14 DAY TRIAL // Winter holidays can be exciting for most people, but for some it can be stressful and exhausting leading to rushed decisions and acts. 38-year-old Tao Hsiao from China ended up jumping from the 7th floor of a mall after a stressful shopping session with his girlfriend.
The couple went Christmas shopping at Xuzhou's Golden Eagle Shopping Complex, and with all the winter sales and discounts, the girl couldn't get enough, even if her boyfriend was visibly irritated. After the man insisted that five hours in the mall were enough and they should go home, the “shoppaholic” girl pressed him to go to one more shoe shop.
The two got into a strong argument as eyewitnesses reported hearing them yelling over the amount of things they already bought. “He told her she already had enough shoes, more shoes that she could wear in a lifetime and it was pointless buying any more,” one witness said according to Daily Mail.
The girl started shouting and accusing the man of ruining her Christmas, when he dropped the shopping bags and jumped over the balcony of the mall's 7th level. People were shocked as the man fell smashing Christmas decorations on his way down. The impact immediately killed Tao and emergency services came to remove the man's body.
“He actually landed on one of the stalls below and then fell to the floor so although the store was damaged it meant he didn't hit anybody. This is a tragic incident, but this time of year can be very stressful for many people,” a shopping spokesman said, notes Daily Mail. The man fell for seven floors in the weekend crowded mall under the horrified looks of the shoppers and of his girlfriend.
Even if some people consider shopping to be therapeutic, some see it as a very stressful activity, and it may seem Tao just couldn't take it anymore. Sad, but true, this is a very good, literal example of the expression “shop until you die.”