Should Bridges Have Nets to Prevent Suicides?
SodaHead Living
2010/08/05 14:11:26
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15 votes
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78 votes
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What’s more important: The beauty of a bridge or saving a human life?
The San Francisco Bay Area’s transportation committee voted for the latter last month when they agreed to appropriate $5 million in federal funds to design a suicide barrier on the Golden Gate Bridge, Time magazine reports.
Each year, an average of 30 people jump off the bridge — making it the most popular place to commit suicide in the world, according to Time. About 1,300 people have died jumping off the bridge.
But some local areas don’t want to change a thing about the famous bridge – or its amazing view.
"Local citizens are very vocal about their love of the bridge and they don't want it altered," Mary Currie, spokeswoman for the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, told Time.
In New York, more than 25 people committed suicide on the Tappan Zee Bridge from 1998-2008, according to the New York State Thruway Authority. Rather than adding a net, the NYSTA added four phones to the bridge that connect callers to suicide prevention counselors. Signs reading, "Life is Worth Living" and "When it seems like there is no hope, there is help" have been placed on the bridge.
Should Bridges Have Nets to Prevent Suicides? ?
The San Francisco Bay Area’s transportation committee voted for the latter last month when they agreed to appropriate $5 million in federal funds to design a suicide barrier on the Golden Gate Bridge, Time magazine reports.
Each year, an average of 30 people jump off the bridge — making it the most popular place to commit suicide in the world, according to Time. About 1,300 people have died jumping off the bridge.
But some local areas don’t want to change a thing about the famous bridge – or its amazing view.
"Local citizens are very vocal about their love of the bridge and they don't want it altered," Mary Currie, spokeswoman for the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, told Time.
In New York, more than 25 people committed suicide on the Tappan Zee Bridge from 1998-2008, according to the New York State Thruway Authority. Rather than adding a net, the NYSTA added four phones to the bridge that connect callers to suicide prevention counselors. Signs reading, "Life is Worth Living" and "When it seems like there is no hope, there is help" have been placed on the bridge.
Should Bridges Have Nets to Prevent Suicides? ?
Read More: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,200...
Top Opinion
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Knot_RIch 2010/08/05 14:32:07No, taxpayers shouldn't pay for this.
+6Darwin's theory at work. If these adults are so unable to cope that they want to end their lives, hey, who am I to stand in their way. It's not the bridge making them jump, it's just another tool, if they're so bent on ending their lives and they can't use that bridge, they'll find another or use some other method. How do these politicians propose to stop them from killing themselves one way or another, write another law? If we do stop them, then what, the taxpayers are expected to spend tens of thousands of dollars on some kind of psychiatric counseling, pay for the country club membership of another shrink so some clown doesn't try cutting his wrists next time? I say, if someone wants to kill themselves, by all means go right ahead, get out of the way of the people who want to live, build them a diving board, hey, CA is broke, put a toll booth at the entrance, just stay off the road or you might get run over.
After all, there's worse things than death.
This has nothing to do with the aesthetics of the bridge.
It's their life, and they should have a right if they want to die or not.
The way things are today, I'm surprised we aren't hearing about jumpers all over the place. Should we hang nets from skyscrapper to skyscrapper, too. That actually might have saved a lot of lives on 9/11 of people who really did not want to die, but I don't realistically see how it could be done. Of course, riplines might be more appropriate for tall buildings to allow many people to escape to a neighboring building quickly in the case of fire or terrorist attack in their own building. The needed equipment could be stored near the lines just like life jackets on ships and the people working nearest such escape routes could be trained to help people get away quickly and safely as possible or arrive to the other building. That is a thought.
_THE STORY OF A DEPRESSED PERSON AND A CONVENIENT RANDOM BRIDGE_
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One day, Billy Jason was walking down the street, thinking how much his life sucked. He couldn't do it anymore. He had to get out. It was like he was stuck in a dark cold place and death only seemed like his way out. He didn't know what was beyond this life, but he was about to find out.
He was walking down the street and looked around. When was he going to do this? And how? Oh look, he thought,a nice convenient bridge. Then yadda yadda he was gone.
_____________________________...
How the hell are we suppose to know it's a convenient way to die for a depressed person? We just use it for transportation! Not a way to die! I mean, what are we suppose to do? Put up a sign and say, "Depressed people do not go further than this line." And then you draw a big yellow line! Or a net? Really? Wow. What if that person misses aim? You are just making matters complicated. They'll just find another way to die. Wait, if this happens, you'll see an "increase" in people going off skyscrapers. Then maybe we'll have to put up jail fences on the pretty skyscrapers.
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I'm kidding about that (as far as you know), but seriously... what are we supposed to do, wrap the planet in bubble-wrap?
How about we spend that money on Americans that aren't trying to kill themselves?
A barrier isn't going to stop people who want to kill themselves from doing so.