Oops... I thought I was on the first floor (cue Vonage music...)

KATU.com ^ | April 7, 2006

[presidio9]

A Wisconsin man is warning others about the dangers of binge drinking after he jumped over the edge of a parking garage wall and fell four stories to the pavement below.

Matt Mathe survived the fall, which was caught on surveillance video.

The video shows him running full speed and flipping over the wall. For a split second, he tries to catch himself, but by then it is too late.

Mathe said he was so drunk that he thought he was on the first floor and could simply hop over the wall onto the street.

"It was a mistake," he said. "I can assure you it will never happen again."

Although Mathe survived the fall, he was seriously injured. Firefighters returning to their station across the street spotted him and got him to the hospital.

Mathe broke his spine in two places, several ribs, his pelvis, his shoulder, his collarbone and he punctured both lungs.

He says he has since brought his drinking under control, appreciates life more and always looks before he leaps.

[presidio9]

[SF Republican]

I believe the most famous of these incidents was when van Gough cut off his ear after three days of drinking Pastis, a french drink like Italian grappa or Greek ouzo.

[bkepley]

--He says he has since brought his drinking under control,

Yeah..right.

[Bob]

"It was a mistake," he said.

We now have an early front-runner and odds-on favorite in the "Understatement of the Year" competition.

[RebelBanker]

Well, he TRIED to qualify for a Darwin award...

[Tijeras_Slim]

NOt quite as strong as grappa, but it will mess you up.

[Riley]

A friend of mine did almost this same exact thing- except he wasn't drunk.

[gilor]

The world would be better off had this idiot offed himself.

[theDentist]

Future Darwin nominee.

[sarasota]

The photo explains why/how he got his drinking "under control". He can't move.

[ElkGroveDan]

This happened on a bridge in Santee in San Diego County in 2004.

A guy stopped his car in the middle of the night to assist an accident that had happened on the other side of the freeway. He ran over, put two hands on the waste-high guard rail and jumped into the center median. Only there was no center media. It was a 100 foot high bridge over a canyon. Amazingly the guy survived. That bridge now has a taller guard rail.

Apparently that stretch of road is not lighted so that the some allegedly rare birds in the canyon below aren't disturbed.

[Maceman]

[presidio9]

I believe Van Gogh was drinking absinthe, which is distilled from wormwood, and has halucinogenic properties. Pastis was developed in the early 20th century as a substitute. Both are flavored with anise.

[Jersey Republican Biker Chick]

Some people just can't handle their booze, PING!!

[fhlh]

I have got to see this surveillance video!!

anyone gotta link?

[BenLurkin]

What . . . some lawyer hasn't offered yet to sue the property owner?

[sully777]

[presidio9]

I have got to see this surveillance video!!

anyone gotta link?

Video

[fhlh]

Thanks, but I got
HTTP Error 404 - File or directory not found.

[presidio9]

Just click on the link to the story.

[Living Free in NH]

anyone gotta link?

http://katu.com/entertainment/story.asp?ID=84889

Then click on the "Watch This Story" link.

[capt. norm]

For a split second, he tries to catch himself, but by then it is too late.

That has never worked for Wile E. Coyote....why did he think he could pull it off?

Decades of cartoon education all gone to waste.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Right you are. I should have known that.

[peacebaby]

here in lies the reason I keep my feet on the floor at all times.

[The_Victor]

[Publius6961]

A sobering experience?
Failed Darwin Award candidate?

[hadaclueonce]

hold my beer and watch this ping...

[peacebaby]

gives new meaning to "the higher you rise, the harder you fall."

[Safetgiver]

Where's the "Hold Muh beer...." alert? Great opportunity for one.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

I wanna know what kind of beer this guy was drinking!

[oldsalt]

...three days of drinking Pastis, a french drink like Italian grappa or Greek ouzo.

Pastis and ouzo taste like licorice due to the anise. The Italian licorice tasting stuff would be sambuca.Grappa tastes more like,oh let's say Ronsonol.

At least that's been my experience during a memorable visit to Taranto,Italy.The grappa went down pretty rough,but it refueled my Zippo too!

[martin_fierro]

The grappa that I used to drink in Uruguay was made at the "Administración Nacional de Combustibles, Alcohol y Portland" (National Administration of Fuel, Alcohol and Portland Cement).

[Rakkasan1]

Milwaukee's best.cheesheads.

[Calvin Locke]

Give'im a break. He didn't blame it on racism. He didn't blame it on a "disablity". He didn't blame it on the devil.

Yes, sir, Officer Obie, I cannot tell a lie, I put that envelope under that garbage.

[musicman]

"Oops... I thought I was on the first floor (cue Vonage music...)"

1959 ORIGIONAL 78LP of the WOO-HOO song, resurected by the "5,6,7,8's" in "Kill Bill Vol #1".

OBTW trivia on this song, the "writer", George Donald McGraw, didn't write the song. He heard the band(The Rock-A-Teens) play the song written by the drummer of the group, and he bought the song from them, and in turn then recorded them doing it.

Here's the cut and paste link:

http://users.telerama.com/~agp/Cool_200508.html

[GraniteStateConservative]

Dumbass.

[Calvin Locke]

A guy I knew told me he was in Europe, and was running late one morning, so he figured he just get a glass of OJ.

He goes up to the counter and he couldn't connect language-wise, and he sees a grappa (or similar) poster with
a picture of a grape (grapefruit?). He points, says "grappa". The counter guy repeats "grappa"? He nods.

He said he knew he was in trouble when the other customers start edging closer, and the counter guy turns in to a
bartender, and pours out a measure. He said he felt committed at that point, with everybody looking at him, and
he downed the beverage.

The bartender ended up giving him some carbonated apple juice, or whatever.

[Integrityrocks]

"...brought his drinking under control"

He must still be drunk to make that statement.

[presidio9]

I guessing the drink was limoncello and he thought it was lemonade.

[Ditter]

Oh course this has brought his drinking under control, he can't reach the bottle, silly.

[TonyRo76]

» Both are flavored with anise.

Yuck! I can't stand the taste of licorice...

[greyfoxx39]

That Vonage music makes me want to cut off BOTH my ears!

[greyfoxx39]

.....With a Japanese sword.

[When do we get liberated?]

A former aquaintance of mine wasa cop. He was driving down the street when a guy looked at him and headed off running. This is probable cause to pursue and detain him, so he followed down the street in his cruiser and gave chase on foot. The dude jumped off a 4 foot high wall to find it was a 20 foot wall on the other side. Broke his leg. He had no warrants and was not being looked for. Turns out he was afraid he would get arrested for being drunk and ran as soon as he saw a cop...

[petercooper]

bttt

[petercooper]

http://crillonimporters.com/Absente/art/art-english-vangogh3p.JPG

[freepatriot32]

there is a jreff foxworthy joke in here somewhere :-)

[hadit2here]

He had no warrants and was not being looked for. Turns out he was afraid he would get arrested for being drunk and ran as soon as he saw a cop...

"The guilty flee when none pursue".

Sez 'tall, dun't?