topics
tools
Expatica countries
Index Last Var.(%)
BEL 20 2280.22 -0.26
DAX 6748.76 -0.08
IBEX 30 8849.3 0.03
CAC 40 3410 -0.05
FTSE 100 5875.93 -0.24
AEX 325.33 -0.20
DJIA 12883.95 0.04
Nasdaq 2915.86 0.41
FTSE MIB 16669.22 1.08
TSX Composite 12521.02 0.07
ASX 4353.4 -0.24
Hang seng 21018.46 1.54
Straits Times 2982.2 0.83
ISEQ 20 502.05 -0.58
You are here: Home News French News Suicidal urged not to choose Paris metro

French News

archive
Enlarge font Decrease font Text size


10/02/2009Suicidal urged not to choose Paris metro

France’s state rail company launches campaign to discourage would-be suicides from jumping to their deaths on rail tracks after figures show surge in suicides on Paris train network.

PARIS – Faced with a gruesome surge in suicides on the Paris train network, France's state rail company is launching a campaign to convince the desperate to choose another way to go.

With one person committing suicide on average every two days, the number of people who jumped to their deaths on rail tracks in the Paris region leapt by a fifth, from 148 to 181, between 2007 and 2008.

Suicides during rush hour saw the biggest increase, up 72 percent, the head of Paris area transport for the rail operator SNCF, Jean-Pierre Farandou, told reporters on Monday.

Each incident causes massive disruption to up to 100,000 passengers, with knock-on delays to around 100 trains, adding to commuter misery on a network already stretched to full capacity, he said.

Farandou said the SNCF "does not aim to treat the root causes" of suicidal behaviour, but is planning a campaign to hope to "dissuade people from choosing the train to commit suicide."

Rail workers could be trained to detect at-risk individuals and stop them from jumping, he suggested, citing the example of Canada, where a public information campaign managed to slash the number of train suicides.

Farandou said he had contacted the Paris metro operator RATP to put together an information campaign talking down the train as a suicide method.

Would-be suicides need to understand that trains are not a "fool-proof" solution, he said, and that many people survive, but heavily handicapped.

Officials say they have no explanation for the boom in suicides on Paris trains, which is an isolated phenomenon nationwide.

Just over 10,000 people committed suicide in France in 2008, a figure that has remained stable since 2000.

[AFP / Expatica]


2 reactions to this article

Fred posted: 2009-02-12 09:16:51

You'll be happy to note that this article has been linked by a member at the web site

www.fuckfrance.com

The truly amazing thing is that at one time, this is the kind of article that would only have been published on The Onion as satire. And it's just more proof that the French ARE the morons everyone else the world thinks them to be, only worse.

www.fuckfrance.com

Marie posted: 2009-06-17 14:16:35

I think it's pretty obvious who the moron is here. And his name is Fred.

Add a comment

General rating: Not rated yet

Rate article:    Add my rating


2 reactions to this article

Fred posted: 2009-02-12 09:16:51

You'll be happy to note that this article has been linked by a member at the web site

www.fuckfrance.com

The truly amazing thing is that at one time, this is the kind of article that would only have been published on The Onion as satire. And it's just more proof that the French ARE the morons everyone else the world thinks them to be, only worse.

www.fuckfrance.com

Marie posted: 2009-06-17 14:16:35

I think it's pretty obvious who the moron is here. And his name is Fred.

Add a comment
Discussion Forums

Immigration and Legal Problems

Blocked Sewer Line outside property boundary - who pays ?

Sporting Events in France

Counter Strike!

Community Noticeboard France | Expat Events

migration to belgium!

Americans in France

Expatriate Events in Paris

Personal Finance in France

In Need of An Auto Loan

participate in the forums

Inside Expatica
Management culture in France

Management culture in France

This handy guide from Expertise in Labour Mobility includes information on business hierarchy, negotiations, and etiquette.

American associations and clubs in Paris

American associations and clubs in Paris

A listing of organizations in the Paris area that cater primarily to Americans living in France. Updated April 2011.

British associations and clubs in Paris

British associations and clubs in Paris

Our handy guide to the British community in Paris, from cricket clubs to Scottish country dancing lessons to where to find a jar of Marmite.

Anglophone services in France

Anglophone services in France

Here's a short introduction to our Banking section for those living in France, from how to open a bank account to Islamic banking and investments.