BEIJING – Chen Fuchao, a man heavily in debt, had been contemplating suicide on a bridge in southern China for hours when a passer-by came up, shook his hand — and pushed him off the ledge.
Chen fell 26 feet (8 meters) onto a partially inflated emergency air cushion laid out by authorities and survived, suffering spine and elbow injuries, the official Xinhua News Agency said Saturday.
The passer-by, 66-year-old Lai Jiansheng, had been fed up with what he called Chen's "selfish activity," Xinhua said. Traffic around the Haizhu bridge in the city of Guangzhou had been backed up for five hours and police had cordoned off the area.
"I pushed him off because jumpers like Chen are very selfish. Their action violates a lot of public interest," Lai was quoted as saying by Xinhua. "They do not really dare to kill themselves. Instead, they just want to raise the relevant government authorities' attention to their appeals."
Xinhua said Lai was "taken away by police" but did not elaborate.
A police officer who answered the telephone Saturday at a station close to the bridge confirmed the incident and said it was under investigation. He refused to give any other details and hung up.
According to Xinhua, Chen wanted to kill himself because he had accrued 2 million yuan ($290,000) in debt from a failed construction project.
On Thursday, he made his way to the Haizhu bridge, where 11 other people have tried to take their lives since April.
Lai volunteered to talk Chen down but was turned away by police, Xinhua said. Lai then broke through the cordon, climbed to where Chen sat, greeted him with a handshake, then pushed.
Photos in the Beijing Morning Post showed Lai, shoeless and in a T-shirt, saluting after Chen fell.
The paper said Lai was released on bail Friday but did not give any details. It said he had been on medication for "a mental illness" for decades and had been on his way to a hospital for his pills.
Chen was recovering in the hospital, Xinhua said.
I guess the old man just got tired of waiting or something, I wonder what the jumper's first thoughts were when he was pushed. Also I wonder if he will press charges against the man for pushing him seeing how he was considering suicide and wasn't actually forced on to the edge.
"I pushed him off because jumpers like Chen are very selfish. Their action violates a lot of public interest," Lai was quoted as saying by Xinhua. "They do not really dare to kill themselves. Instead, they just want to raise the relevant government authorities' attention to their appeals."
Bahaha, cutest TL news in a while. I liked the point made, though I'm not sure if they states whether or not the old man knew that the cushion would save the person he pushed
man if I ever am going to commit suicide Im going to go out with a bang. I'm going to climb up the empire state building...climb it, then light myself on fire then take out a katana slit my belly then jump. say 50ft before I splat I will activate the explosives in my back pack and I will cover the entire block in flaming bits of my flesh. Any other way is just unacceptable in my book.
On May 24 2009 07:45 Kinky wrote: I would've done the same thing as the old man. If you're going to commit suicide, you might as well just do it instead of gathering a crowd.
If I couldn't be held accountable for it, yeah. If you're considering suicide, do so privately. Most other people don't care.
On May 24 2009 07:40 DeathSpank wrote: man if I ever am going to commit suicide Im going to go out with a bang. I'm going to climb up the empire state building...climb it, then light myself on fire then take out a katana slit my belly then jump. say 50ft before I splat I will activate the explosives in my back pack and I will cover the entire block in flaming bits of my flesh. Any other way is just unacceptable in my book.
On May 24 2009 07:45 Kinky wrote: I would've done the same thing as the old man. If you're going to commit suicide, you might as well just do it instead of gathering a crowd.
Yeah rather that he jumps and dies over some debts instead of wasting a bunch of people's time.
Majority of Chinese people side with the old man. The blocked traffic screwed up over 10,000 people and it's happened before, as said. Everybody is getting fed up, especially those who live close by, and especially the old man. He did something about it.
It's just attention seekers. And anyway, the old guy didn't manage to get Chen off the bridge alive, something that round over round of police negotiators were not able to do.
On May 24 2009 07:45 Kinky wrote: I would've done the same thing as the old man. If you're going to commit suicide, you might as well just do it instead of gathering a crowd.
Yeah rather that he jumps and dies over some debts instead of wasting a bunch of people's time.
....
The problem with this logic is that it's not one or the other; you don't have to choose. Wasting 5 hours' time for thousands of people isn't justified no matter what it is you're doing- if you want to kill yourself, go ahead. If you don't want to kill yourself, that's fine too. Either way, wasting people's time while you're trying to make up your mind isn't necessary or at all helpful.
