Golden Gate Bridge Suicide Barrier

[kimberf]

I started out thinking the barrier was a silly idea, and that people would just find another way. However, there was a great series in the SF Chronicle a while ago that changed my mind to a large extent, since for most people it's apparently an impulse thing. The people who are stopped don't go on to kill themselves by some other means. The safety rails on the bridge are only four feet high, so it's easy to get over in just a few seconds. I think railings on playground climbing structures aren't much lower than that.

Here's a link to the series: http://www.sfgate.com/lethalbeauty/. For me, it's hard to read it and still be opposed to the barrier.

I do believe that it can be the case where people, in a moment of despair, follow an impulse, but they wouldn't have done it otherwise. Sadly, we've had four teenagers commit suicide in front of Caltrain trains in the last few months in my town. I doubt any of them would have killed themselves if the train option hadn't been available and in the news so much, or at least would have picked some far less effective means of trying to commit suicide and would have been alive to get help.