Discussion 13 truck drivers came together to save a suicidal man

[charlottewilts]

the article in question.

what do you make of this?

honestly, if this happened to me, it would only make my SI more intense

 

[Loli]

The result would remain the same because I'd cringe to death.

 

[Aardwolf]

A jump from that height looks like it would be ineffective and pretty painful.

 

[Severen]

If this shit happened to me, I'd CTB out of spite. My SI would be gone. Shit like that just makes me hate this world more.

 

[charlottewilts]

A jump from that height looks like it would be ineffective and pretty painful.

that was my first thought as well. however i think he was trying to jump in front of a moving vehicle.

If this shit happened to me, I'd CTB out of spite. My SI would be gone. Shit like that just makes me hate this world more.

The result would remain the same because I'd cringe to death.

likewise. i saw this on reddit and it was framed as a positive thing but it honestly made me fume with rage. and it's also just really cringy... just let us die for fuck's sake... what a shining example of a bunch of hero complex bastards

 

[No Future]

Most people are naturally predisposed to intervene with acts like this. In fact, as someone who ideates suicide attempts fairly regularly, I'd also intervene. Call it hypocrisy, but events like this tend to draw out more empathy than many others, for better or for worse. Without context it's difficult to rationalize someone else's decision to kill them self. I recognize that saying this might be a bit odd to say on a pro-choice forum with a strong death bias, but there you go.

All things considered, the attempt to minimize damage is pretty clever. It obviously took a level of intelligence and coordination to pool these guys together, and, as pointed out above, the jumper likely wouldn't have died from this height anyway.

I'd likely argue this is the best result for the jumper, as attempting to kill himself again (if they so choose to do so) would be a lot easier with less broken bones or more severe handicaps.

 

[Soul]

It seems like they created quite a public nuisance by intefering with another public nuisance. The person wouldn't have died and the whole incident would probably have been over a lot sooner if they'd just let him jump. If the idea was to jump in front of a passing vehicle, professional drivers have a right to protest efforts to weaponize them, and they got to feel good about themselves, spend a few hours in relaxed camaraderie instead of hauling along through the night.

 

[Superfluous]

Michigan State Police began flagging down passing semi trucks and organizing them into a row beneath the bridge...

It was an understated act of heroism...

Where's the heroism? I'm pretty sure that, if your asked to do something by the police, your expected to comply. And the police were simply doing their job. Sorry, just another non-story embellished to make everyone feel good.

Edit: Sorry, rant over.

 

[Severen]

that was my first thought as well. however i think he was trying to jump in front of a moving vehicle.





likewise. i saw this on reddit and it was framed as a positive thing but it honestly made me fume with rage. and it's also just really cringy... just let us die for fuck's sake... what a shining example of a bunch of hero complex bastards

Yeah because there is a reason or reasons, someone is thinking about CTBing. But they don't help that person deal with that reason or reasons. They just fucked up that person's escape plan, basically.

 

[riverstyx]

The person in question may have been suffering from a mental illness so it's hard to comment.

Maybe he wants to live if he receives appropriate treatment.

 

[Severen]

The person in question may have been suffering from a mental illness so it's hard to comment.

Maybe he wants to live if he receives appropriate treatment.

Maybe but the people who got in his way, didn't know anything about him.

 

[riverstyx]

Maybe but the people who got in his way, didn't know anything about him.

If you don't know maybe it's better to save him in case he's mentally sick.

If his reasons for taking his own life is somewhat rational he'll get another shot at it.

 

[Severen]

If you don't know maybe it's better to save him in case he's mentally sick.

If his reasons for taking his own life is somewhat rational he'll get another shot at it.

Nobody should have the authority to save anyone unless he or she asks for help. Who made them god and goddesses?

 

[TimeToDie]

A jump from that height looks like it would be ineffective and pretty painful.

If traffic hadn't been stopped it might have been effective in that one could get run over.

 

[puppy9]

13 truck drivers knighted by the queen. Damn, this is why I hate doing it in public.

 

[Severen]

It seems like they created quite a public nuisance by intefering with another public nuisance. The person wouldn't have died and the whole incident would probably have been over a lot sooner if they'd just let him jump. If the idea was to jump in front of a passing vehicle, professional drivers have a right to protest efforts to weaponize them, and they got to feel good about themselves, spend a few hours in relaxed camaraderie instead of hauling along through the night.

For me, I don't even care about there being a public nuisance if the intentions are noble. But what I see is people physically taking action to control someone who is only intending to do something to HIS body, HIS life. If someone just tried to talk him out of it, I'm cool with that. But they are treating him like a slave. They should just talk to the guy, that's it. And if he doesn't listen, then oh well.

 

[No Future]

For me, I don't even care about there being a public nuisance if the intentions are noble. But what I see is people physically taking action to control someone who is only intending to do something to HIS body, HIS life.

If intending to land in traffic, opting to have an unwitting participant smear you across the asphalt isn't particularly noble.

If you also consider a heightened probability of traffic accidents post-smearing, his intentions include multiple lives from his decision. Physical and mental trauma inflicted on strangers isn't what I'd perceive as noble.

