Thursday, May 28, 2009

To jump or not to jump...

Do you ever wonder about the suicide jumpers who stand there on the edge of the bridge/building for hours threatening to jump? I do. What's going through their minds? Either jump or get down, people! Either you want to die or you don't! Make up your mind! Apparently I'm not the only one who feels this way...

A Chinese man was pushed off a bridge by an angry passer-by after his threat to commit suicide held up traffic for five hours.

Retired soldier Lian Jiansheng, 66, broke through a police cordon and reached out to shake the hand of would-be jumper Chen Fuchao before shoving him off the bridge.

"I pushed him off because jumpers like Chen are very selfish. Their action violates a lot of public interests," Lian was quoted as saying by the China Daily newspaper.

"They do not really dare to kill themselves. Instead, they just want to raise the relevant government authorities' attention to their appeals."

Chen fell 8 metres (yards) onto a partially inflated emergency air cushion and was hospitalized with wrist and back injuries. Lian was detained by police.

Chen was at least the twelfth person since early April to threaten suicide at the same spot, the Haizhu bridge in Guangzhou. But none jumped and -- until Lian gave Chen a helping hand -- none was pushed.

Anti-climactic, don't you think? Yeah. I thought...okay...if Lian pushes someone to death that was already jumping to kill himself but just held up traffic for 5 hours instead? Does he really deserve to be punished? I don't know. Tough call. But, luckily... he was just pushed into an emergency air cushion. And THAT is why you don't waste 5 hours threatening to kill yourself. Dude, at that point, they've circumvented all of your choices. Moron!

Aren't the Chinese a kick?

3 comments:

Rae said...

Lisa, you'll never know how much you cheer up my whole life! You are so funny and have such a quirky spin on life, I just love it and you!

Anonymous said...

I would have pushed him too! I can see myself sitting in traffic for five hrs and being very unhappy especially if I need to eat or pee. Those people are more selfish than anything. Most people trying to kill themselves do it quick and faster than jumping off a bridge.

Julie and Nate said...

Thanks for sharing! I don't know where you find these stories, but they certainly are entertaining. I love that he shook his hand before he pushed him. Who would have thought to do that?