On May 24 2009 08:08 Loanshark wrote: Majority of Chinese people side with the old man. The blocked traffic screwed up over 10,000 people and it's happened before, as said. Everybody is getting fed up, especially those who live close by, and especially the old man. He did something about it.
It's just attention seekers. And anyway, the old guy didn't manage to get Chen off the bridge alive, something that round over round of police negotiators were not able to do.
Hmm i guess the traffic congestion might've well costed another 10000000 dollars of loss
On May 24 2009 07:45 Kinky wrote: I would've done the same thing as the old man. If you're going to commit suicide, you might as well just do it instead of gathering a crowd.
Yeah rather that he jumps and dies over some debts instead of wasting a bunch of people's time.
....
The problem with this logic is that it's not one or the other; you don't have to choose. Wasting 5 hours' time for thousands of people isn't justified no matter what it is you're doing- if you want to kill yourself, go ahead. If you don't want to kill yourself, that's fine too. Either way, wasting people's time while you're trying to make up your mind isn't necessary or at all helpful.
So rather that someone jumps and dies over some debts instead of wasting a bunch of people's time.
On May 24 2009 08:08 Loanshark wrote: Majority of Chinese people side with the old man. The blocked traffic screwed up over 10,000 people and it's happened before, as said. Everybody is getting fed up, especially those who live close by, and especially the old man. He did something about it.
It's just attention seekers. And anyway, the old guy didn't manage to get Chen off the bridge alive, something that round over round of police negotiators were not able to do.
From what I understand, you are saying that wasting over 10,000 people's time is punishable by death. Jesus, this makes me glad people like you don't run for office.
You guys are so evil. Why not pull instead of pushing? It's pretty easy to pull, just grab and lean back, and say, "hey you aren't jumping today."
You have gravity on your side, plus inward motion has got to be stronger than just pushing. At least efficient. Plus if he really wanted to do it, then he'd HAVE to fight you off. All of you rethink your lives and mindsets.
I had a very close friend attempt to kill himself. Its not a fun experience, and I don't know how any of you could act this way, "yeah you are on the internet, who cares?" "oh no its the fat unpopular kid who has the story to tell"
Come on, honestly get over it, he wasted time. But maybe if you guys and your busy lives could have been used to getting this guy some professional attention, so that THEY can focus on him rather than your little traffic jam. Those things are not really THAT big a deal. So what if you were late to the gig. Be real.
On May 24 2009 07:45 Kinky wrote: I would've done the same thing as the old man. If you're going to commit suicide, you might as well just do it instead of gathering a crowd.
Yeah rather that he jumps and dies over some debts instead of wasting a bunch of people's time.
....
life is overrated anyway, you prolly get born again when you die
On May 24 2009 07:07 zizou21 wrote: "I pushed him off because jumpers like Chen are very selfish. Their action violates a lot of public interest," Lai was quoted as saying by Xinhua. "They do not really dare to kill themselves. Instead, they just want to raise the relevant government authorities' attention to their appeals."
Haha the man has a point
Old = wise for sure. Old man is a martyr.
Guy is wasting time. probably not going to do it anyways. There is a safety net. Guy might actually suffer or feel a bit of what its like to die and might actually give him the 'thump on the head' to set him straight. Might deter later jumpers to try the same thing. China is overpopulated anyways lol.
On May 24 2009 08:24 SoMuchBetter wrote: are you guys seriously siding with someone who pushed another person off a bridge?
Some people are retards, nothing you or I can do about it
Chen fell 26 feet (8 meters) onto a partially inflated emergency air cushion laid out by authorities and survived, suffering spine and elbow injuries, the official Xinhua News Agency said Saturday.
I guess some just can't read.
He didn push him to kill him. They had the emergency air cushion anyway, so the old man just speeded up the process of saving him, and ended his pathetic attention whoring.
yea 26 feet is not that high at all. I've jumped off higher bridge/cliffs into water for 1. Also I'm pretty sure with proper training and shit a person could jump from that high onto ground and not be hurt.
On May 24 2009 08:24 SoMuchBetter wrote: are you guys seriously siding with someone who pushed another person off a bridge?
