Cell Phones Taken to the Grave

Rest in peace? Some would rather have eternity interrupted by their ringtone—by taking their cell phones with them to the grave, a trend that many in the funeral industry say is on the rise. A UK survey ranked being buried with a cell phone the No. 2 funeral rite request (after a plea to be cremated with a pet’s ashes), MSNBC reports.

People want to surround themselves with the things they hold dear (in the manner of King Tut), but the notion of staying connected is also driving the trend— and phone calls to the dead aren’t uncommon.  “I’ve seen people leave cell phones on and tell me they’re going to call their loved one later,” said one funeral home director. “Not that anyone will answer, but they want to have that connection."
(More death stories.)