If I were a suicidal teen, I'd just push one of these farkers and take them with me.

Standing around in front of the train tracks just wastes valuable time that you could be using to design your "I choo-choo-choose to extend my condolences" sympathy cards to send to the next family.

Fortunately these kids will not think of any other way to kill themselves.

This may be the stupidest story of the year.

Having been to Palo Alto, I have to ask, Why?

Perhaps the railroad is paying them to help the trains stay on schedule.

A for Effort, F for followthrough. There are these things called "fences" that are remarkably cheaper than a manned "patrol"..

People in Tokyo manage to jump in front of trains even at crazy crowded stations. If someone is determined, they're gonna do what they're gonna do.

Education, on the other hand, might be helpful.

This is a waste. Better to put a big, spiked plow on the front of each train and have an automated high-pressure hose at each stop.

"We're out here to show the community and the kids that we care about them and that we want the misuse of the tracks to stop," said Caroline Camhy.

You can off yourselves if you want, but not on the tracks. It's messy, and delays everyones' commutes. You hear me mister?

vossiewulf: You can off yourselves if you want, but not on the tracks. It's messy, and delays everyones' commutes. You hear me mister?

That sounds about right to me.

As long as they don't collect small patches of flesh from each victim, then sew them into a roll for police..

itazurakko: People in Tokyo manage to jump in front of trains even at crazy crowded stations. If someone is determined, they're gonna do what they're gonna do.

I was in Tokyo for about 3 1/2 weeks and the number of unscheduled train slowdowns for (assuming) suicides was pretty crazy. There may have been other reasons, but they don't tell you why when on the trains there.

if you are gonna commt suicide please do it corretly and fill out your organ donor card first and then either shoot yourself in the head or hang yourself

Can't they just shoot the kids right before they jump???

The stupid runs deep

Why would you want to stop them? They should be handing them train schedules.

Perrin: Twenty-two minutes late, suicide on the track at Palo Alto.

Suicide clusters are generally influenced by the media. If a popular kid kills himself, and they report where and how the deed was done, giving the act far more attention, it's likely that more kids will follow. The media can be utterly retarded, but kids will always be dumber.

oldebayer: Having been to Palo Alto, I have to ask, Why?

Huge academic pressure in school. This is Gunn High School, right next to Stanford, and the average SAT score is something like 1350. This has been happening awhile but in the last few months it's gotten even worse.

Wine is fine, but whisky's quicker.....

Marie Elena Mendoza said she sleeps better if she stays until 1 a.m. "This way, I'm sure. One o'clock is the last train. I can go home and rest completely, knowing that there will be no more trains."

Let's just ban trains. Then there won't be a problem.

/Won't somebody think of the (emo) children?

Having never been to Palo Alto, I must ask...


WHY AREN'T YOU PLAYING JACKS OUT ON THE INTERSTATE?????

vossiewulf: You can off yourselves if you want, but not on the tracks. It's messy, and delays everyones' commutes. You hear me mister?

Screw the maladjusted children. Think of the railroad engineers who have to deal with the knowledge that they killed a person, and had no choice in the matter.

French Rage: oldebayer: Having been to Palo Alto, I have to ask, Why?

Huge academic pressure in school. This is Gunn High School, right next to Stanford, and the average SAT score is something like 1350. This has been happening awhile but in the last few months it's gotten even worse.

That would, in fact, be why the parents should be LISTENING to their kids instead of pushing them to be so warped they think Stanford is a safety school. If parents really think physically stopping them is better than having that chat, they need to jump in front of said trains themselves, 'cause they've obviously farked up the gene pool.

They're standing there beside the railway track?

Are they waiting for that train to bring her back?

If she's not on the 5:19
Then I'm gonna know what sorrow means
And I'm gonna cry cry cry all the way home

Instead of geting kids the treatment they need, let's just ban trains! Genius! Let's ban knives so they don't slash their wrists! Let's ban their anti-depressants so they don't kill themsleves by overdosing! Let's ban cars so the kids don't have "single car accidents" with trees! How truly American, empty gestures taking precedence over actual treatment

This guy approves (new window)

(SFW, amusing)

FriarReb98: French Rage: oldebayer: Having been to Palo Alto, I have to ask, Why?

Huge academic pressure in school. This is Gunn High School, right next to Stanford, and the average SAT score is something like 1350. This has been happening awhile but in the last few months it's gotten even worse.

That would, in fact, be why the parents should be LISTENING to their kids instead of pushing them to be so warped they think Stanford is a safety school. If parents really think physically stopping them is better than having that chat, they need to jump in front of said trains themselves, 'cause they've obviously farked up the gene pool.

No argument here. But you have to factor in (blatant unresearched stereotype coming up) that these are Asian kids where failure is not an option.

cmb53208: Instead of geting kids the treatment they need, let's just ban trains! Genius! Let's ban knives so they don't slash their wrists! Let's ban their anti-depressants so they don't kill themsleves by overdosing! Let's ban cars so the kids don't have "single car accidents" with trees! How truly American, empty gestures taking precedence over actual treatment

If they ban trains, then the children would not have access to any of that, unless they pay the prohibitive costs of long-haul trucking everything.

Congrats subby, I've got about 5 redlights over the past few months for various Heather headlines about Gunn High School.