Some people are retards, nothing you or I can do about it
Chen fell 26 feet (8 meters) onto a partially inflated emergency air cushion laid out by authorities and survived, suffering spine and elbow injuries, the official Xinhua News Agency said Saturday.
I guess some just can't read.
He didn push him to kill him. They had the emergency air cushion anyway, so the old man just speeded up the process of saving him, and ended his pathetic attention whoring.
This is a human life we are talking about. There is nothing cool or respectable about helping someone kill themselves. You all would eat your words if this was someone in your family who was in such deep shit that they thought death was the only way.
So what if there was a cushion below? Do realize how easily you could die landing on your neck no matter how soft the landing was, especially when you are pushed off?
On May 24 2009 09:36 Snet wrote: So what if there was a cushion below? Do realize how easily you could die landing on your neck no matter how soft the landing was, especially when you are pushed off?
then everyone gets what they want
why are you complaining for someone who isn't complaining himself?
Which is more valuable, the life of one person or the hours of time wasted for tens of thousands of people? The humane thing to say would be the life of that one person, but in reality one person's life isn't worth the time of 10,000 other people.
When the number is that huge, you really can't predict the consequences for the people in those cars; maybe some guy missed a job interview and didn't get a job; maybe there was an ambulance with a dying person; maybe there was a woman about to give birth rushing to the hospital - just to give some examples
On May 24 2009 07:45 Kinky wrote: I would've done the same thing as the old man. If you're going to commit suicide, you might as well just do it instead of gathering a crowd.
Yeah rather that he jumps and dies over some debts instead of wasting a bunch of people's time.
....
The problem with this logic is that it's not one or the other; you don't have to choose. Wasting 5 hours' time for thousands of people isn't justified no matter what it is you're doing- if you want to kill yourself, go ahead. If you don't want to kill yourself, that's fine too. Either way, wasting people's time while you're trying to make up your mind isn't necessary or at all helpful.
So rather that someone jumps and dies over some debts instead of wasting a bunch of people's time.
.....
No, rather that someone reads what others are saying over some thread instead of repeating the same crap over again.
On May 24 2009 07:45 Kinky wrote: I would've done the same thing as the old man. If you're going to commit suicide, you might as well just do it instead of gathering a crowd.
Yeah rather that he jumps and dies over some debts instead of wasting a bunch of people's time.
....
The problem with this logic is that it's not one or the other; you don't have to choose. Wasting 5 hours' time for thousands of people isn't justified no matter what it is you're doing- if you want to kill yourself, go ahead. If you don't want to kill yourself, that's fine too. Either way, wasting people's time while you're trying to make up your mind isn't necessary or at all helpful.
So rather that someone jumps and dies over some debts instead of wasting a bunch of people's time.
.....
No, rather that someone reads what others are saying over some thread instead of repeating the same crap over again.
The joke is that you basically repeated what the other person stated without realizing it apparently. Notice how you're saying that wasting people's time is never justified, as if killing yourself would be preferred over wasting someone's time. The only thing different in your post is that you state that this situation should never happen, which is kind of silly because it just did.
Are you trying to waste my time or something? If so, please jump off the nearest bridge at your earliest convenience.
On May 24 2009 09:49 Juicyfruit wrote: Which is more valuable, the life of one person or the hours of time wasted for tens of thousands of people? The humane thing to say would be the life of that one person, but in reality one person's life isn't worth the time of 10,000 other people.
When the number is that huge, you really can't predict the consequences for the people in those cars; maybe some guy missed a job interview and didn't get a job; maybe there was an ambulance with a dying person; maybe there was a woman about to give birth rushing to the hospital - just to give some examples
Do you realize the time it just took thousands of people to read this post? You have just committed genocide, the UN will be knocking on your door shortly.
On May 24 2009 10:06 Frits wrote: Do you realize the time it just took thousands of people to read this post? You have just committed genocide, the UN will be knocking on your door shortly.
Fuck no, they can't get me. I'm jumping off a bridge.
EPT![[image loading]](http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20090523/capt.46d754e730d44881b1e61150f0535084.china_xbej801.jpg?x=400&y=300&q=85&sig=IAJcSYMkKgd.wbw4StI1SA--)
![[image loading]](http://lrc.yale-wrexham.ac.uk/Liberty3/blobs/news/3/TheScream.jpg)
