Anti-suicide safety net set for Golden Gate Bridge

[rebgirl420]

Anti-suicide safety net set for Golden Gate Bridge

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) â?? San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge may soon be rigged with a safety net to deter people from jumping to their deaths from the world-famous landmark, official records showed Monday.

The Golden Gate Transportation District has voted in favor of installing the net pending the results of studies into its environmental impact, according to a statement on the district's website.

The plastic-covered steel net would extend six meters on either side of the bridge and would cost between 40-50 million dollars, local media reported. It is likely to be several years before the netting is installed, reports said.

The Golden Gate district voted 14 to 1 in favor of installing the netting at a meeting on Friday attended by around 50 people including psychiatrists, suicide prevention experts and relatives of bridge suicides.

More than 10 million tourists visit the Golden Gate Bridge annually, but the landmark also has the distinction of being the world's number one suicide destination. The number peaked in 1970 with 40 reported suicides from the famous span.

Golden Gate suicides were the subject of a 2006 documentary entitled "The Bridge" which chronicled the stories of a handful of 2004 suicide jumpers.

Since the bridge was built in 1937, at least 1,250 people have jumped to their deaths according to local coroners.

AFP: Anti-suicide safety net set for Golden Gate Bridge (http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jvMb3vEF-gRnxQAiET6Wni_dLpkg)

Holy shit. You would have thought they would have already done this...

[Priincesss]

Hey, good idea, but I say let em jump... there just gunna go to a different bridge or do it another way anyways... but I guess it couldn't hurt trying it out right?

[Stoner Shadow Wolf]

it wont work. they WILL find a way to get around it.



enclose the whole fucking bridge, and they will climb the set, extend it only across the sides, and they will still climb across.

HELL if anything this only makes it harder to rescue them, so i say do it. they deserve an easier way out anyways...

[psychocat]

Hey, good idea, but I say let em jump... there just gunna go to a different bridge or do it another way anyways... but I guess it couldn't hurt trying it out right?

Some of them go to a place near where I live and I don't think they would get permission to put nets all along the possible "jump" sites . :D

Since the 1600s Beachy Head has been notorious as a location for people to attempt suicide, estimated at 20 each year. There are regular day and evening patrols by the Beachy Head Chaplaincy Team, and a special telephone box with a direct line to The Samaritans.
After a steady increase in deaths between 2002 and 2005, there was a marked decrease in 2006 with only seven fatalities, a reduction attributed by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to the actions of the Chaplaincy Team and local media.
During a recovery effort in 2008, British coastguard crew were nearly crushed by a second suicider who drove off the cliff and narrowly missed rescuers.

'Suicide' man drives off cliff and almost crushes coastguards trying to rescue ANOTHER man who jumped into sea | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1049621/Suicide-man-drives-cliff-crushes-coastguards-trying-rescue-ANOTHER-man-jumped-sea.html)

The news even made it to American shores.

FOXNews.com - Driver Nearly Crushes Rescuers Trying to Recover Another Jumper at 'Suicide' Cliff - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,411501,00.html)

[Stoner Shadow Wolf]

LOL what is it with all the lame suicide attempts? if you're gonna kill yourself, DO IT WITH STYLE! :D



Jump off a really tall building onto someone's car, or aim for a stop light. or convince police to shoot you down lol that's always a good one :D


Yes, i am promoting suicide, but only because i promote all expressions of free will that do not directly interfere with the freedom of equal expression of will power of others.

[Weedywildwoman]

40-50 million dollars? I would rather they put tax dollars into other suicide prevention methods. This is not a solution, but a reaction to the documentary...

[BeefsMyFav]

40-50 million dollars? I would rather they put tax dollars into other suicide prevention methods. This is not a solution, but a reaction to the documentary...

yeah.... a huge waste of money, extends 6 meters out? so basically jump roll/crawl 6 meters jump again

[8182KSKUSH]

That is one of the funniest fucking stories I have read in a long long time.
WOW, how stupid are those people that voted for this?
Oh wait, where is this at? Oh yeah, nevermind.:wtf:
That's the land of highly educated young Obama worshippers. Before anyone attacks me, I would like to know exactly whom all of the supporters of this were, and their party affiliation. I bet I won't be surprised.:D

[Greenthing]

If someone is hell bent on taking their own life they will come hell or high water.
And like someone has already stated they will find somewhere else to do it.
I wonder if its just because the bridge is a famous landmark that they are doing it.

[psychocat]

Copycat suicide is believed to be the reason behind the popularity of certain sites such as The Golden Gate and Beachy Head.

"In The Copycat Effect, I report on the 2003 deaths of Louis Gillies, 36, and Michael Gooden, 35. They met on the internet, exchanged messages, and decided to kill themselves together. Journeying to the famous "suicide cliff" of Beachy Head, they were going to jump together. Gillies did and died. Police charged Gooden with assisting the Gillies suicide, but before standing trial, he was found hanged in his home on April 22, 2003, when he failed to appear at court".

posted by Loren Coleman

The Copycat Effect: October 2005 (http://copycateffect.blogspot.com/2005_10_01_archive.html)

[seattlesmoke247]

this is stupid they will find another way..

[Jerry Garcia 2007]

Another thing to waste money on just so they can say they are doing something about it even though it won't work. Hell now that they are even considering it the next jumpers parents are going to sue the city saying it was there fault because the net was not installed sooner. Watch bet it will happen!

Even better, Watch when the first jumper hits the net and then bounces right off the edge. There's a law suite.:D:D

[happiestmferoutthere]

We are actually having the same issue with one of our local bridges ( the link has a picture of it). Depressed kids jump off, so they want a suicide barrier put up. One of the most beautiful views I've seen ( 730 feet high! its the tallest in CA. it's the bridge in the opening of XXX.), and they want to block it off with a suicide barrier. Foresthill Bridge - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foresthill_Bridge)
I agree that they will find another way to kill themselves. It sucks to ruin it for the millions who cross it for the few who jump.:(

[dragonrider]

I live in the SF Bay area, and I'm not really in favor of this net. But I did want to mention that the suicide experts say that many cases where people jump from birdges are almost impulsive or the resut of a short-term and treatable medical depression. It's not realy accurate to say that all these people are determined to kill themselves and will find another way. Some of them are determined and will end up kiling themselves one way or another. But many will get over it if they don't have a simple, quick and easy way to jump off the bridge.

[seattlesmoke247]

A gun is a quicker, simpler, and easier way to kill yourself.

[illnillinois]

LOL, shit tell the person to carry a pair of scissors or wire cutters when they jump..

Jump, get caught in net, cut your way out, fall to water, die, bloat up, and feed the sea life..
Not really seeing a problem here..

[seattlesmoke247]

LOL, shit tell the person to carry a pair of scissors or wire cutters when they jump..



Agreed, I would just tie a rock to my feet so when I hit the net a huge rock landed on me, hopefully crushing my head.