Golden Gate Bridge Suicide Barrier

[Roo]

I just recently had the opportunity to watch a documentary called "The Bridge". Have any of you seen it yet? It is totally haunting.

It is a documentary about people who have committed suicide by jumping off the Golden Gate bridge.

Here is a snip from wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bridge_(2006_film)

Quote:

The Bridge is a 2006 documentary film by Eric Steel that tells the stories of a handful of individuals who committed suicide at the Golden Gate Bridge in 2004. The film was inspired by an article entitled "Jumpers," written by Tad Friend appearing in The New Yorker magazine in 2003. The Bridge focuses on the large number of suicides that occur each year at the Golden Gate Bridge, capturing footage of the suicides and interviewing family members. Also interviewed are people who have attempted suicide at the bridge, witnesses of the suicides, and a jump survivor. The movie was shot with multiple cameras pointed at a notorious suicide spot on the bridge during 2004. It captured 23 people as they took their final plunge, and then offers interviews with grieving families. Steel interviewed relatives of the suicide victims, not informing them that he had footage of their loved ones' deaths. He claimed that "All the family members now, at this point, have seen the film, [and are] glad that they had participated in it." The project was kept a secret in order to avoid a situation where someone would "get it into his or her head to go to the bridge and immortalize him or herself on film." During the filming, one person jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge every 15 days on average. Assuming that the rate remains steady, this means a total of approximately 24 suicides each year. The documentary caused significant controversy when bridge officials charged Steel with misleading them about his intentions. He secured a permit to film the bridge for months and captured 23 of 24 known suicides which took place during the filming phase of the project. In his permit application to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, a government agency that does not have any jurisdiction over the bridge but that does manage nearby park areas, Steel said he intended "to capture the powerful, spectacular intersection of monument and nature that takes place every day at the Golden Gate Bridge"

If you are brave and want to watch it in it's entirety, you can do so HERE.

You will need to register, and be over 18. Be forewarned that the footage in the film and the family stories are very sad and DISTURBING.

There is a lot of controversy over whether there should be a barrier erected to prevent people from jumping.

After seeing this film, I am pretty appalled this has not been done sooner. Barriers were installed on the Empire State Building, the Eiffel Tower and a notorious bridge in Toronto that people were leaping to their deaths from. Now it is pretty much rare to ZERO people that suicide off these monuments.

Here's something about the bridge barrier:

Quote:

Golden Gate Bridge Barrier Lacks Funding Source September 22, 2009 The 2006 film The Bridge documented suicides from the iconic span. It was almost a year ago that local officials decided that the Golden Gate Bridge needed a net constructed to prevent potential suicide jumpers, but with its projected price tag of $50 million, a lack of state funds threatens to delay the project indefinitely. According to Marin County Coroner Ken Holmes, more than 1300 people have died jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge since its construction, an estimate that does not include all bridge suicides or incidences when bodies have not been found. The Bridge Rail Foundation has been campaigning for years to raise the pedestrian safety rail on the Golden Gate Bridge and stop the suicides. While the board of directors for the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District agreed to implement the net system almost a year ago, but it’s fate now seems to come down to funding. “We are waiting for our final environmental review to be released, but once that happens in November, the big question will be funding,” said district spokesperson Mary Currie. “The Board of Directors has set a policy that a physical suicide barrier will not be built using Golden Gate Bridge toll dollars and therefore, the construction will have to be funded with a combination of potential state or federal grant funds and public donations.” The steel-cable net, which is slated to hang 20 feet below the bridge span, could save many people from falling to their death, said Paul Muller, board member of the Bridge Rail Foundation. “The Bridge District just doesn’t have the money for the project but we are optimistic that we can find the funds,” he said. “Bridge suicides are part of the reality of the area but physical prevention would in fact save lives. It has been ignored for so long and the death toll is too high.” He added that since deterrent nets have been constructed in other locations around the world, deaths have reduced dramatically. Tom Ammiano, who advocated for the net as a member of the Board of Supervisors and is now a member of the California Assembly, recently returned from a lobbying trip to Washington D.C. hoping to secure federal funding for this and other projects. But his spokesperson said securing funding would probably require changes in the current transportation legislation. “It is now in the hands of the House and the Senate,” said Ammiano press secretary Quintin Mecke. “If they don’t want to take on crafting a new transportation bill then the date will be pushed back considerably for the potential for new funding.” He added that after having worked very closely with the families of suicide victims, Ammiano is committed to seeing through the project to the end. “This is a challenge and it is not a small amount of money that we are talking, but given the pattern of people using the bridge in times of distress, we think it is the right thing to do.” While the transportation bill is currently being pushed back into 2010, a decision has not yet been made concerning Golden Gate suicide prevention funds, said Jim Berard, communications director for Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minnesota), who chairs the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. “We are aware of the issue and the chairman does know about it, but currently no decisions have been made about how this is going to work into the bill,” he said. “But just because it is not there in black and white does not mean it won’t get in, it is just that we are still working on it. The issue is pending.”

