Old Documentary About Poverty/Debt In Usa

[barry1010]

At least 20 years ago I watched a documentary about hardship in USA and a funeral director returned a body to a flat because the funeral hadn't been paid for.
They arrived at the flat with the body in the coffin but nobody answered the door. They simply took the body out of the coffin and left him on the doorstep, taking the coffin with them.
Bizarre - am I mis-remembering?

[pastafreak]

Lordy...that sounds bizarre, and memorable.

[barry1010]

Thanks, pasta. Surely I was dreaming?

Another documentary that sticks in my mind was about a hospital in Kingston, Jamaica. Armed guards patrolled the hospital and the doctors had bodyguards to get to and from their cars. There was a huge shortage of drugs.

Vehicles just pulled up outside and a dead body/injured person (usually with gun or stab wounds) dumped on the doorstep.

A patient had to have his skull drilled. They did it on the ward in full view of other patients and visitors with a black and decker drill. One patient who was tractioned used a mirror to get a better view.

If it were a drama you'd say it was far-fetched

[Paigntonian]

I am told that, in the UK, if you turn up to a crematorium with a dead relative in the back of your car the crem has to accept the body and the charge is £80.

[barry1010]

The charge differs between councils, Paigntonian, and of course you need to produce two death certificates before any cremation. I've not heard of any crematoria accepting bodies at the gate without booking, though.
My council has different fees for different times of the day - early morning is the cheapest as fewer people want funerals first thing but on average a cremation without service is £700 (direct to crem funeral). They will not accept a body without at least a cardboard coffin and will need to open the coffin to ensure there is nothing inside that cannot be safely burned.
They certainly won't do it for £80.

You don't need a funeral director, though. You really can DIY but must have all paperwork in order.

[Peter Pedant]

god
damn good story, true or untrue

[Peter Pedant]

no.... death certs - point of order and pedantry - come in ones
I think your second cert is a crem form

difft paper, difft function

[Peter Pedant]

o yeah foo
I have started writing the script

Man - jobsworth - where is the death cert
Bereft - ( that means someone who has a dead rel) - Here
Man (j) where is the second DC?
B ( for it is he - ) - he doesnt need one - he is still dead!
ter daaah
I am qasted on AB

[jno]

you're sounding a bit wasted, PP...