Suicide jumpers and rails

[bertusgeert 1]

I know it's grim, but I thought it relavent...
(Please remove if innapropriate for any reason. Or edit it if this is considered site naming.)

From the latest Economist issue:
(http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=7041223)

KEVIN HINES, a manic-depressive, was 19 and in one of his weekly downswings on an overcast Monday morning in 2000. He went to the nearby Golden Gate Bridge to kill himself mostly because, with only a four-foot (1.2-metre) railing to leap, “I figured it was the easiest way.” He dived over, but flipped and hit the water at 75mph with his feet first. His legs were crushed, but he somehow stayed conscious and started paddling with his upper body until the Coast Guard fished him out.

Mr Hines is one of 26 people who have survived suicide attempts at the bridge, but 1,223 are known to have succeeded (ie, were seen jumping or found floating). People are throwing themselves off the bridge at the rate of two a month, which makes it the most popular place in the world for suicides. One book on the subject says that the Golden Gate is “to suicide what Niagara Falls is to honeymooners”.

Many San Franciscans think that the solution is to emulate the Empire State Building, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Eiffel Tower, St Peter's basilica and other such places and put up a simple barrier. This, however, is a decision for the 19 board members of the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, an entity that oversees the bridge itself and the buses and ferries that operate in the area. Most of its revenues come from tolls and fares, and the district loses money. A barrier would cost between $15m and $25m.

So the Psychiatric Foundation of Northern California, which has adopted the barrier as its cause, considers it a success that the board has merely allowed a feasibility study, for which various private and public donors have raised $2m. Mel Blaustein, a director at the foundation, has heard several arguments against a barrier over the years—too ugly, too expensive, and so forth—but the most persistent has been that people would simply kill themselves somewhere else, so why bother? This is nonsense, he says; “Most suicides are impulsive and preventable.” A bridge without a barrier, adds Pat Hines, Kevin's father, is “like leaving a loaded gun in the psychiatric ward.”

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As jy dom is moet jy bloei!

[cesslon 0]

pretty much every survivor said within a second of jumping they changed there mind, most likely the shock of freefall slapped them out of there dark mood for that moment

so its 1 argument for putting up a barrier

[tr027 0]

I'm still wondering why the "Highway and Transportation District" owes a duty to the citizens to take unreasonably extensive measures to protect the citizens from themselves. A local initiative should be put in to allow the citizens to accept or deny it and pay for it out of taxes if they want it.

"The evil of the world is made possible by nothing but the sanction you give it. " -John Galt from Atlas Shrugged, 1957

[Velopilot 0]

I agree completely. I'd be pissed if I had to pay for that stupid barrier. Now paying to install an elevator that would take these people all the way to the top so they can get the job done right the first time wouldn't be a bad idea. Then all the BASE jumpers could hide there rigs and get free jumps for posing like suicidal maniacs. Just kidding about the elevator to help people kill themselves. I'm not that heartless.................or am I.

[cessna54tango 0]

we have a 200 foot bridge in the middle of a highly populated and traveled town. it goes right over the town for the pa turnpike. at least 3 people take the plunge a year onto the road below. one guy missed a bunch of highschool kids walking to burger king by 5 feet. just this past fall the turnpike comission put up a "jumper fence". it was never BASEd.