Greg Packer
Gregory F. Packer | |
---|---|
Born | |
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Highway maintenance worker |
Years active | 1995–present |
Known for | Being quoted as a "man on the street" |
Gregory F. Packer (born December 18, 1963), is a retired
Packer's status as a frequent interviewee is due to a number of factors, including seeking out members of the press and appearing friendly, although mostly it is due to his hobby of attending public appearances of
Early life
Greg Packer was born to Eleanor and Sidney Packer in Huntington, New York. He is the youngest of four siblings: Aileen, Marcia and Jeffery. He attended Huntington High School, in Huntington on Long Island, graduating in 1983.
Notable man on the street quotes
The first known quote of Packer ran in The Tampa Tribune on October 6, 1995, when Packer was 31:
"The Jewish people are fans of Pope John Paul II", said Greg Packer of Huntington, N.J. [sic] "He does not limit his message to one faith; he reaches out to everybody."
The identification of Packer's home state as New Jersey appears to have been an error: there is no Huntington, New Jersey.
According to a 2002 article about Packer, "He was first in the line to see
His quotes have ranged from the expression of common sentiments, such as "It's a day for happiness and to be together", regarding the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade,[2] to colorful statements such as his opinion of a New York Yankees game played on Yom Kippur: "There's no way the Yankees will lose, but if they do, they will certainly have something to atone for."[9]
Notoriety as frequent man on the street
In June 2003, columnist Ann Coulter and blogger Mickey Kaus, commenting on media coverage of Hillary Rodham Clinton's memoir Living History, noted that Packer was "the centerpiece of The New York Times' 'man on the street' interview about Hillary-mania." Packer had been quoted in the Times as stating, "I'm a big fan of Hillary and Bill's. I want to change her mind about running for president. I want to be part of her campaign." Coulter said:[10]
It was easy for the Times to spell Packer's name right because he is apparently the entire media's designated "man on the street" for all articles ever written. He has appeared in news stories more than 100 times as a random member of the public. Packer was quoted on his reaction to military strikes against
Hamptons and the pope's visit to Giants stadium.
According to the
As a result of Coulter's column, Packer was profiled in his own right by The New York Times.[12] The Associated Press sent out a memo to its news editors and correspondents,[13] stating in part:
The world is full of all kinds of interesting people. One of them is Greg Packer of Huntington, N.Y., who apparently lives to get his name on the AP wire and in other media. It works: A
Nexissearch turned up 100 mentions in various publications… Mr. Packer is clearly eager to be quoted. Let's be eager, too—to find other people to quote.
After the ubiquity of Packer's quotes became public, he was still quoted and referred to occasionally, but sometimes with more disclosure of his identity provided. When Bill Clinton began his book tour for his memoir
The blog
In 2010, New York Times reporter Nicholas Confessore wrote a short humorous essay about soliciting a quote from a man holding an Andrew Cuomo 2010 poster, finding out that it was Packer, and moving along to find someone else to quote.[17]
Additional man on the street quotes
Even after 2003, many journalists have remained unaware, or unconcerned, about Packer's reputation. When Packer attended the
In 2016, Packer was quoted in Time magazine at the Strawberry Fields memorial in New York City on the anniversary of John Lennon's death, saying, "With everything going on in the world, we really need to listen to John's message about more peace and love, and more understanding and more acceptance in the world."[22]
In August 2017, Packer was interviewed by
Packer has also been interviewed after being the first, or one of the first, in line to, among other things, buy copies of Donald Trump's book Think Big and Kick Ass in New York City in 2007,[8] buy soup at the newly-reopened The Original Soupman location in New York City in 2010,[26] buy a meal at the first Sonic Drive-In location in Long Island in 2011,[27] shop at a Best Buy location in New York City on Black Friday in 2011,[28] attend the funeral of Whitney Houston in the public spectator area in Newark, New Jersey in 2012,[29][30] buy tickets for a touring production of Hamilton in Hartford, Connecticut in 2018,[31] and attend the memorial for George Floyd in Raeford, North Carolina in 2020.[32]
Personal views on notoriety
In 2004, Packer described his success at being quoted as, "I always come up with an answer for everything, number one. And… I always give everybody… the respect and the time that they need." He has also said that he tries to "just be myself, [and] show how happy I am to be in the front row".[1]
In a 2013 interview, Packer stated that "The first time I saw my name in print, I couldn't believe that I made a major newspaper. That made me feel that I accomplished something." He also expressed disappointment at the directives issued by various news organizations to not quote him, saying, "if I'm their source for an interview, I don't see where the problem is at all. What I do is not only helping reporters do their jobs, but it's also helping me tell my family and friends where I've been. So it's a case of helping each other."[1]
References
- ^ a b c Watson, Andrew David (2013-09-04). "The Most Quoted Man In News". The New Yorker.
- ^ a b c d Greg Packer Is the ‘Man on the Street’ at the Wayback Machine (archived 2016-01-21)|
- ^ a b Epstein, Reid J. (2002-07-07). "First in line guy: Obsession or art form?". Columbia News Service. Archived from the original on 2002-12-01. Retrieved 2008-12-08.
- ^ a b Kahney, Leander (2010-04-03). "Professional Line Sitter Greg Packer Bumped From Front Of iPad Queue". Cult of Mac. Archived from the original on 2015-11-30. Retrieved 2015-11-30.
- ^ Blass, Evan (2007-06-28). "iLoser Retains Place in Line, Crisis Averted". Engadget. Retrieved 2008-12-08.
- ^ Hankin, Aaron (June 25, 2019). "Three Companies the iPhone Killed". Investopedia.
- ^ Frucci, Adam (2010-04-01). "Oh for God's Sake, Not Him Again". Gizmodo. Retrieved 2010-04-01.
- ^ a b "Donald Trump escribe 'Piensa a lo grande y patéales el culo. En los negocios y en la vida'". El Mundo. October 17, 2007.
- On The Media, WNYC Radio. Retrieved 2008-12-08.
- ^ Coulter, Ann (2003-06-12). "True Grit". Jewish World Review. Retrieved 2007-06-28.
- On The Media, WNYC Radio. Retrieved 2008-12-08.
- ^ Feuer, Alan (2003-06-18). "Long Island Everyman Masters the Sound Bite". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-04-08.
- Poynter Online. Archived from the originalon 2009-02-10. Retrieved 2008-12-08.
- ^ Rosenbloom, Stephanie (2004-06-22). "Neither Rain Nor Long Lines Deter Clinton Fans at Bookstore". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 4, 2010. Retrieved 2007-06-28.
- ^ Schonfeld, Erick. "The Line For the iPad Starts Behind This Guy". TechCrunch.
- ^ Carlson, Nicholas (2010-04-01). "The Same Stupid Guy Who's First In Line For Everything Is The First Guy In Line For The iPad". Silicon Alley Insider. Retrieved 2010-04-01.
- ^ Confessore, Nicholas (2010-10-12). "So Many People at a Parade, and Yet, Somehow, One Stands Out". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-10-13.
- ^ Conti, David; Tony La Russa (2006-02-08). "A quarter-million thanks". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Archived from the original on 2006-02-15. Retrieved 2007-06-28.
- ^ Sprengelmeyer, M.E. (2008-02-04). "In Times Square, it's all about the Giants". Rocky Mountain News. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
- ^ Miller, Jen A. (2008-10-30). "City Stops to Enjoy Parade as Phillies Fans Flood Broad Street". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
- ^ Kavanaugh, Shane Dixon; Fanelli, James; Moore, Tina (2011-01-01). "After waiting all day, revelers let loose as the ball drops on Times Square to ring in 2011". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
- ^ Gajanan, Mahita (December 8, 2016). "John Lennon Fans Pay Tribute in a Divided America: 'The Things He Knew Are Still So Relevant Today'". Time.
- ^ Mindock, Clark (August 21, 2017). "Solar eclipse lovers from all over New York come together to witness rare sight". The Independent.
- ^ Rikki Reyna; Andrew Keshner (December 25, 2017). "Crowds gather at St. Patrick's Cathedral ahead of Midnight Mass on Christmas". New York Daily News.
- ^ Daniel Trotta; Chris Francescani (December 31, 2017). "New Year Could Bring Record Low Temperatures To Parts Of U.S." Huffington Post.
- ^ Naziri, Jessica (July 20, 2010). "Real-life 'Soup Nazi' reopens shop in Manhattan". CNN.
- ^ Callegari, John (April 25, 2011). "Sonic opens first Long Island location". Long Island Business News.
- ^ "Black Friday Shoppers Lining Up Across Tri-State For Black Thursday". CBS New York. November 24, 2011.
- ^ Susman, Tina (2012-02-18). "Outside Whitney Houston's funeral: 'We're hurting too'". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Dusseau, Brigitte (2012-02-18). "Stars pay tribute to Whitney Houston in US". Agence France-Presse.
- ^ Porter, Mikaela (September 8, 2018). "'Hamilton' Tickets Draw Hundreds To Stand In Line At Bushnell In Hartford". Hartford Courant.
- ^ "Mourners Gather To Remember NC Native George Floyd". WUNC. June 6, 2020.
External links
- First in Line for iPhone, Greg Packer's blog.
- Greg Packer sightings.