# 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:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**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, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/21 "2011-02-28T22:55:55Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > The ringtone plays “Rio”? Thats funny as hell. Not quite sure exactly why, but it is to me 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/22 "2011-03-01T00:28:58Z")
Non Spoiler An episode of the X Files had a man buried with his cell phone. A second man performs a quick ceremony over the corpse after the viewing and places a cell phone in the dead man’s hand. Then, we see him sitting in his car waiting by the cemetery. His phone rings and we go to the intro and theme song. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/23 "2011-03-01T14:44:15Z")
> [@TravisFromOR](#): > > At least you could play Tetris. Kill some time before some time kills you? ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/24 "2011-03-01T17:06:00Z")
I work in a call center for one of the biggest cell phone companies, and a couple weeks ago I had a really sweet lady call to go over her bill, to see if there was any way she could save a little money. We went over each line, one at a time, to determine usage. There was one line that had had no usage at all for several months. It was out of contact and I suggested either letting someone else take it over or cancelling it to save a little. She replied no, she couldn’t possibly do that…it was her father’s line. Her father who had died six months earlier. She said he LOVED his cell phone, it kept him in touch with his loved ones, and when he died, the phone was in his hand. They buried it with him, and her mother actually calls him occasionally to yell at him for dying. Sweet, but at the same time… a little creepy. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/25 "2011-03-01T17:21:06Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > A few of the richer ones were buried with their _cars_, even. Yeah, it looks like that one guy was buried with his [1989 Dodge Dynasty](http://englishrussia.com/images/russian_mafia_tombs/12.jpg). 😃 ---
**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:** [March 1, 2011, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/26 "2011-03-01T17:21:20Z")
They should have at least buried him with a charger. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/27 "2011-03-01T17:21:28Z")
> [@PapSett](#): > > They buried it with him, and her mother actually calls him occasionally to yell at him for dying. > > Sweet, but at the same time… a little creepy. And he picks up every time? If I were him, at some point I’d just let it go to voicemail. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/28 "2011-03-01T17:24:31Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > And he picks up every time? If I were him, at some point I’d just let it go to voicemail. Why do you think she keeps calling back? “Answer your damned phone, Abner! You can see that it’s me calling! Just because you’re dead is no excuse to ignore me!!” ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/29 "2011-03-01T17:30:32Z")
Willie Nile, [Cell phones ringing in the pockets of the dead](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kB38yqy1osc) ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/30 "2011-03-01T17:37:20Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > “Answer your damned phone, Abner! You can see that it’s me calling! Just because you’re dead is no excuse to ignore me!!” I guess she doesnt get it. Obviously he aint getting decent reception. He’s in a dead zone for pete’s sake. ---
**Author:** ![limegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/82dd89/32.png) [@limegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/limegreen)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/31 "2011-03-01T17:42:51Z")
I had a cousin who died in a car accident when she was in her early 20’s, and her psycho mother and sister nearly filled the coffin to the brim with stuffed animals, drawings, knick-knacks of all descriptions – mostly unicorns, rainbows, and Pokemon. I eyeballed my children and said, “If you do this to me, I will haunt you.” Creepiest thing I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/32 "2011-03-02T14:47:29Z")
> [@limegreen](#): > > I had a cousin who died in a car accident when she was in her early 20’s, and her psycho mother and sister nearly filled the coffin to the brim with stuffed animals, drawings, knick-knacks of all descriptions – mostly unicorns, rainbows, and Pokemon. I eyeballed my children and said, “If you do this to me, I will haunt you.” Creepiest thing I’ve ever seen. Ewwww. I can understand, especially when a younger person dies unexpectedly, their closest relatives thinking “How would (s)he _like_ to be buried?” I mean, about 23 years ago, my sister had been working for Little Caesar’s Pizza for about a year, and her branch manager (about 22YO) died in a car accident. His mother buried him in a graphic T, a pair of beach shorts and sandals, with a bottle of whiskey. I get that. But that whole “everything cutesie that will fit in the coffin” is just. . . ::shudder:: And Og forbid anything should happen to my 19YO, but if it did, I _know_ I’d have to put her iPod and cell phone in there with her. She doesn’t go _anywhere_ without them! ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/33 "2011-03-02T14:52:17Z")
I have set it up that at my funeral I will have my cellphone in the coffin with me and my son will ring me during the eulogy. Hopefully it will get a laugh. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/34 "2011-03-02T15:47:36Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > I have set it up that at my funeral I will have my cellphone in the coffin with me and my son will ring me during the eulogy. Hopefully it will get a laugh. Bwah. It would get a laugh from _me_. 😃 ---
**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:** [March 2, 2011, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/35 "2011-03-02T16:10:22Z")
Especially if you could rig it so everyone could hear the message…“Sorry, I’m unable to answer your call right now; leave and a message and I’ll get back to you in the afterlife” ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/36 "2011-03-02T18:06:15Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > 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. That page’s got some of the craziest comments ever. ---
**Author:** ![BaconAndEggs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@BaconAndEggs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaconAndEggs)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/37 "2011-03-02T20:06:15Z")
> [@PapSett](#): > > I work in a call center for one of the biggest cell phone companies, and a couple weeks ago I had a really sweet lady call to go over her bill, to see if there was any way she could save a little money. We went over each line, one at a time, to determine usage. There was one line that had had no usage at all for several months. It was out of contact and I suggested either letting someone else take it over or cancelling it to save a little. > > She replied no, she couldn’t possibly do that…it was her father’s line. > > Her father who had died six months earlier. She said he LOVED his cell phone, it kept him in touch with his loved ones, and when he died, the phone was in his hand. They buried it with him, and her mother actually calls him occasionally to yell at him for dying. > > Sweet, but at the same time… a little creepy. Wouldn’t the phone battery “die” after 6 days turned on? What’s the point? Unless she’s calling voicemail, then just save the phone in the house and call voicemail. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888/38 "2011-03-02T21:44:09Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > The ringtone plays “Rio”? Thread winner! 😃 > [@An\_Arky](#): > > Especially if you could rig it so everyone could hear the message…“Sorry, I’m unable to answer your call right now; leave and a message and I’ll get back to you in the afterlife” For tax purposes Didn’t they bury their victim with his cell be accident in **Better Luck Tomorrow**? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-urban-legend-cellphones-buried-with-people/572888.md?page=1)