The Suicide Hook

Increasingly, through the course of my ministry, there were people who demanded the minister’s time because (they said) they were intending to commit suicide. In reality, they were merely using it as a hook to get money. One man called me and said: “Reverend, if you don’t see me now, I’m going to walk right out of here and kill myself.” But when I got there, he said: “Look, I’ll be straight, I need a buck.” His imminent suicide was not up for discussion. Another example. Late in the night, a man called me, asking to see me immediately. He said: “My wife and I have entered a suicide pact. We're going to do it, if you don’t come and give us money at once.” I didn't see them, and they “lived happily ever after”. OBSERVATION: As time went by, I learnt to suss people out over the phone, as in the second example. A suicidal situation is hard to fake if it’s not really there.