A close encounter
Recently a friend publish this anecdote on her Facebook page, with her permission, I’ve republished it here for all to read.
Trigger warning: This piece is contains references to commit suicide and self-harm. If you’re having thoughts of self-harm or suicide, I urge you to speak to your GP or other medical professional, they can help you.
You can also chat to someone at the Samaritans by calling them on either 08457 90 90 90 (UK) or 1850 60 90 90 (Republic of Ireland).
Today I saw a girl wandering on the train tracks by Vauxhall station. It was obvious something was up when a train blared its horn really loudly, and when we looked out the window down at the tracks we saw the girl, who could have been a teenager or in her early twenties, walking up the tracks, then just standing in the middle of the three or four tracks that run through Vauxhall.
One of my colleagues ran to the phone to call the police and we had a really hair-raising couple of minutes barely daring to look, expecting a train to come whizzing round the corner. Two trains did come from opposite directions, but they came slowly and ground to a halt several meters from her.
After a few minutes one of the drivers got out of his train and went up to her, and then put his arm rounder her and walked her back to the station where the police were waiting. Everyone in the office glued salamander-like to the windows let out a big ‘awwww’.
I’m probably like most commuters who get irritated at another ‘person on the track’, but now I’ve seen how hopeless that girl looked and I see the other side of things.
I think this piece gives some insight to the isolation and lack of hope that drives someone towards attempting suicide. Someone throwing themselves underneath a train isn’t just someone being inconsiderate. They are a human being. They have a life. They are someone.
They are just a person fighting a battle for which they have lost all hope in, and their last resort is to try and end it all.
Once again, if you’re having thoughts of self-harm or suicide, I urge you to contact your GP or other medical professional, or call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 (UK) or 1850 60 90 90 (Republic of Ireland).
Internationally, there are other hotlines to call.
