It takes a certain amount of nerve to sit in a fine restaurant, feasting on filet mignon, scampi and fine Scotch, fully aware that when the bill comes you won't have anywhere near enough money to pay it. Brian Patrick Cahill knows that quite well. He's made a habit of dining at fine restaurants around New Jersey, and the meal always ends the same way: with Cahill's confession that he's homeless and hasn't got any money to pay his tab.

The MO is always the same. Cahill walks into his chosen restaurant and asks for a table for one. Then he orders some expensive grub, and a whole lotta liquor. "I do it mainly for two reasons," Cahill explains. "I'm hungry and I want to get intoxicated."

By his own estimate, Cahill has pulled the stunt 26 times. Often he gets away with it. More recently, he got arrested and charged with theft of services.

» Scott Saxon