Passerby pushes suicide jumper in China

[Liberal_in_LA]

Passerby pushes suicide jumper in China

BEIJING (AP) — Chen Fuchao, a man heavily in debt, had been contemplating suicide on a bridge in southern China for hours when a passerby came up, shook his hand — and pushed him off the ledge.

Chen fell 26 feet 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 passerby, 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.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-05-23-suicide-jumper-china_N.htm?csp=24&RM_Exclude=Juno

[Dramarama]

1. Wow.

That is crazy. He speaks about if so matter of factly.

[flvegan]

2. Sooo...attempted murder then for Lai?

We can't start executing folks for selfishness.

[Jeep789]

5. Doesn't appear to be so

Per the article: "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."

[Wetzelbill]

3. I think he must be a member of the Republican Party of China

What a coldhearted dick.

[Rex]

4. 'Shook his hand and pushed him off'

WTF

[spoony]

6. Republican Strategist in training. n/t

[sakabatou]

11. DUZY!

[lapfog_1]

7. Watched too many reruns of "Lethal Weapon"??? - n/t

[TexasObserver]

8. Gives the term "assisted suicide" a new meaning.

[soothsayer]

9. I remember all the drivers yelling JUMP to the ahole tying up the 14th st bridge in DC

some years back. what a traffic jam he caused. But no one thought to shove him.

sorry about the spine injuries for this dude tho. hope he's ok.

[soothsayer]

10. I remember all the drivers yelling JUMP to the ahole tying up the 14th st bridge in DC

some years back. what a traffic jam he caused. But no one thought to shove him.

sorry about the spine injuries for this dude tho. hope he's ok.

[TwilightGardener]

12. Dude WAS pretty selfish. If you're going to kill yourself, don't fucking tie up traffic

for five hours to gain the attention you crave. Fucking go home and slit your wrists or hang yourself or eat pills, quietly. Don't victimize the rest of the world with your bullshit. There, I said it.