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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhy would anybody do this?
The man was seen engulfed in flames running across the Swinging Bridge before he collapsed; witnesses put out the fire
A man who set himself on fire in downtown Arroyo Grande on Monday afternoon was airlifted to a burn center in Fresno for treatment, according to police.
The man, estimated to be about 50 years old, suffered severe burns to most of his body, Arroyo Grande police said. He was not identified.
Read more here: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2012/09/03/2210726/man-sets-himself-on-fire-in-arroyo.html#storylink=cpy
It happened today in my home town. I wonder what made him so desperate? Fortunately, the merchants and residents of the Arroyo Grande Village are notable for rescuing chickens, feral cats and any other destitute animal that wanders into the village so they were quick to rescue this unhappy human as well.
We know nothing of why he did it, but maybe I could speculate it was a Labor Day statement, maybe someone who has been unemployed for a long time. We have a very high unemployment rate in this area with hundreds of applicants vying for every job that becomes available most of which are minimum wage.
I wonder how many more will do something this dramatic out of destitution and desperation. I often thought of something similar myself if I ever found myself without Social Security and Medicare, however, I would make sure that I did it on the steps of my Congressman Kevin McCarthy. I really don't mean it but I wonder how many others would? I mean the only other choice would be to join the homeless. How many old people would have the fortitude to live in a ditch somewhere?
limpyhobbler
(8,244 posts)Raine
(30,540 posts)Cleita
(75,480 posts)Here's an update: http://www.ksby.com/news/man-airlifted-to-burn-center-in-fresno-after-officials-say-he-lit-himself-on-fire/
Not so much the main story but the comments from people who witnessed this.
On holiday weekends we get invaded by people from the Central Valley, mostly Fresno and Bakersfield. These are not the poor field hands but the more affluent, white and very Rwing people. They are often jerks to deal with. I wonder if this was a homeless man who was sleeping in the public bathroom and one of these mean-spirited out-of-towners decided to set him on fire? The fact that he ran to the creek tells me that he wanted to put out the fire.
Of course, this is only speculation on my part. I hope the man lives so he can tell us what happened.
Raine
(30,540 posts)I know some years back in Santa Barbara it was "sport" to young thugs to do awful things to the homeless. They called the homeless trolls (because they lived under bridges and overpasses) they would attack them, beat them, take their things. The thugs wanted to scare them out of the city, they felt they had no right to be there.
Le Taz Hot
(22,271 posts)residents of Fresno and/or Bakersfield? Really? With absolutely NO evidence, just the fact that you hate the residents. You know, I was wondering when some nasty remark about Fresno/Bakersfield was going to show up in this thread and, sure enough, it did -- by the OP no less. It's like fucking Pavlov's Dog with some people.
Now, if/when they find out that this man was NOT set on fire by the residents of Fresno/Bakersfield, you will issue a contraction and apology, right?
Those people "invading" "your" city also spend tourista dollars which is the ONLY thing that keeps Arroyo Grande on the map so you can get off your fuckin' high horse.
Cleita
(75,480 posts)You seem to think everyone from the Central Valley is wonderful. I'm sure there are many wonderful people from there, but the fact is that many of you are not so wonderful and it seems that whenever we have incidents here, it's also on holiday weekends when we also have a bunch of recreational visitors from Fresno and Bakersfield. I hope you know you are protecting a bunch of right wing morans who have no regard for anyone else's homes, streets and wilderness areas, which is why your Valley is toxic from the way those same morans you are protecting run things. You "good" people don't seem to be able to turn things around because you are in the minority and really can't apologize for their actions, can you? Just recently, one of your meat slaughterhouses was closed down for the cruelty within its walls.
Most of us don't care about the tourista dollars and don't need them. It contributes nothing to the residents here. We would do nicely without the tourista dollars. It's the Marriott, Hilton and all the fast food chains that make money there from the visitors and it's the college kids from Cal-Poly who get all the jobs they offer. So you can take your high horse back to Fresno. It makes a mess pooping all over our streets. Will you apologize if I'm right? I hope that poor man survives so we can find out what happened. Also, if there was in fact a perpetrator and he was an out-of-towner, he's long gone and probably won't be found.
loli phabay
(5,580 posts)hate.
