven by purpose
The 317 Project tells stories of life in all of Indianapolis’ vibrant neighborhoods – 317 words at a time. Have a tip for a story in one of Indianapolis’ neighborhoods? Let us know at 317project@indystar.com.
A handful of shiny Harley-Davidson Road Kings sit tucked inside an unmarked green and white garage off Shelby Street beneath a U.S. flag swaying in the breeze.
In place of the iconic Harley emblem is another winged logo labeled “Indianapolis Funeral Escort Service.”
Gary Harriman, 71, starts his morning tending to the bikes, which roar in and out of the garage multiple times a day. He owns and operates the business with his wife Michelle.
Harriman lounges beside a stocked tool bench alongside 80-year-old Bill Pike waiting for their first run of the day. His team guided 148 processions in June.
Both men call this profession a service. Pike, a retired Marine and police officer, and Harriman, a retired Indianapolis police sergeant, said ensuring grieving family and friends arrive at the memorial safely is a privilege.
When Harriman assigns him to a run, Pike will read the obituary and plot the safest route from funeral home to cemetery. If the deceased was a member of the military, the escort staff will fly the corresponding flag.
“A lot of it is strictly patriotism,” Pike said. “It’s doing the right thing for the right reason.”
Ninety-two funeral homes in Central Indiana rely on Harriman's business. The garage, located in the Carson Heights neighborhood south of downtown, has easy access to interstates.
The drivers communicate through helmet Bluetooth mics to monitor traffic lights and each others' locations.
It’s dangerous work. The motorcycles’ blinking lights and Indiana state law provide the crew right-of-way protection, but some disregard it.
“We get flipped off, we get horns blown at us, we get cut off,” Harriman said.
Some employees, he said, have been injured and killed on the job.
Gratitude is “few and far between.” But it’s not the thank-yous that motivate the staff, it’s the families’ needs.
“If we just quit tomorrow, I don’t know what people would do,” Harriman said.
Contact Pulliam Fellow Morgan Womack at mwomack@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @womackmo.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis funeral service uses Harley-Davidsons to escort families
