.Fake Sarah Palin makes surprise appearance at Boca Raton diner
For Boca Raton accountant David Price, it was the thrill of a lifetime.
One minute he's having breakfast at the Boca Diner, the next he's face to face with GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
Things got stranger when another diner got too close, got wrestled to the ground by U.S. Secret Service agents, and then returned later to apologize to customers.
Too bad it wasn't Sarah Palin. And the whole incident was staged by a local radio station.
This morning, the Alaska governor was still in southwest Florida, where she had appearances this morning before flying to Palm Beach County for a private money-raiser tonight at the Boca Raton Resort and Club.
"It was so hokey. It was so silly," diner manager Maria Pelekanos said. "One girl said it was like watching a skit on Saturday Night Live. It was so bizarre. It was bad acting."
The big question was: who pulled the prank?
By midday, the mystery had been solved. It was radio station WKGR-FM 98.7, "the Gater," Pelekanos said.
Pelekanos said a customer told her he heard something on the air about it, and when called, a person said yes, the station had staged it.
"I said, 'Excuse me, why didn't you tell me?' He said, 'We're sorry if we caused any inconvenience.'"
Pelekano said there really wasn't any, although customers "were generally nervous when the guy got attacked."
"We wish to officially take credit for today's diner bit," Steve Brancik from the station's "Paul and Young Ron Show," e-mailed The Post. Brancik said the woman had won a look-alike contest Friday night and won a trip to the Bahamas.
Host Paul Castronovo said later by phone that the group pulled the stunt at five Boca Raton area locations.
Station program manager Andy Preston did not immediately return calls.
Several black Mercedes Benz and limos had pulled up about 8:30 a.m. to the diner, at 2801 N. Federal Highway.
Pelekanos said she'd gone outside to check out the cars and "they told me she was coming in."
Price said a waitress "asked if I could hang around a little bit. They got a call that Sarah Palin was having breakfast at the diner."
After a minutes, "a couple of gentlemen in suits came in," Price said. He said the men checked the restaurant, kitchen and bathrooms, presumably to "clear" the diner.
Five minutes later, price said, another limo pulled up and two men and two women emerged.
"They announced, 'It's Sarah Palin,'" Price said." She stands and says "God bless America.' Several people start to chant, 'Maverick, maverick, maverick.' I stand up and applaud. She walks up to me and shakes my hand."
Said manager Pelekanos: "We saw who came in. It wasn't her. As soon as she walked in, I knew."
Price said the two chatted for a few moments; Price then noticed a man at the counter who also wanted to talk to "Palin" and was insistent, even after "Secret Service agents" blocked him.
"Then the Secret Service guy threw him in the round and put him in an arm-lock," he said. "Then they whisked "Sarah Palin" out of the Boca Diner."
Price said the "agents" put the man in a headlock and dragged him out. A few minutes later, the man returned and apologized to everyone for cutting short the surprise visit.
Price, 58, who lives in Boynton Beach, said he was voting for McCain-Palin anyhow, and had even made a contribution, but would have been equally excited to meet Democratic candidate Barack Obama or his running mate, Joe Biden.
"I was nervous. I felt like a 4-year-old just sent to the principal's office," Price said.
Reached later, and told the bad news, Price said, "That is low rent. That is below the belt. I'm not part of the prank. They had me convinced."
Pelakanos was asked who looked more like Gov. Palin; the woman who came into her diner, or Tina Fey, the Saturday Night Live alum who's recently made dead-on performances as Palin. Said Pelakanos: "I've never seen Tina Fey."
Palm Beach Post
One minute he's having breakfast at the Boca Diner, the next he's face to face with GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
Things got stranger when another diner got too close, got wrestled to the ground by U.S. Secret Service agents, and then returned later to apologize to customers.
Too bad it wasn't Sarah Palin. And the whole incident was staged by a local radio station.
This morning, the Alaska governor was still in southwest Florida, where she had appearances this morning before flying to Palm Beach County for a private money-raiser tonight at the Boca Raton Resort and Club.
"It was so hokey. It was so silly," diner manager Maria Pelekanos said. "One girl said it was like watching a skit on Saturday Night Live. It was so bizarre. It was bad acting."
The big question was: who pulled the prank?
By midday, the mystery had been solved. It was radio station WKGR-FM 98.7, "the Gater," Pelekanos said.
Pelekanos said a customer told her he heard something on the air about it, and when called, a person said yes, the station had staged it.
"I said, 'Excuse me, why didn't you tell me?' He said, 'We're sorry if we caused any inconvenience.'"
Pelekano said there really wasn't any, although customers "were generally nervous when the guy got attacked."
"We wish to officially take credit for today's diner bit," Steve Brancik from the station's "Paul and Young Ron Show," e-mailed The Post. Brancik said the woman had won a look-alike contest Friday night and won a trip to the Bahamas.
Host Paul Castronovo said later by phone that the group pulled the stunt at five Boca Raton area locations.
Station program manager Andy Preston did not immediately return calls.
Several black Mercedes Benz and limos had pulled up about 8:30 a.m. to the diner, at 2801 N. Federal Highway.
Pelekanos said she'd gone outside to check out the cars and "they told me she was coming in."
Price said a waitress "asked if I could hang around a little bit. They got a call that Sarah Palin was having breakfast at the diner."
After a minutes, "a couple of gentlemen in suits came in," Price said. He said the men checked the restaurant, kitchen and bathrooms, presumably to "clear" the diner.
Five minutes later, price said, another limo pulled up and two men and two women emerged.
"They announced, 'It's Sarah Palin,'" Price said." She stands and says "God bless America.' Several people start to chant, 'Maverick, maverick, maverick.' I stand up and applaud. She walks up to me and shakes my hand."
Said manager Pelekanos: "We saw who came in. It wasn't her. As soon as she walked in, I knew."
Price said the two chatted for a few moments; Price then noticed a man at the counter who also wanted to talk to "Palin" and was insistent, even after "Secret Service agents" blocked him.
"Then the Secret Service guy threw him in the round and put him in an arm-lock," he said. "Then they whisked "Sarah Palin" out of the Boca Diner."
Price said the "agents" put the man in a headlock and dragged him out. A few minutes later, the man returned and apologized to everyone for cutting short the surprise visit.
Price, 58, who lives in Boynton Beach, said he was voting for McCain-Palin anyhow, and had even made a contribution, but would have been equally excited to meet Democratic candidate Barack Obama or his running mate, Joe Biden.
"I was nervous. I felt like a 4-year-old just sent to the principal's office," Price said.
Reached later, and told the bad news, Price said, "That is low rent. That is below the belt. I'm not part of the prank. They had me convinced."
Pelakanos was asked who looked more like Gov. Palin; the woman who came into her diner, or Tina Fey, the Saturday Night Live alum who's recently made dead-on performances as Palin. Said Pelakanos: "I've never seen Tina Fey."
Palm Beach Post
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