Thursday, March 10, 2011

If All Your Friends Jump Off A Bridge, Would You?

No, of course not, because then you wouldn't be unique. But if your friends urge you to do it, then by all means, jump.

A California high school student visiting the Golden Gate Bridge on a Thursday morning field trip climbed over a railing, jumped - possibly on a dare by fellow classmates - and somehow survived the 220-foot plunge into San Francisco Bay that kills dozens of people each year.

Most jumpers die a grisly death, with massive internal injuries, broken bones and skull fractures. Some die from internal bleeding, while others drown.

But the 17-year-old lived, suffering just a broken tailbone and torn lung. He was rescued by a surfer who paddled over and took him ashore, California Highway Patrol Officer Chris Rardin said.


I often wonder what goes through people's minds during events like this.

7 comments:

pseudotsuga said...

often it is their rear ends, as they hit the water...sorry, couldn't resist the straight line...bad humour...

Darren said...

Oh! Bad!

Shena said...

Crazy guy!

Anonymous said...

The jumper is responsible for his own stupidity, but his "friends" need shaming.

Mr. W said...

it's times like these that I always like to remind non-teachers that we are bad teachers if students like this aren't proficient or advanced on the standards test...yeah that makes perfect sense.

DADvocate said...

Alcohol? A friend of my sister's once jumped off a bridge into the Tennessee River on a 25 cent bet. I was only about 50 feet though. He swam to shore under his own power.

DADvocate said...

that we are bad teachers if students like this aren't proficient or advanced on the standards test

Now, now. The kid I mentioned was the son of a local judge, a good student, starting center on a state championship basketball team. Would you accept a student blaming his parents for his failures? If so, why would you blame them? As a person who completed 17.5 years of school, earning a M.S. degree, I can count the number of truly good teachers I had my fingers, less than one per year.