Man Leaps From Empire State Building

[Conservativesux]

U.S. National - AP

Man Leaps From Empire State Building

11/26/2004


NEW YORK - A man jumped to his death Friday from the 86th-floor observation deck at the Empire State Building, one of Manhattan's busiest tourist destinations, police said.

The apparent suicide forced police to briefly close the landmark on Fifth Avenue to tourists in New York for the holiday weekend.

The man apparently climbed over a security fence that encloses the observation deck before leaping off. He hit a landing on the sixth floor, where he died instantly, police said.

No identification was found on his body.

At least 31 other people have committed suicide at the Empire State Building since it opened in 1931. More than 3.8 million people visit the tourist attraction each year, according to the building's Web site.

It is 1,454 feet to the top of the Empire State Building's lightning rod

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&ncid=519&e=2&u=/ap/20041126/ap_on_re_us/empire_state_jumper

[whistle]

1. Two men were sitting at the top floor . . .

. . . of the Empire State Building.

One man says to the other.. "You know, if you jump out the window here, the force of the wind will blow you back in through the window on the 90th floor.."

The other man says "fuck off, you're jokin aren't u?"

The 1st man says "No, here.. I'll prove it" so he stands on the window ledge and jumps out.. and comes back in thru the 90th floor window..

The 2nd man says.. "That was just a one off" So he does it again.. and comes thru on the 90th floor.. runs back up and says "See, im telling the truth"

The 2nd man says "Wow, im gonna do it then" he stands on the window ledge, jumps out and falls to his death.



The barman says to the first man.. "You know, you're a real prick when you're drunk superman"

I'm sorry. . . :spank:

[Conservativesux]

3. LOL !! Nice one!! (NM)

[illflem]

2. Sort of an inconsiderate way to go

what if he had hit someone down on the sidewalk?

[Conservativesux]

6. Possible of course but...

I doubt anyone who feels it in nessesary to jump to thier deaths would care about killing someone on the ground.

Of course if it were George Bush down at ground level, well, would it really matter then ? :)

[egbtpl]

13. Naw

It is possible to be suicidal yet maintain a concern for others.

[Jersey Devil]

16. I think it is impossible to hit the sidewalk

There are just too many levels between the observation deck and the sidewalk.

[Spinzonner]

4. What did he get for style ?

I think he wins on height

[devilgrrl]

5. Well that settles it. Time to tear it down.

Wouldn't want anyone else to jump off it, take it down and no one will jump.

[smirkymonkey]

7. How sad...

It doesn't say anything about the victim personally, but there is something about the lack of hope that has descended upon many of us since W has "obtained" a second term. If your own personal life seemed hopeless or you were struggling w/ an existing depression, the course this country has taken adds a layer of futility on top of everything else.

I am seeing a lot of it here in NYC, amongst friends and even the faces of strangers have the look of despair. I hope people can get the help they need, but the world is growing harsher by the day and with fewer safety nets, I doubt that we will see much improvement over the next four years.

[Ima]

9. Yes it is a tragedy

I expect to see more of this, as things get worse.

[Conservativesux]

10. If Bushco has their way thier will be no safety nets. Perhaps this..

person could have been helped, but the budgets for public mental health have be slashed all over the country, and it will only get worse after the next four years of this evil regime. :(

[OldLeftieLawyer]

20. Thank Ronnie Raygun for this

He's the one, don't forget, who's responsible for the mentally ill being turned out of hospitals and onto the streets, where they've become our national shame - our homeless population.

[212demop]

23. I know- my first thought was

I wonder if he was making some kind of grand gesture like the guy down at ground zero

[212demop]

25. Also, it does echo of all the jumpers during the Great Depression

[Occulus]

34. I *have* clinical depression, however

I'm not taking it like that. My anger is on a slow, rolling boil and I for one am waiting for the other shoe to drop.

[shesemsmom]

8. That tears it

I know that most of the world is nuts and there as so few of us sane ones left......:scared:

[onecent]

11. It's been over 30 years since I've been on top of the Empire

State Building...but I don't recall it being something that was easily accessible for jumping From?? Correct?

[Conservativesux]

12. He climbed over the safety barrier and jumped...

..people here in San Francisco do it all the time when they jump off the Golden Gate bridge.

[bluedeminredstate]

15. Not easy at all.

I can't imagine that with all the people walking around someone didn't pull him off that safety fence. It's pretty high, and you'd have to go up, kind of inward and over.
You'd have to be very determined, but it's surprising he got over so fast before someone physically stopped him or got help.
It's sad that someone would choose to end their life that way.

[barb162]

14. I never understand why, if you want to kill yourself, you don't

just take some pills and go to "sleep"...at least then your family can bury you in one piece.

[Conservativesux]

17. Suicidal people are not in the habit of thinking about others' welfare.

when they commit suicide...if only they could see the looks on the faces of thier friends and kin at the funerals.;(

Very sad.

[barb162]

24. I remember talking to this one man several years ago who

said when he was a lot younger that he wanted to kill himself and wanted to do it by jumping off a building. And I said but that is SO disgusting, why that way of all the ways.... And he said because I was so disgusted I wanted to do it the most disgusting way.

