Jumpers or Tube Suicides

Someone's just signed the guestbook of my main site with the following grisly story:

"Used to go out with someone who worked for a high-up at London Underground, who told me about the jumper sweepstake.

It's since been banned on grounds of bad taste, but it used to be the case that central LU staff ran a sweepstake on which station would next see a suicide attempt.

Particularly desirable were stations like Mile End, near psychiatric hospitals.

"Jumper" is still used for suicide attempts. Also, the majority of people apparently tend to throw themselves under tube trains at the slow end of the platform - resulting in awful maiming instead of suicide.

I think that's quite enough bloodthirstiness from me. "

Ewww. I always think tube suicides are a particularly selfish form of suicide (although all suicides are pretty selfish really). It's delays for hundreds of people on the line. It's shit for any passenger that happens to be nearby and it's unbelievably distressing for the tube driver (apparently they have to have counselling for weeks afterwards).

However for those who like to know such things, the peak hour for tube suicides is 11am. Fact 24 from my 50 fascinating facts about the London Underground page.

UPDATE - click picture below to see the full animation



From themanwhofellasleep via b3ta's suicide challenge.

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Friday, December 05, 2003 Permalink COMMENT HERE
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