The funeral crasher
The Dom Post reports:
A fake mourner who repeatedly gatecrashed Wellington funerals was so keen on the food that he brought along tupperware containers to fill up and take home.
The “grim eater” attended up to four funerals a week during March and April before he was stopped.
+1 for ingenuity
-1 for tackiness
The man, thought to be aged in his 40s, went to different churches and venues around the eastern suburbs, including Miramar, Rongotai and Kilbirnie.
“We saw him three or four times in a week. And certainly he had a backpack with some tupperware containers so when people weren’t looking, he was stocking up.”
The man was “always very quiet and polite, and did as the rest of the mourners did in paying his respects”.
I would have thought it is easier to get food from the City Mission, than crashing funerals.
He stopped coming after one staff member took the man aside, telling him he could still come to funerals but could not take food home with him.
But was he allowed to fill himself up during the service?
June 3rd, 2010 at 11:08 am
When did phil shift to Wellington……………eh?
June 3rd, 2010 at 11:24 am
Outrageous but I often wonder at some of those with the bigger appetites.
His mistake was regularity and removal of food. move around more and just rely on a hearty appetite (grief has varied outcomes and expression ), vary the clothing a little and you may just be thought to be widely known. Nothing new here apart from the Tupper Ware, get bigger pockets.
I knew a guy once who took it to a higher level by targeting ceremonies where the service number of the deceased was published, even was known to give a eulogy, had medals and his only connection was as a medic in the territorials for a very brief time in the early 50s.
June 3rd, 2010 at 11:26 am
David, you fill yourself up AFTER the service.
He should go to a few Samoan funerals. No need for a doggy bag, just endurance.
June 3rd, 2010 at 11:28 am
He should have spread his wings further afield and only visited each place once a fortnight.
June 3rd, 2010 at 11:33 am
About twenty yeas ago I heard of a very successful Life insurance agent whose sole means of prospecting was to attend funerals and ingratiate himself with the mourners. He would chat for a bit and promise to give them a call in a week or so.
He did it for years, so I’m told.
June 3rd, 2010 at 11:40 am
There was a whole family of funeral crashers at my brother-in-law’s funeral in Masterton three years ago. When politely asked how they knew him, they admitted they didn’t, and had just gone along for the food.
I suspect it may not be that uncommon.
June 3rd, 2010 at 11:54 am
Where I live they’re called Tangihanga chasers and you’re right Toad, they’re not uncommon.
June 3rd, 2010 at 12:31 pm
A culture of entitelment run amok.
June 3rd, 2010 at 12:38 pm
Another Ploy was a Real Estate Principal in a large rural Nth Is town who attended every funeral in town and far too often got the listing for the deceased estate or the relocation of the survivor simply by being there whether he had any connection or not. He had all the charm and presence of a Vulture and a hide as thick as an ox and was sufficiently arrogant to believe he was doing a service.
June 3rd, 2010 at 12:43 pm
“…I would have thought it is easier to get food from the City Mission, than crashing funerals…”
Oh please that is where the food ends up the next day, this guys got class, and hey I bet a few families were glad for him to make the numbers up. If he’s well dressed and pays his respects and sits through some of the outrageous back patting diatribes that pass for eulogies these days, why not allow him a cup of tea and a few scones. Score 10 for Kiwi ingenuity though.
June 3rd, 2010 at 1:10 pm
When we had the funeral service for our Mother in Sydney 10 years ago I mingled with the mourners afterwards and I came across a man I didnt know , I asked him how long he had known my Mother and his reply was ” oh , I didnt know her , I just go to funerals for something to do. How very odd I thought..
June 3rd, 2010 at 1:15 pm
Thats pretty creepy starbord.
June 3rd, 2010 at 1:27 pm
I wouldn’t be surprised if most people don’t know more than half their own relatives at a funeral!
http://www.angel-charlene.com
June 3rd, 2010 at 1:35 pm
I’ve met my relatives, I’m considering not going to my funeral.
June 3rd, 2010 at 1:52 pm
“I’ve met my relatives, I’m considering not going to my funeral.”
Well duh!
I’m talking about attending a close relative’s funeral and finding you don’t recognise half the people there who turn out to be other relatives of the deceased and not gate-crashers.
http://www.angel-charlene.com
June 3rd, 2010 at 3:04 pm
Seems my bosses, bosses boss has upgraded from crashing our team lunches…
June 3rd, 2010 at 5:51 pm
… of course, he could have been on a drive to gather aid in the form of food which, when flotilla mark 2 is ready to go, will be forwarded to feed those poor starving Gazans.
He’s obviously just another humanitarian with a big heart … I wonder if he’s Nicola Enchmarch’s brother?
June 3rd, 2010 at 5:55 pm
Thats pretty creepy starbord.
..yup..whats worse is that he had another 2 to go to that day !
June 3rd, 2010 at 6:13 pm
what’s creepier is if some strange guy who has crashed a funeral starts weeping for the dead person…
http://www.angel-charlene.com
June 3rd, 2010 at 6:32 pm
Even creepier if he starts praying for the dead person.
June 3rd, 2010 at 7:06 pm
yeah much less creepy if the dead person starts praying (& weeping) for the gate crasher.
June 3rd, 2010 at 7:32 pm
Went to a funeral in Sydney many years ago, guy had been killed in semi crash, large amount of electric puha found in trailer. His family had high connections to Sicilian mafia and this funeral was huge for townie standards. Being rather young and naive I thought this guy must have being really famous as he had about 10 young woman weeping buckets full of tears. Later on I saw these woman going up to and old guy who was giving out 50$ notes to them. Said to my friend ( nephew of deceased ) what gives. Oh they are just the weeping women, seems the greater you wealth and connections the more weeping women you can afford. Yeah it’s a strange world.