Cleita
(75,480 posts)the out-of-towners from the valley were jerks? Yet, they all swoop in and accuse me of it because there are certain DUers from those places who cannot stand any criticism no matter how true it may be. They are entitled to feel entitled but they aren't entitled to their facts and the fact is that the majority of valley people are GOOPers and like those RWingers don't care about anyone but themselves.
The sooner they own it the better. My burgh has too many Rwingers in it too and I have Kevin McCarthy for a Congressman, and Abe Maldonado for my state senator for chrissakes. But I don't try to polish the turd when my town is criticized for it. I admit they are assholes and the people who vote them into office are assholes.
SalviaBlue
(2,910 posts)What a sick suggestion.
I hope no Rwing Fresno burn doc/nurse treats him... They might finish him off, right?
Cleita
(75,480 posts)I guess Fresno couldn't help him.
Cleita
(75,480 posts)SalviaBlue
(2,910 posts)craigmatic
(4,510 posts)Cleita
(75,480 posts)He didn't do it in public, for all to see, but in a bathroom.
LadyHawkAZ
(6,199 posts)Went to school a couple of blocks away.
This is sad.
HappyMe
(20,277 posts)I hope he recovers. Burns aren't an easy thing to heal.
You may eventually find out why.
LiberalAndProud
(12,799 posts)I speculate it was a stupid accident.
A new method of manufacturing methamphetamine, designed to get around laws restricting sale of the ingredients needs to make meth, is spreading across the country and law enforcement officials claim the new "shake and bake" process is even more dangerous than the old makeshift meth labs.
One wrong move and the concoction can explode into a large fireball, authorities say.
Smaller, Mobile Meth Labs
The old meth labs required hundreds of pseudoephedrine pills, containers heated over open flames and cans of flammable liquids. The cooking process created foul odors making the labs difficult to conceal. They often sparked explosions.
The shake and bake method requires only a few pseudoephedrine pills, circumventing laws passed restricting the sale of large quantities of over-the-counter decongestants, cold and allergy remedies.
The new method requires little room. All of the necessary items can be carried in a backpack, making the process mobile. Drug users are making meth while driving around in their cars and throwing the used plastic bottles, containing a poisonous brown and white sludge, along the highway.
Cleita
(75,480 posts)Would a meth producer use gasoline for cooking? I mean that's pretty stupid.
LiberalAndProud
(12,799 posts)That line made me laugh, because meth producers are pretty stupid by definition.
In answer to your question, strong odors would be associated with the shake and bake production. We're depending on a witness' identification of an odor. It could as easily have been the smell of paint thinner, which is definitely used in meth production.
If I were to lay odds ...
Cleita
(75,480 posts)is attempted suicide, some evidence doesn't add up.
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2012/09/05/2212990/man-who-set-himself-on-fire-in.html
But it will have to remain as stated unless friends and family try to get at the truth.
loli phabay
(5,580 posts)suicide, not every cop is out there trying to cover up every homicide that happens and people do kill themselves for a whole host of reasons and in different ways.
progressivebydesign
(19,458 posts)San Luis Obispo County, btw, has some of the lowest unemployment rates in California. California is over 10%, SLO County is 8.5%. Doubt he set himself on fire because he couldn't find a job. Usually there is more to it.. most of the suicides I've known about personally, have been over relationships + depression.
Cleita
(75,480 posts)There are three of us on the road I live on who have become unemployed this year. Every job we go for, usually minimum wage service jobs have between 100 and 200 applicants. We have been comparing notes. Fortunately, we all have other sources of income like a spouse that works, rental income or in my case Social Security. I don't think that rate is that low. I think maybe they aren't counting everyone who has run out their unemployment and are still unemployed.
Fumesucker
(45,851 posts)LadyHawkAZ
(6,199 posts)to work in that paid well: the prison, the government, and Diablo Canyon. Everyone else worked essentially in service industry because the area relies heavily on tourism. There were a whopping number of underemployed. The area hasn't changed much, and I doubt that's changed either, although they've added the fresh hell of Wal-Marts since I left.
Cleita
(75,480 posts)operate as independent businesses. However, So, County here relies heavily on retirees. It's what keeps the economy going especially the doctors and other medical businesses. We have so many more new medical center parks than were here before you left. The tourists mainly feed the chain business, McDonalds et al, the gas stations, the hotels which today are mostly chains like Hilton and Marriott. They don't really contribute to the economy at all except to provide low paying jobs to the student population.
The nuke plant is still here and we are trying to get it shut down.