It's a tough call

[Drew]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/8226973.stm



M5 reopens after bridge incident

Queues of traffic on the M5

The incident caused 35-mile-long queues of traffic on the M5

The M5 motorway has reopened after being closed for several hours amid concerns for a man on a bridge.

Police received reports of a man on the Avonmouth Bridge just before 1300 BST and shut all lanes northbound in the interests of public safety.

Officers spent nearly seven hours at the scene talking to the man but he died after falling from the bridge.

The incident left 35-mile-long queues. Three of the four northbound lanes were reopened just before 2000 BST.

The queues had stretched back to Bridgwater in Somerset.

The Highways Agency supplied water to stranded motorists and had said it was planning to set up portable toilets.

Assistant Chief Constable John Long, of Avon and Somerset Police, said: "While many motorists were understandably frustrated and angry about the disruption and delays to their journey, the safety of everyone concerned was the paramount priority.

"We are grateful to those motorists, their families, friends and everyone else who has been affected by this tragic incident, for their patience and co-operation."

The man has not been formally identified but is believed to be in his late 50s and to come from Bristol.

So where do you stand on this then? A selfish man or a desperate man?

Im trying to imagine myself joining the queue at 1:30 thinking oh roadworks that don't exist, no doubt, and then leaving at around 8pm extremely angry and annoyed and ready to shout at any figure of authority. Most people will tell you suicide is such a selfish act, then as soon as it happens will get extremely sensitive about it. What do you guys think? How would you react?

Although whatever you think, credit to the police for staying there for 6 hours and a half, I think after 30 minutes I would have pushed him off myself.

[Jag_Warrior]

I've forgotten his name now, but remember the Chinese man who acted as if he wanted to talk down a jumper earlier this year? But then when he got to the man, he shoved him off the bridge! The way the Chinese guy felt about it, if you want to jump, hurry the f' up!!!

Obviously these people are mentally ill. But their last desperate grab for attention is annoying - especially when it negatively affects other people. Like the ones in the U.S. who charge toward cops with knives or guns, and force the cops to shoot them. Or the ones who kill other people and then kill themselves. At least this guy only held people up from getting to where they needed to be.

[BDunnell]

Of course the behaviour of those who threaten to commit suicide is thoughtless and selfish to a degree, but people in that frame of mind are not thinking straight, to say the least, and allowances have to be made. Although that Chinese story was funny.

[steve_spackman]

Of course the behaviour of those who threaten to commit suicide is thoughtless and selfish to a degree, but people in that frame of mind are not thinking straight, to say the least, and allowances have to be made. Although that Chinese story was funny.

Just like the time i was at Clapham Junction and my train was delayed for 3 hours because somebody decided jump infront of a train.

[chuck34]

I shouldn't say this, but I will because I don't care right now. The cops should shoot the guy in the leg, quick like. If he really wants to die, he'll fall off the bridge. If it's all a cry for help, like most suicides, he'll fall back onto the bridge. That way it's over fast. Either he's dead (I know that's cruel, and I shouldn't be like that), or he's recieving the help he needs (the outcome I really hope happens). Either way, the traffic isn't held up, and no one else's life is put on hold.

I know I'm a heartless b@stard. But if you need help, there's better ways to get it. Try walking into a clinic. Or if you really want to die, die already. If you're at that point, there's NOTHING anyone can do for you, so quit being a selfish b@stard and do it already.

Man I'm cold. Sorry. Flame away.

[steve_spackman]

I shouldn't say this, but I will because I don't care right now. The cops should shoot the guy in the leg, quick like. If he really wants to die, he'll fall off the bridge. If it's all a cry for help, like most suicides, he'll fall back onto the bridge. That way it's over fast. Either he's dead (I know that's cruel, and I shouldn't be like that), or he's recieving the help he needs (the outcome I really hope happens). Either way, the traffic isn't held up, and no one else's life is put on hold.

I know I'm a heartless b@stard. But if you need help, there's better ways to get it. Try walking into a clinic. Or if you really want to die, die already. If you're at that point, there's NOTHING anyone can do for you, so quit being a selfish b@stard and do it already.

Man I'm cold. Sorry. Flame away.

Yes that was a very harsh statement..lets hope nobody in your family gets down and out like that eh?

[chuck34]

Yes that was a very harsh statement..lets hope nobody in your family gets down and out like that eh?

Down and out like what? Our family is very close. I wish more families were like ours.

[Wade91]

the police made a mistake holding up traffic for all those hours, they should have just asked him if he wanted to live or die? and if he said he wanted to die or if he still refused to come off the bridge they should have just shot him right then, and re-open the road!

[anthonyvop]

Suicide is the ultimate act of selfishness.

[slinkster]

People misunderstand mental health issues and this thread will highlight just how much. People have no idea what has happened to someone to make them consider something like this. It's not something they just decide to do one day to pass the time, or even to cause as much trouble as they can.

Yes it's frustrating and hard to undestand, but so are many illnesses. No healthy, stable- minded person commits suicide.

[Wade91]

People misunderstand mental health issues and this thread will highlight just how much. People have no idea what has happened to someone to make them consider something like this. It's not something they just decide to do one day to pass the time, or even to cause as much trouble as they can.

Yes it's frustrating and hard to undestand, but so are many illnesses. No healthy, stable- minded person commits suicide.
i dont see how you can say this thread highlights that people misunderstand mental health issues :s we all know guy wasn't just trying to pass the the time or couse trouble, BUT he just didn't care about how he was disrupting everyones day which is about as selfish as you can get

[Drew]

I understand that people have mental problems and that any suicide case (not only mentally ill people commit suicide btw) needs to be dealt carefully and sensitively, but at what cost?

Where can you draw the line between one person's life and thousands of people stuck in a traffic jam going to work, weddings, funerals, catching planes, driving to see critically ill relatives / friends in hospital and who knows what else. Where I live there is only 1 major road to get to and from the rest of the country and if that's cut off, the area is practically cut off and costs the economy millions per hour. This is what I struggle to understand, how one person can cause so much chaos.

[Storm]

Why the hell did he not jump off a cliff instead of holding hundreds of motorists at ransom? I guess I too may be branded as someone who do not understand mental problems or people who want to kill themselves :\

Frankly I have no sympathy for those who kill themselves (those who are sane that is).

[UltimateDanGTR]

sorry for being ruthless, but IMO if they wanna commit suicide, they should do it out of the way of everyone else and it should not hinder the general public. selfish B*****d. they shouldnt of closed the motorway anyway, they should of let him do his deed and let the traffic carry on. simple as.

[BeansBeansBeans]

I sympathise with both the suicidal man and those inconvenienced by his actions.

[slinkster]

i dont see how you can say this thread highlights that people misunderstand mental health issues :s we all know guy wasn't just trying to pass the the time or couse trouble, BUT he just didn't care about how he was disrupting everyones day which is about as selfish as you can get

You're right it's selfish... but depression renders you incapable of focussing on pretty much anything else other than you're own misery and failings. He's not in the right frame of mind to be thinking about disrupting peoples days- if he was thinking that rationally he wouldn't be there in the first place!

I'm not saying I wouldn't be frustrated- but I'm likely to be far more understanding about this situation than some twat who's caused an accident driving too fast, smashing into a family car or something and causing miles of disruption- that's pretty damn selfish too.