More suicide by train
‘Bye Metro!’
courtesy of ‘chrismar’
It’s well-known that highly public suicides tend to inspire others to take their own lives. People who were on the fence before get emboldened to take the step themselves when they hear about other folks doing it.
I presume that’s a factor in the rash of people throwing themselves in front of Metro trains that has continued today; an as-yet unidentified person has been struck by a train at the Columbia Heights station and the investigators believe it was a deliberate action by the deceased.
If you’re considering suicide and feel emboldened by this, I wish you’d seek help. If you won’t, however, would you please just go drown yourself or something? Something that doesn’t drag other people down into your hell. I cannot imagine the trauma felt by the train drivers who find themselves barreling down on a person, unable to stop, and who will then have to live the rest of their lives with having been an unwilling participant in the death of another.
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7 Responses to “More suicide by train”
September 17th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Feel horrible for the train operator, but how about the rescue workers calledto the scene and the maintenance guys who have to clean up after this MESS???!!! Talk about trauma – ugh.
September 17th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
According to @dcfireems, the jumper is a teenage boy who was not killed by the collision. Priority 1 life-threatening injuries, they said.
September 17th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
“If you won’t, however, would you please just go drown yourself or something?”
I understand the sentiment, but this is still really offensive and irresponsible. Also, what place does this commentary have on this blog?
People who suffer from depression or for whatever other reason are considering suicide often already feel that society doesn’t care about them and does not want to deal with their existence. Way to make that just a little bit worse.
September 17th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
Yeah, I agree with Ashley. It could have been said much more elegantly and sensitively.
September 17th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
Well, the place it has on this blog is that I write here and that’s my opinion.
I’m sorry you find it objectionable, but I think I was clear that I’d rather they get treatment. At this point I’m willing to be a little provocative to get someone’s attention. There’s been a number of cases where police officers who someone abused by using them for “suicide by cop” have been so traumatized by it that they subsequently killed themselves.
As someone who is helped by medication for depression (though, thankfully, was never brought so low as to consider taking my own life) I’m highly sympathetic to the suffering of these people. However that doesn’t relive them from the responsibility for not harming others with their actions. Throwing themselves in front of a train is an act of violence not just against themselves, but against the train operators and other witnesses.
It’s repugnant and I do not apologize for being upset by the selfishness it displays.
September 17th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Meh, leave them on the track bed and leave the blood stains on the front of the train to serve as a reminder of the following:
1.)The train will hurt/kill you. Be sure you want to be in front of it, as it’s a decision that you can’t take back.
2.) We really DON’T care what’s bothering you. Go jump in the bathtub with a toaster or something and die alone. I’ve got places to be and I don’t need you screwing up my commute.
October 1st, 2009 at 2:10 pm
[...] few weeks ago I wrote about a recent suicide on the Metro tracks. A few commenters took me to task for being pretty harsh in my suggestion that if someone does not [...]