Greg Packer

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For the DJ, see Greg Packer (DJ).

Greg Packer (born December 18, 1963), an American highway maintenance worker from Huntington, New York, has been quoted in more than 100 articles and television broadcasts as a member of the public (that is, a person on the street rather than a newsmaker or expert).

Packer's status as a frequent interviewee came about due to his hobby of attending public appearances of celebrities and other media events and being first in line on such occasions. He has consequently had the opportunity to meet people ranging from Mariah Carey to Garth Brooks to Dennis Rodman to Ringo Starr, and at least three presidents of the United States: Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. [1], [2]

His run in the press seems to have started with a quotation in The Tampa Tribune of October 6, 1995:

"The Jewish people are fans of Pope John Paul II," said Greg Packer of Huntington, N.J. "He doesn't limit his message to one faith; he reaches out to everybody."

Although the Tribune quote identifies Packer's home state as New Jersey rather than New York, this is Packer's first newspaper appearance to have been identified so far.

According to a 2002 article about Packer, "He was first in the line to see ground zero when the viewing platform opened at the World Trade Center site December 30 [2001]. He was the first in line in 1997 to sign the condolence book at the British consulate when Princess Diana died. He slept outside in the snow in Washington in January 2001 to be the first in line to greet President George W. Bush after his inauguration." [3]

Due to Packer's appearances at these media events, he came to be quoted by reporters attending the events. Unlike many attendees, Packer was willing to be quoted: as he explained in 2004, "I always come up with an answer for everything, number one. And ... I always give everybody ... the respect and the time that they need." His quotes ranged from the expression of common sentiments, such as "It's a day for happiness and to be together," regarding a St. Patrick's Day parade [4], 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'll certainly have something to atone for." [5]

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 pointed out:

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 Iraq; he was quoted at the St. Patrick's Day Parade, the Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Veterans Day Parade. He was quoted at not one -- but two -- New Year's Eve celebrations at Times Square. He was quoted at the opening of a new "Star Wars" movie, at the opening of an H&M clothing store on Fifth Avenue and at the opening of the viewing stand at Ground Zero. He has been quoted at Yankees games, Mets games, Jets games -- even getting tickets for the Brooklyn Cyclones. He was quoted at a Clinton fund-raiser at Alec Baldwin's house in the Hamptons and the pope's visit to Giants stadium. [6]

The "more than 100" Packer appearances included quotes in the New York Post, Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and The Times, as well as appearances on CNN, MSNBC, and Fox. [7]

As a result of Coulter's column, Packer was profiled in his own right by the New York Times. [8] The Associated Press sent out a memo to its news editors and correspondents, 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 Nexis search 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." [9]

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 My Life, Packer was first in line for Clinton's first signing; a 2004 New York Times article on Clinton's appearance referred to Packer as "Greg Packer, 40, wearing a New York Yankees shirt, who has been cultivating the press for several years now and manages to attend at least two news events a week." [10]

Nevertheless, not all journalists include such disclaimers; an EpochTimes.com article in 2005 on the release of the novel Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince simply stated: "The book buyers, mostly adults, were largely local fans, like Greg Packer of Long Island, 41, who admitted he had not yet read all the previous editions." [11] Similarly, when Packer attended the Super Bowl victory rally for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2006, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review identified him only as "Greg Packer, 42, a lifelong Steelers fan from Huntington, N.Y." [12]