It seems Jezza just cannot stay out of the limelight – which is probably the whole point of the exercise anyway. Today, as the worthy, humourless self-important leftists just cannot let go of his little bit of theatrical hyperbole earlier during the week, today they latch onto his comments about railway suicides.
Jeremy Clarkson faced further censure on Saturday after describing people who killed themselves by jumping under trains as “selfish”.
His comments in his column in the Sun newspaper provoked outrage from mental health charities.
Oh, FFS! Speak to anyone who has had to clear up the aftermath and deal with the resultant disruption to the train service and “selfish” is the least that you will hear. It is selfish to jump in front of a train, forcing some hapless driver to be your unwitting executioner. It is selfish to leave your body parts spread over a mile and a half of track for the unfortunate MOM and BTP to clear up (presuming the foxes don’t get to them first), for the coroner’s people to have to traipse along the ballast and declare the various bits as deceased and for everyone whose journey is disrupted to wait for this to happen before things can get moving. It is selfish to kill yourself without thinking about those people stranded on trains mid-section without heating in the middle of winter and for the local ops manager to have to turn out to oversee the resumption of the service.
Jeremy Clarkson may be a bit of a twat, but when he says that railway suicides are selfish, he is merely stating the truth. They are selfish.
Catherine Johnstone, chief executive of the Samaritans, said the insensitivity of Clarkson’s comments “truly beggars belief”.
I suggest that Catherine Johnstone accompanies a local Ops manager or the BTP to a suicide. Clarkson’s comments are pretty mild, frankly. I would suggest that she would probably find the black humour on display “offensive”, “unacceptable” or, even, “intolerable”.
Clarkson needs to understand about depression and desperation before he spouts such bollocks.
The person throwing themselves in front of the train is not in their “right” mind. No “right-minded” person would carry out such an act.
He needs to look at what led to that person carrying out that act, then maybe he’d understand and show some compassion for all involved
Actually, no, he doesn’t. These things are pretty much accepted – even by those clearing up the mess. I recall feeling sorry for the woman who put her knickers on her head before placing it on the line. It didn’t stop us making some fairly dark comments about the situation, though. There are plenty of ways to top yourself. Making someone else do it for you is selfish. This is simply an objective statement of fact.
Clarkson – Like Unison only funnier:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Jh1M2Yvb4I
Did you see this?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/dec/01/jeremy-clarkson-youtube-twitter
A thoughtful piece but, as you might expect, some of the comments are dire.
Much as it pains me to waste more effort on the man, it has to be said that, once again, we’re looking at words out of context. What he actually said – ‘it is a very selfish way to go’ – is, as you say, beyond debate, given the impact on the driver and those who have to deal with the result.
Whether through thoughtlessness, ignorance or, in this case, despair or mental confusion, it is quite possible to perform a selfish act without necessarily being a selfish person.
Certainly his remarks about the body were in distinctly bad taste and would be extremely upsetting for anyone personally affected by a death of the sort; there are, however, plenty of media commentators out there ready to jump on the bandwaggon without a ticket.
A family friend chose this particular method of suicide many years ago; I distinctly remember my mother telling me that, however much we sympathised with his disturbed state of mind, it should not be forgotten that his final action had also caused much distress to other people.
“Catherine Johnstone, chief executive of the Samaritans, said the insensitivity of Clarkson’s comments “truly beggars belief”.”
Insensitive to whom? Wussy hand wringing lefties? I shouldn’t think the person who went under the train cares. Still at least this stupid woman did not sat it’s a cry for help.
My Brother in law was a bus driver when someone threw theirself in front of his bus. That was over 40 years ago. He has never been able to get behind the steering wheel since even though he was cleared of any blame.
If the lefties were half as celever as they think they would understand Clarkson says these things for effect and deny him the headline by just ignoring it.
It’s always the driver I feel for. It’s not unknown for drivers to not drive again following suicides.
Took the words right out of my mouth longrider.
Can anyone imagine the horror of having a fellow human being splattered at 100 mph 12 inches from your face? and then feel “involved” in the death?
