Gregory F. Packer (born December 18, 1963), is an American highway maintenance worker from Huntington, New York and a 1983 graduate of Huntington High School located on Long Island's North Shore. He has been quoted in more than 100 articles and television broadcasts as a member of the public (that is, a "man on the street" rather than a newsmaker or expert). According to the Nexis database from 1994 through 2004, Packer has been quoted or photographed at least 16 separate times by the Associated Press, 14 times by Newsday, 13 times by the New York Daily News, and 12 times by the New York Post.[1] His strategy is to appear at a likely news event and offer short statements to reporters. Although he always gives his real name, he has admitted to making things up to get into the paper.[2][3]
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, leading to him being dubbed a professional line sitter. He has consequently had the opportunity to meet people including Mariah Carey, Garth Brooks, Dennis Rodman, and Ringo Starr, as well as at least three presidents of the United States: Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush.[2]
He is credited as being the first in line to purchase an iPhone at the Apple Store at Fifth Avenue in New York. He began camping in front of the store at 5:00 a.m. on Monday, June 25, 2007, 110 hours before the iPhone went on sale.[4] He performed a similar stunt at the same Apple Store for the release of the iPad,[5] but was bumped from the first position of the queue due to not having a reservation.[6]
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His run in the press seems to have started with a quotation in The Tampa Tribune of October 6, 1995:
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, D.C. 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,[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."[7]
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:
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.[2]
As a result of Coulter's column, Packer was profiled in his own right by the New York Times.[9] 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."[10]
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."[11]
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."[12] 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."[13] In 2008, now celebrating the Super Bowl victory rally of the New York Giants, he was identified by the Rocky Mountain News only as "Greg Packer, 44, a retired highway maintenance worker."[14] Nicholas Carlson of Silicon Alley Insider refers to Packer as "The Same Stupid Guy Who's First In Line for Everything." [15] Of course, the former "lifelong Steelers fan" Mr. Packer was now "all about the Giants," and "as proud as [he] was in the Yankees' dynasty years," once again providing the perfect quote to sum up the mood of the local "man on the street." Later in 2008, he attended the victory parade for the World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies. He told the New York Times on that occasion that "In New York right now, we have no Mets, no Yankees, no stadiums… I came here to represent and cheer our neighbors."[16] On New Year's Eve in Times Square, Packer told the New York Daily News, "I love it. I mean, everybody from all over the world comes just to watch a Waterford crystal ball. It's great."[17]
Yet Packer's notoriety hasn't always been a boon for his aspirations. When spotted by New York Times reporter Nicholas Confessore holding an Andrew Cuomo 2010 poster, Packer was quickly solicited for a quote. When Confessore realized it was the same "Greg Packer who has made virtually a career out of lurking where reporters are likely to show," however, he quickly closed his notebook and began searching for a more authentic "man on the street."[18]