[cosmicaug]

30. Quote.

Conservativesux wrote:

Suicidal people are not in the habit of thinking about others' welfarewhen they commit suicide...if only they could see the looks on the faces of thier friends and kin at the funerals.;(

Very sad.

From VALIS by Philip K. Dick:

"Don't kill yourself," Fat said. "Move in with me. I'm all alone. I really like you. Try it for a while, at least. We'll move your stuff up, me and my friends. There's lots of things we can do, like go places, like to the beach today. Isn't it nice here?"

To that Gloria said nothing.

"It would really make me feel terrible," Fat said. "For the rest of my life, if you did away with yourself." Thereby, as he later realized, he presented her with all the wrong reasons for living. She would be doing it as a favor to others. He could not have found a worse reason to give had he looked for years. better to back the VW over her. This is why suicide hotlines are not manned by nitwits; Fat learned this later in Vancouver when, suicidal himself, he phoned the British Columbia Crisis Center and got expert advice. There was no correlation between this and what he told Gloria on the Beach that day.

[amazona]

18. so sad

No, I do understand. He was thinking of the family and not wanting to be found by family or to have his death associated with the home and thus destroy their peaceful associations of their home. It sounds screwy but having many years ago had such thoughts, I'll just say, he probably genuinely believed he was making it better for his family by not leaving a body where they would find it. I have known friends who could never again sleep in their home because someone killed themselves inside.

[NashVegas]

38. Instead, Give It To Strangers

I ache for those who are so depressed they see taking themselves out as the only solution.

But when they do it in such a way that it pulls others into their drama, even unwittingly, it becomes more difficult to drum up sympathy.

[Guaranteed]

22. Hell, I say get as many credit cards as you can, cash 'em all out,

head to the Bahamas, have some fun.

If you've got nothing to lose....that's the ultimate freedom. As Janis Joplin would say. Fuckin' go for it.

Maybe take some people you don't like with you.

[barb162]

26. this reminds me of a Woody Allen book where he said if he

ever had kids he wanted to leave them nothing, that he wanted to spend every single cent before he died.

[Minstrel Boy]

28. Don't know if it's the case with this guy, but

probably a contributing factor to many suicides is massive debt.

[smirkymonkey]

39. That would be my strategy if I ever decide to check out...

and once you throw off all the shackles of trying to live in an insane society, who knows? You may find that life is worth living after all.

I have been suicidally depressed before, but beside the family consideration, I couldn't do it because I really belive that if I don't work through things in this life, then I will have to come back and live out my karma in another life.

[Guaranteed]

40. "You may find that life is worth living after all."

Yup. Funny, ain't it?

[Cronus Protagonist]

19. We can prevent that with more tax cuts

/sarcasm


http://brainbuttons.com/home.asp?stashid=13
Buttons for brainy people - educate your local freepers today!

[VegasWolf]

21. and fell faster than a speeding bullet. n/t

[Spirochete]

27. Must have wanted to jump off the highest building in NYC

and thanks to Bush, that is once again the Empire State Building.

[illflem]

29. Ain't seen nothing yet

Just wait till the troops come back from Iraq. It's expected at least 25% will suffer chronic depression.

[Straight Shooter]

31. "Suicide and Attempted Suicide," by Geo Stone

This is an excellent book for understanding the mechanics of suicide, and the who, what, when, where, why of suicide.

It isn't that easy to kill yourself. Oddly, those who succeed in damn near killing themselves are less likely to reattempt suicide than those who make a less than 100 percent effort. It's as if it were a cathartic event in their life.

Those who kill themselves may find peace, but often they rob it forever of those who are left behind. It's a very sad legacy. As for mental illness, I agree, we will be seeing more suicides from the bush legacy. Not just in the next four years, but as a trend. Poverty tends to be a very depressing situation, and lack of medical care compounds the misery.

[BUSHOUT]

32. Pictures?

Just kidding.

I react to terrible disturbing news with inappropriate humor.

31 people since 1931? You'd think they would make a glass wall that couldn't be climbed. Such a singular landmark should not give any opportunity for jumpers.

[bushnboots]

33. Repug vote rigger?

Could this have been a scared Repug vote rigging techie afraid the Dems were on to him? Nah, just some poor lost soul, I imagine.

[talk hard]

35. Not funny but a temporary diversion

Why did this amuse me? Because our world is so f*ucked up that this sort of thing is received with the epitome of cynicism.

Well done, sir.

[hairydog]

36. This has been done many times before for numerous reasons

During the Depression, many jumped since they had lost
everything. Others have jumped to protest the Vietnam War.
Others have set themselves on fire and died to protest the
War in front of the White House.

[Swede]

37. One time I saw a guy on a ledge of a bridge,a cop was standing about 10

feet back with one hand on his holster. It was in heavy traffic,but it was moving fairly slowly. I looked into the mans eyes and I can still see them. I cannot describe the look,but it was definately insanity and if I was that cop I would have running the other direction.

[Endangered Specie]

41. 7.5 - 9.0 - 8.0 - 8.5 - 8.5 - 8.0 - 6.5

Damn French judge at the end ;) I smell a new Olympic Sport! :spank: