Gate crashing
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Gate crashing, gatecrashing or party crashing is the act of attending an invite-only event without invitation.[1] The person doing the gate crashing is known as a gate crasher. Gate crashing is also the act of tracing a signal through logic gates in electronics.[citation needed]
Reasons for gate crashing include avoiding entry fees, gaining access to free food and beverages (often alcoholic), gaining access to a party that they wanted to be invited to, taking pictures of famous people (see paparazzi), having pictures taken with famous people, and more serious crimes like stalking, kidnapping, murder, theft, fraud, and causing general disruptions.[2]
Various techniques that involve blending in with the crowd[specify] can be used to gain access to some events.[3] Various measures can be taken to prevent gate crashers from gaining access such as collecting invitations at the door and employing staff to identify potential uninvited guests, but such measures can still be thwarted by a skilled gate crasher.[4]
Notable gate-crashing incidents
2009 White House gatecrash incident
On November 24, 2009, Michaele and Tareq Salahi, from Virginia, and Carlos Allen, from Washington D.C., independently gate-crashed the state dinner between President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.[5]
See also
- 2009 White House 'gatecrash' incident
- Wedding crashing
- Wedding Crashers – 2005 romantic comedy film
- Piggybacking (security)
- Freeloading
- Serial pest (Peter Hore)