That’s going to live with them for the rest of their natural.
“Selfish” is statement of fact and one that you cannot necessarily blame the person trying to commit suicide for, they obviously are not in a good place mentally.
“It’s not unknown for drivers to not drive again following suicides.”
This.
The simple fact is that suicide is *inherently* selfish, as long as it is held to be illegal and stigmatised to the extent it currently is.
Depression isn’t even necessary: there are, for example, people with terminal illnesses who *know* they will eventually end their life in a vegetative state. Their doctor has told them so, and there is ample evidence from other cases that this will happen. Many of these people simply do not wish to die like that. It can be a long, slow, lingering—often painful—way to go, but it’s a path that the law—i.e. society—insists they follow: this is no less selfish on the part of society as a whole. Why should their family and friends be subjected to this totally unnecessary and inhumane experience?
It is for this reason that I now consider organisations like DIGNITAS to be, if not a perfect solution, at least a more dignified and humane option. And certainly a better choice than, say, trying to hang oneself or make a train driver (or bus driver) do bring the travelling guillotine along for the occasion.
There really does need to be a proper, public, debate on this. Preferably one that doesn’t involve extremists and fanatics insisting that one’s life is not one’s own to do with as one wishes.
I don’t see that simple recognition of the fact that jumping in front of a train is selfish takes away sympathy or compassion for the suicide or belittles them in any way. This is not an either/or thing. We can feel for someone whose despair is driving them to an irrational act and also say that that act is selfish if it affects others, and jumping in front of a train undeniably affects a lot of others starting with the poor sod in the cab.
I’m with you LR.
Clarkson has a point. Never mind the fool who uses the rails as an impromptu guillotine, what about all the people who have to clear up the bloody pulp? What about the witnesses who will have trouble sleeping for many a long night afterwards? Regardless of the simple compound financial knock-on in delays, funeral costs etc. Even if the Suicide is homeless with no relatives, the paperwork and psychic fallout of such an act is immense.
So yes. Public suicide of this nature is the ultimate self obsessed act of a selfish person who does not care about anyone else. Desperate; probably. Ill; perhaps. Depressed; maybe. Hopeless; possibly. Selfish; definitely.
Compassion should be reserved for the people whose lives the Suicides ‘grand final gesture’ screws up.
Or worse. Remember the chap who thought it a good idea to end it all by parking his car on a level crossing just outside Reading? He took about seven other people with him. Now that is truly selfish.
As opposed to the first comment (incitement to kill extra-legally IS a crime)
I’m in full agreement here.
I also know something about raiways, and it’s incredibly selfish.
The driver may not be feeling very well afterwards, to say the least, and lot of other people’s days and week will be thoroughly buggered up.
Yes, selfish, entirely so.
Incitement to kill is, indeed a crime. However, Clarkson did not incite anyone to kill. He simply used a hyperbolic comment that was a common turn of phrase a few years back. No one could assume he seriously meant that anyone should be killed – unless your name is Dave Prentice, it would seem 😐
Absolutely right LR, particularly the reference to suicide by car on a railway, we had one of those down my way a while back which fortunately didn’t result in any death or injury to train passengers or crew, it’s an incredibly selfish act. My father was badly affected by witnessing a man on a station platform climb down in front of a train and lay his head on the line, he was killed just a few feet in front of him. Why is saying that this a selfish thing to do unacceptable ? Even if Clarkson is wrong it’s a perfectly legitimate opinion to hold and express, the notion that some things are too distasteful to mention is a piece of prissy moralising, what is it supposed to achieve and when did charities and concern trollers get to be the arbiters of these things ?
My cousin had his head cut off by an Intercity 6am one Sunday morning a few years back (I remember e-mailing you about it LR). And, yes, he was a selfish twat for doing that, most certainly. One is often told not to speak ill of the dead but he was a selfish twat in life as well.
So Jezza Clarkson is right again. If you’re going to kill yourself try not to inconvenience unknown others too much in the process.