Daily Lessons for Life 24 May 2009

Sun, May 24, 2009China Daily - Asia News Network

Man pushes suicide jumper off bridge

GUANGZHOU: A bridge that has gained a reputation as a macabre tourist destination after attracting at least 12 would-be suicide jumpers since the start of April was the scene of a bizarre incident this week in which a passerby pushed a man who was threatening to jump.

The passerby was agitated by the fact that the would-be jumper had held up traffic around Haizhu Bridge for almost five hours.

None of the 12 who threatened to jump has done so, although each has held up traffic for several hours.


In the latest case, a man named Chen Fuchao threatened to kill himself on Thursday after saying he was in 2 million yuan of debt following a failed construction project.

After being pushed off the bridge, Chen fell 8 m onto a partially-inflated emergency air cushion. The 66-year-old person who pushed him, Lai Jiansheng, had broken through a police cordon and climbed up to where Chen sat. He greeted him with a handshake before pushing him off the bridge. Chen damaged his spine and elbow in the fall.

"They do not really dare to kill themselves. Instead, they just want to raise the relevant government authorities' attention to their appeals."


Lai was taken away by police after the incident. Chen is recovering in hospital, according to Southern Metropolis News."

Only in an urbanizing city or country can we chanced upon such strange happening! 13th since April 2009 is a bit too many and I can appreciate the frustration of those who were caught in the traffic during those potential 'jumping' incidents. However, to break through a police cordon and actually climbed up the bridge and then with a calm demeanour of shaking the jumper's hand before pushing him down is simply unimaginable! That too by a 66-year old man!!

Lessons for me are:

1. 'I have pressure and you have pressure' but life need to go on in this fast pace society! So, it required a lot of resilience to be able to handle the stressful city life. I wonder if any government who are striving for rapid economic progress will help to educate its citizens to learn how to handle city life stresses!;

2. money is important to an urbanite. It is, however, not the most important if one think at a higher level and looking at a broader picture. It will not come naturally as the peasant from the farms would not naturally become a person at ease with looking at things from a broader and higher perspective since their 'old' world were simple and uncomplicated! So, if the government does not teach, then you have to learn it - the hard way of being cheated or abused; or by being observant and by being inquisitive! Ask and learn ,and ask and learn besides looked and learned!;

3. will the 66-year old man be commended or will he be charged with potential 'manslaughter'? Did he do the right thing? I like to think that he has done the right thing with the right mindset as he knew the man will not get killed when he pushed him down. Also, he knew the man will NEVER want to go through this terrifying ordeal again by trying to commit suicide by jumping from the bridge! ;-) Of course, if the 66-year man did not think through that but just being filled with rage and frustration when he pushed the 'jumper' off the bridge, that would be bad!!

May life played itself out smoothly and no traffic jam for a while? ^_@