# New Urban Legend: Cellphones Buried With People? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 28, 2011, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888 "2011-02-28T06:43:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/1 "2011-02-28T06:43:02Z")
There was a rather strange story going around: that of young gang members being buried with their cell phones. Has anyone heard this? What would be the purpose of doing this? And-if someone should receive a call from such a phone-what would happen? ---
**Author:** ![ImNotPaulAvery](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5a626/32.png) [@ImNotPaulAvery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ImNotPaulAvery)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/2 "2011-02-28T09:21:41Z")
I don’t know about the urban legend, but I’d be surprised if a cell phone would work 6 feet under and inside a metal casket. Wouldn’t that suck? If by some crazy chance you woke up buried in a coffin and you had your cell phone but… no bars. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![TravisFromOR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TravisFromOR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravisFromOR)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/3 "2011-02-28T09:37:09Z")
> [@ImNotPaulAvery](#): > > I don’t know about the urban legend, but I’d be surprised if a cell phone would work 6 feet under and inside a metal casket. > > Wouldn’t that suck? If by some crazy chance you woke up buried in a coffin and you had your cell phone but… no bars. ☹ At least you could play Tetris. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/4 "2011-02-28T10:02:21Z")
Buried alive or dead? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/5 "2011-02-28T16:35:59Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > There was a rather strange story going around: that of young gang members being buried with their cell phones. > Has anyone heard this? > What would be the purpose of doing this? People have been burying their loved ones with some of their stuff since ancient history. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/6 "2011-02-28T16:51:06Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > Buried alive or dead? [Alive](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1462758/)! ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/7 "2011-02-28T16:54:03Z")
> **[Grave goods](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grave_goods)** > > Grave goods, in archaeology and anthropology, are items buried along with a body. > They are usually personal possessions, supplies to smooth the deceased's journey into an afterlife, or offerings to gods. Grave goods may be classed by researchers as a type of votive deposit. Most grave goods recovered by archaeologists consist of inorganic objects such as pottery and stone and metal tools, but organic objects that have since decayed were also placed in ancient tombs. If grave goods were to be u... ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/8 "2011-02-28T17:06:45Z")
This is where the [safety coffin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_coffin) would come in handy. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/9 "2011-02-28T17:10:35Z")
Well, I was always rooting for the “can you hear me now?” guy to be buried with his. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/10 "2011-02-28T17:14:23Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Well, > > I was always rooting for the “can you hear me now?” guy to be buried with his. “Can you inter me now?” ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/11 "2011-02-28T19:54:21Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Well, > > I was always rooting for the “can you hear me now?” guy to be buried with his. A halting voice gurgles from the phone, “Can you…fear me…now?” ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/12 "2011-02-28T20:01:22Z")
> [@balance](#): > > a halting voice gurgles from the phone, “can you…fear me…now?” IN THEATERS NOVEMBER 4th. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/13 "2011-02-28T20:18:28Z")
[Aimee Semple McPherson](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_semple_mcpherson) was supposed to have been buried with a working telephone. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/14 "2011-02-28T20:23:00Z")
My dad, who was a Dr., always joked about being buried with his beeper, TURNED OFF… and he was; no joke! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/15 "2011-02-28T20:28:50Z")
I’d like to ask the OP: where, specifically was this “strange story going around”? I Googled **gang members buried cellphones** and this thread is the very first hit, with none of the other hits on the first two pages having anything to do with the type of thing that you’re asking about. I ask because it has become standard practice for the OP to (a) bring up some vaguely-remembered, non-specific thing that may or may not have happened at some indeterminate time, (b) have Dopers running all over the place looking for answers, and © never even return to the thread to thank people for their help or offer any further information. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/16 "2011-02-28T21:12:44Z")
No, the OP said it’s a NEW urban legend - we’re just getting it started. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/17 "2011-02-28T21:59:02Z")
If WE are getting this Urban Legend started, we need to put something else interesting in the mix. A treadmill. Or 20 minutes. Or some 14kgpdf. At least some damn Buckeyes or sumptin. Come on guys, we can do this thing up right. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/18 "2011-02-28T22:12:58Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > If WE are getting this Urban Legend started, we need to put something else interesting in the mix. > > A treadmill. Or 20 minutes. Or some 14kgpdf. At least some damn Buckeyes or sumptin. > > Come on guys, we can do this thing up right. The ringtone plays “Rio”? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/19 "2011-02-28T22:20:20Z")
You laugh. Check out these [Russian Mafia gravestones](http://englishrussia.com/index.php/2007/02/27/russian-mafia-grave-tombs/). Bling city. But if the deceased is shown with a cellphone, it means that his real phone is down there. A few of the richer ones were buried with their _cars_, even. ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/20 "2011-02-28T22:37:20Z")
I can see it now, I’m out doing a little midnight ‘shopping’ and the next thing you know, Danny Glick is hanging from your throat and you’re screaming for Buffy. …but I would like a Nokia N900 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888.md?page=2)