Updated at 1:45 p.m.
A 22-year-old Evanston woman jumped off the Maple Avenue garage in downtown Evanston at about 11 a.m. today and was taken to Evanston Hospital, where her condition at midday was critical, but stable, police reported.
Evanston Police Dept. Cmdr. Jay Parrott said the woman, whose name was not released, jumped off the west side of the garage, facing the railroad tracks, from the fourth-floor rooftop.
The incident occurred just nine days after a man jumped to his death from the 12th floor roof of the Sherman Plaza garage.
Cameras? Security?
Aren't these garages monitored via cameras by onsite security personnel?
Assuming any suspicious activity is observed, could we at least get a statement as to whether or not preventive or deterrent action can be taken?
Time to Take Down the Sculpture
I find the sculpture on the Maple Avenue garage showing two people teetering on a beam to be disturbing, particularly in light of these incidents. It's as if we're encouraging people to play on top of tall buildings.
Blame Art
Predictable that someone would blame art work. Never mind the mental state of the person jumping. Maybe we should limit all buidings to one level. Problem solved. Your logic is laughable.
Art is in the eyes of the
Art is in the eyes of the beholder. Many people may not feel that piece should be described as art.
Off-topic maybe?
So let me get this straight: a woman jumps off a 4-story garage and you all are arguing about art?
Really?
Censorship?
Based on the logic expressed above, all art, in order to protect the public, ought to be abstract. But then just imagine what might be deduced from an abstraction. Censorship is not the answer. The apparent inability to express and remedy some pain led to this and the other tragedy.
garage events
Thanks Joe and Lisa for the hilarious, illogical statements. Cameras cannot prevent anyone from jumping…it only takes a few seconds to leap, and a security person could not possibly get to the jumper in time. And…I never heard of a piece of art coercing anyone to commit suicide…..thanks Bob…..I got a chuckle over this! I think the next time I see "The Scream", I may want to start screaming.
It’s All Illogical.
True, cameras alone cannot prevent someone from doing anything. But cameras will catch someone climbing over a barrier, and unless the act of jumping immediately follows, I believe that intervention is possible.
And while I understand that a work of art can both consciously and unconsciously influence or inspire behavior, it must be understood that anything can serve as a catalyst for action or its interruption. A car salesman offers you a cup of coffee because the warmth of that cup will "prime" you to, in effect, like him.
Anyway, I'm always pleased to provide levity, if not insight, to an otherwise tragic event.