Teenage suicide (don't do it)

FriarReb98: French Rage: oldebayer: Having been to Palo Alto, I have to ask, Why?

Huge academic pressure in school. This is Gunn High School, right next to Stanford, and the average SAT score is something like 1350. This has been happening awhile but in the last few months it's gotten even worse.

That would, in fact, be why the parents should be LISTENING to their kids instead of pushing them to be so warped they think Stanford is a safety school. If parents really think physically stopping them is better than having that chat, they need to jump in front of said trains themselves, 'cause they've obviously farked up the gene pool.

This!
Talk, listen, understand, and enjoy (not like MJ) your kids. If they don't get in Stanford, or whatever, they are still viable. How is it appropriate to "guard" the railroad tracks over a college choice?fark, they should love their kids more than this.

French Rage: oldebayer: Having been to Palo Alto, I have to ask, Why?

Huge academic pressure in school. This is Gunn High School, right next to Stanford, and the average SAT score is something like 1350. This has been happening awhile but in the last few months it's gotten even worse.

I went to Gunn HS and committed suicide so I'm really getting a kick out of these replies

FTA There are no shrines erected here, no memorials to the four dead teenagers. No one wants to romanticize what happened. In fact, no one even uses the "S" word, instead referring to "the incidents," or "the misuse of the tracks." The volunteers fear saying anything that could encourage another copycat.

ya because talking about suicide is really going to encourage more kids to do it.......burying your head in the sand is a much better option

RoyBatty: Teenage suicide (don't do it)

I notice most of the world's "suicide prevention" effort happens in northern California.

Golden Gate bridge, this article, Google the rest for yourself.

Why are people in northern Cali so focused on offing themselves?

Marie Elena Mendoza said she sleeps better if she stays until 1 a.m. "This way, I'm sure. One o'clock is the last train. I can go home and rest completely, knowing that there will be no more trains."

I guess she lives far enough from the tracks not to hear the late night freight trains.

Some idiot a few years ago drove around the gates in that area and into the side of a moving freight train in the middle of the night a few years back.

RoyBatty: Congrats subby, I've got about 5 redlights over the past few months for various Heather headlines about Gunn High School.

Teenage suicide (don't do it)

Oh noes, you said the s-word.
Every time you say the s-word a teenager leaps in front of a train. TFA says so...
"no one even uses the "S" word, instead referring to "the incidents," or "the misuse of the tracks." The volunteers fear saying anything that could encourage another copycat."

I also loved "We want to make sure that nothing ever happens here again." No wonder the kids are topping themselves. The town is so boring. Nothing ever happens.

jimi32: FriarReb98: French Rage: oldebayer: Having been to Palo Alto, I have to ask, Why?

Huge academic pressure in school. This is Gunn High School, right next to Stanford, and the average SAT score is something like 1350. This has been happening awhile but in the last few months it's gotten even worse.

That would, in fact, be why the parents should be LISTENING to their kids instead of pushing them to be so warped they think Stanford is a safety school. If parents really think physically stopping them is better than having that chat, they need to jump in front of said trains themselves, 'cause they've obviously farked up the gene pool.

This!
Talk, listen, understand, and enjoy (not like MJ) your kids. If they don't get in Stanford, or whatever, they are still viable. How is it appropriate to "guard" the railroad tracks over a college choice?fark, they should love their kids more than this.

Let's make one thing clear: there's no real pressure to get into Stanford. No one gets in to Stanford. Not even Gunn students.

I saw the stats for the 1999 graduating class, when I was a Palo Alto HS student myself. Of the class of '99, something like 2 out of 200-300 kids went on to stanford.

The vast majority go to state schools, just like everyone else.

FTA: In fact, no one even uses the "S" word, instead referring to "the incidents," or "the misuse of the tracks."

Great idea. If you don't mention the blatantly obvious, the kids will never figure it out on their own.

If they don't get in Stanford, or whatever, they are still viable.

At McDonald's.

rebelyell2006: Think of the railroad engineers who have to deal with the knowledge that they killed a person, and had no choice in the matter.

Very traumatic for the engineers. The Chicago Tribune had a story about that, about a year ago I think.

jimi32: If they don't get in Stanford, or whatever, they are still viable.

Interesting word choice, "viable." I recommend the book Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell about this topic.

Airfoilsguy: bloo

First thing I thought of too!

rebelyell2006: RoyBatty: Teenage suicide (don't do it)



For both of us, apparently...

"Most ay eschuwe to doone oppressioun
Unto the roote whylest it is yonge and grene;
Yee may wele see by this conclusioun,
That youthe vertulesse dothe ay michil teene."

- 'Scogan's Moral Balade'

I'm just going to leave THIS (new window) right here, and hope gorgor clicks it.

Wow, this is like some Japanese shiat.

WTF California, WTF.

Having been to Palo Alto, I can't blame the kids. But do it the adult way, automatic weapon, crowded Starbuck's, police sniper. Don't go alone

I could never understand how kids can get themselves so worked up over school that they'll off themselves. These are supposed to be the smart kids, right? I was always smart enough to know just how much total BS high school was and pretty much just did the motions until it was finally time to go to college.

Must be the parents. Good job, farkwads, you made you stressed your kid to the point of suicide over school.