Actually, you don’t need to be rich to have a driver in many of the poorer parts of Latin America. My dad travels to El Salvador for business several times a year, and his (upper-middle-class) friends who live there have their own driver, whom he hires (it’s OK with his friends) rather than obtain an international license and attempt to drive himself in the less-than-friendly driving conditions there. My mom goes once a year to visit our relatives, and this gentleman drives her as well. It’s still cheaper than riding taxis everywhere.
As for the suicide, something similar happened at my workplace. A middle-aged man who lived nearby, apparently despondent over financial and family problems, jumped off the parking structure a couple of years ago. He landed outside the door of the badminton club next door. Some of the people I work with saw him jump. There were counselors available for those who needed them. I didn’t see the guy, but it unnerved me enough that I went to see the counselor anyway.
About a year ago somebody shot himself at the parking lot in the nearby McDonald. I would move from that area if I were you. I know I did.*
I don’t understand why you went out of your way to see a dead person. To me it feels like violating their dignity. I make a point to avoid seeing dead people, and have requested that my family have a close-casket service and promptly cremate me when I shuffle this mortal coil. I don’t understand, but I don’t think you did anything wrong.
*Bit of an inappropriate attempt at humour. I moved out of Santo Domingo not long ago.
I know it well. All too well – my sister-in-law was a buyer and later the floor manager for that Plaza Lama.
In fact, after posting this question, I discovered last night that she’d already told my wife about it (although she no longer works there, she still has friends that she talks to) and she had heard about the suicide. (My wife checked Listen Diario last night but it didn’t make the news, apparently).
Hey, considering how long it takes to get through that drive-thru… I’ve considered shooting myself more than once!
(That McDonald’s is actually pretty close to my in-laws house, and Bricker Jr. went through a phase where he ate chicken nuggets almost exclusively, so I spent a fair amount of time there…)
The roof might have absorbed the impact well enough that he could have survived, but it could also have absorbed the impact just well enough to keep him alive, but still left him so damaged he was mentally or physically handicapped for the rest of his life.
Some of the people I work with saw him jump. There were counselors available for those who needed them. I didn’t see the guy, but it unnerved me enough that I went to see the counselor anyway.