Commercial Auto Dealers

By now, you’ve probably heard about the death of John Travolta’s son, Jett. On Monday, the family left the Bahamas to bring Jett’s remains back to the United States. But they used decoy hearses to fool people in an effort to maintain their privacy during this trying time.

A black Cadillac hearse left the funeral home in the Bahamas and drove to the airport. The family already announced that they were bringing Jett’s remains back to the country, so the paparazzi and other media hounds assumed this was the hearse carrying the family. On the tarmac at the Bahamian airport, police in their dress uniforms blocked the area so nobody could access the site. There were also two white jets waiting.

It was all a show to throw people off, though. In fact, while this was all going on, Jett’s remains were being cremated back at the funeral home.

Unfortunately, this is what our world has come to. We tend to worship Hollywood stars so much that we can’t even give them privacy when they lose a loved one. As a result, they are forced to do things like use decoy hearses and other ways to maintain their privacy. Just let the people grieve in peace. Isn’t that what you would want to do?

There are many stories about people owning Cadillac hearses and funeral cars. Many people who drive these hearses find comfort in their uniqueness. Gail Harkins is one of those people.

“It drives like any other car,” she said in an interview with a reporter that was tagging along. “If you didn’t look in back and realize there’s a coffin back there, it really just feels like a big Cadillac.”

Harkins bought her hearse from a friend for only $1,400 a few years ago. She had to see her late mother’s 1965 Mustang convertible in order to get the money, but she says it is definitely worth it. She has framed the rearview mirror with little metal skulls that have red eyes. Her license plate ominously says “VACANCY.” She has a “Dead End” keychain and her purse even resembles the shape of a coffin.

Harkins and a friend also co-founded Evil Spirits, a Halloween-based attraction in New Jersey’s Monroe Township. The attraction includes a path in the woods, a Halloween fantasy tour and Harkins’ hearse is also a main attraction for ghoulish visitors.

Despite the fact that Harkins loves her hearse, her daughter refuses to ride in it. It’s just another example of how some people completely love their Cadillac hearses while others are just a little creeped out.

I’ve heard stories of people getting really drunk and then winding up in places and not knowing how they got there. Usually, these places are either strange beds, the kitchen floor or in their car. But this is the first time I’ve heard of someone getting drunk and waking up in the back of a Cadillac hearse.

The incident happened earlier last month in the South African village of Nkanga. The 39 year old man was at a traditional ceremony for the weekend with some friends. His friends woke up for coffee one morning, but the “dead” man did not. “One of the men failed to wake up,” said a local police spokesperson. “His friends and the hosting family believed he was dead as he did not seem to be breathing.”

Even as the villagers wrapped the man in blankets, they did not notice any breathing. They called the Willowvale Police Department and a mortuary vehicle was sent to the scene to pick him up. As they began loading him into the Cadillac hearse, though, he suddenly woke up, much to the “shock of those who were present.”

I guess getting so drunk that you wind up in the back of a Cadillac hearse still makes a great story to tell to your friends.