There's more to it than that, I think. AFAIK the concern is that dramatic news coverage might encourage imitation. See also Pizzicato's very enlightening post about the desire to get attention.

My mother recently had a similar experience to what happened to Panzer, only she basically witnessed it from the platform while waiting for her train. IIRC she didn't see much more than that the person was there one moment and gone an instant later, thankfully, but needless to say it left her quite shaken anyway.

A friend and colleague of mine committed suicide about 5 years ago by jumping off the west gate bridge here in Melbourne.

In the lead up to his death, we had a few conversations about his mental health. I remember after it had happened the feeling that I had let him down somehow. I had guilt and anger about it.

For many months and occasionally around the anniversary I have a nightmare where I am him...I drive his rental car onto the west gate, leave the motor running, get out and approach the edge of the bridge. I (him) kink of crouch down as I am jumping off and every time I turn around and reach back to the rapidly receding edge of the bridge as though I had changed my mind!

Very disturbing to say the least.

Good thread this one, thanks for your postings all.

Same incident?

http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/34709834/m/457003681931

Should I ever decide to commit suicide I have a novel idea that should prove entertaining. I'm going to anonymously hire a hitman. Then, I will do my best to try to cheat death for as long as possible. It's like a game. Unfortunately I would likely have the misfortune of having the game give me something to live for, a new appreciation for life, and then I wouldn't want to die. At the moment of that realization is probably when I'm found.

unlikely being that that topic was posted by someone in japan

I seem to remember a movie with the same kind of theme. A guy hires someone to kill him because he is dying of cancer. Then he finds out he is not going to die and the rest of the movie is him running from the hitman and trying to call it off at the same time.