This is apt damage control. A neutral solution to an otherwise inappropriate mess that would put people on that road at risk. It's his choice, absolutely, but it's not a smart one for himself, or for others.

 

[Severen]

If intending to land in traffic, opting to have an unwitting participant smear you across the asphalt isn't particularly noble.

If you also consider a heightened probability of traffic accidents post-smearing, his intentions include multiple lives from his decision. Physical and mental trauma inflicted on strangers isn't what I'd perceive as noble.

This is apt damage control. A neutral solution to an otherwise inappropriate mess that would put people on that road at risk. It's his choice, absolutely, but it's not a smart one for himself, or for others.

You are right. Many people would have become victims.

 

[dreamsofdestruction]

I don't get the rage about these incidents. Maybe you should try asking the guy who wanted to jump how he feels?

(Although something tells me he'll probably be burdened with a lot of debt after this...)

 

[Person]

I don't think people can help themselves from trying to 'save' others, be it from accidents or suicide attempts. I think it's like a form of SI, but for others rather than yourself.
You act to preserve the life of others before you think about it, possibly because it is preprogrammed into us.

 

[Righttodie]

All I can see happening is that person going back to finding a more efficient way to end it.

I would and most of us might have done the same, it's Human nature to save life when it's so dramatically being lost in front of us. That's my take on what those drivers did. I can understand it.

The truth is that today's society is in its infancy when dealing with mental health issues.
All we have is toothpicks in face of probably the most deadly thing there can be. Because the average person can't see a scar to make him go and help the other, it's within.
And this 'invisible' illness catches hold of everyone, it's infectious and people are barely even aware of what can cause it and overlook People that might be suffering.
It will come and make you want to jump,burn, shoot and do the most inhumane things to yourself.

This person will go back and find no help, and will suffer for long unless there is a miracle and someone out of these drivers will be proactive and take time to give them some kind of support (and another miracle would be that it is good enough).

World isn't perfect and we are battling something horrible with no resources.
Good luck to us all.

 

[Soul]

That's the thing: *Really* helping someone is hard, and it takes a long time, and you probably have to rearrange your whole life. I did it once and it pretty much wore me out.

 

[Severen]

That's the thing: *Really* helping someone is hard, and it takes a long time, and you probably have to rearrange your whole life. I did it once and it pretty much wore me out.

Yeah. I don't doubt that. But talking to these people, just makes it worse in most cases. I'd rather be ignored than have people telling me BS.

 

[Soul]

Yeah. I don't doubt that. But talking to these people, just makes it worse in most cases. I'd rather be ignored than have people telling me BS.

I'm not sure which "these people" you mean. But I want to say I often get a kick out of picturing a World According to @Severen - like an amuse bouche, as it were. If you had been the Deciding Authority at the scene at this bridge, what response would you have organised?
A] offer the fellow transport to a more suitable site?
B. just talk with him until he either jumped or didn't?
3] offer shelter, money, friendship or whatever he felt was lacking?
4) get his one true love to the scene?
V. something inimitably @Severen-esque?

 

[Asta]

Nice guy, thinking only of himself and not what it would be like for people to have to drive over his body! Perhaps we don't care about ourselves, but it shouldn't be too hard to consider others, even when we're ready to ctb. And it's worse for engineers.

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. -- Sometimes, when a train bears down on a person who has gotten onto the rails, his eyes meet the engineer's just before impact. "We have fatalities where people just lay themselves on the tracks, and they could be possibly staring right up at you," said Anthony Bottalico, 58, a union official who began working as a conductor 38 years ago.

Bottalico knows how the deaths affect railway workers. He has seen a decapitation. He has seen legs cut off by a train. "It has a profound effect on you, probably for the rest of your working career and your life," Bottalico said.

Railroad officials and others say there is little that can be done when a person is on the rails. A train weighing hundreds of tons simply can't stop in time to avoid striking the person. For the engineer operating the train, or the conductors who must find the person after the accident, it can be the start of a psychological odyssey of nightmares, depression, social isolation..."These deeply affect all the employees involved from the engineer and train crew to the first responders to the mechanics and track workers involved in the cleanup to the police who have to notify family members"...

 

[TAW122]

I would be furious indeed and like @Severen said, I'd be even more suicidal than before and would CTB out of spite (as well as desperation) too. It's one thing for others to disapprove of one taking their own life, but who is to dictate what is best for said person? That's my choice to make and nobody else's.

 

[sadbunny]

Wonder how he's doing...

 

[Crematedashes]

It seems like a cry for help so hopefully he got help. The height doesn't seem to be enough to kill him.

 

[not_a_robot]

Nope. The truckers got a nice ego stroke for "helping". And that guy woke up the next morning with all of his original problems, plus one more: now he is at the mercy of sadistic shrinks pretending to try to "help" while they scheme every possible way to profit from his misfortune.

 

[soda_pressed]

The principle that they're trying to help is sweet, but misguided.
I'm sure after being saved, this man did not stop feeling suicidal.