I am curious to read how folks feel about this issue-- not from a political standpoint of course-- but from a human standpoint. Should people be saved from themselves?

[olialm1]

I am in favor of a barrier. I don't know how to say this without offending anyone, but I am very "anti-suicide" if that's what you want to call it. I believe that people can get the help they need and that there is an alternative to death and taking yourself away from loved ones. I am debating whether or not I want to watch the video, but I'm thinking I won't. IMO if there were a barrier it would force people to give their actions a second thought.

[Roo]

^^ I debated about whether to watch the documentary. It's about 1.5 hours long... but I did. I had a personal reason for watching it that I won't get into here, but it had a big impact on me. It also reminded me that not only are people dying and families suffering, but the BYSTANDERS and emergency responders who witness these deaths are traumatized also. Imagine that you are on a nice family vacation and go to see the bridge and your CHILDREN see someone go over the side? If you do the math, chances are actually pretty good that you might see that on a given day. It's not good.

[kavnadoo]

Seems like it's the same all over the world. Recently a disturbed father stopped in peak hour traffic on the West Gate Bridge here in Melbourne. He then got out of the car and to the horror of everyone around him, threw his little girl Darcy Freeman over the railing.

She died of course. He did it to hurt the mother of his children. He is now pleading insanity. He is a murderer. It is all very sad.

That incident really pushed the government to act and install barriers. They're still not completed but at the moment there are safeguards in place (the bridge is being strengthened for an extra lane).

So many people jump off the bridge, it is just not reported. So many times I have seen empty cars. Citylink then comes to push the cars away. Divers go to retrieve bodies. So many of the bodies are embedded in the bed because when people jump in straight, they go into the bed like pins.

[ilovepinkhearts]

^^ wow! how could a father do that to his daughter??...all to hurt the mother. it makes my heart ache. what is wrong with people these days? it's so sad and disturbing.

[domlee]

Having lived in San Francisco...I was interested in watching this video. Thanks for the link!

With that being said...putting up a barrier will not stop someone from choosing a different location.

There are smaller bridges to choose. And it isn't limited to bridges. Just last month, there was a mentally disturbed individual that was considering jumping off a highway overpass near my work. Fortunately law enforcement were able to distract him and tackle the guy to the floor. (They also stopped traffic and set up a large air bag underneath). Another story...and this is years ago...an individual jumped off the parking structure at the mall I worked at. I heard about it from the security guards that worked there. Very tragic.

Am I for the barrier? I would not be opposed to one. Clearly it helps save lives. There are some that say it would look ugly, but that wouldn't bother me one bit.

Should people be saved against themselves? From a standpoint, that is what we do. When we see someone in distress, we try to help them.

Clearly law enforcement and all those affected (families, children, etc), all experience a bit of trauma from dealing w/ this.

[GirlFriday]

I saw this movie and it's very sad. That being said, I think if they don't kill themselves jumping off the bridge they'll find another way. I think it's most important to educate people on the signs of depression and intervene as much as we can when we think someone is contemplating suicide.

It's so difficult because we can't always watch over someone 24/7. The movie was very disturbing because when watching it I was kind of shocked that the film maker just watched/filmed them end their lives without trying to save them. That bothered me.

[everything posh]

I was just at the bridge a couple weekends ago with my husband, my kids and my sister. It was a glorious sunny day in San Francisco and we took so many pictures on the wharf and on the golden gate. To think that we could have easily seen someone go over the edge is chilling to say the least.

This documentary was so sad, to actually SEE the people go over the side of the bridge and hit the water was difficult to watch. A barrier wouldn't be a bad idea, but I wonder how much it would actually change these people's intentions? They can just find another way to do it.

[flashy.stems]

Originally Posted by kavnadoo

Seems like it's the same all over the world. Recently a disturbed father stopped in peak hour traffic on the West Gate Bridge here in Melbourne. He then got out of the car and to the horror of everyone around him, threw his little girl Darcy Freeman over the railing. She died of course. He did it to hurt the mother of his children. He is now pleading insanity. He is a murderer. It is all very sad. That incident really pushed the government to act and install barriers. They're still not completed but at the moment there are safeguards in place (the bridge is being strengthened for an extra lane). So many people jump off the bridge, it is just not reported. So many times I have seen empty cars. Citylink then comes to push the cars away. Divers go to retrieve bodies. So many of the bodies are embedded in the bed because when people jump in straight, they go into the bed like pins.

oh my god.. can i please push this man off the bridge?!?

[HauteMama]

I saw this documentary about a year ago. I just struggle with the idea that if the bridge is taken away as a popular suicide location, another will rise in its place. In some areas "jumpers" refer to people who throw themselves in front of oncoming subway trains. If the bridge is taken off the list as a place or method to end one's life, something else will fill in that spot. People who are determined to die usually are successful, and those who aren't usually make half-hearted attempts in which they know they will be found or caught.

And while a barrier would save bystanders and law enforcement some shock and dismay, it might cause proportionally more severe trauma to families where a loved one commits suicide in the home instead of off the bridge. While losing a loved one, especially to suicide, is traumatizing no matter what, finding the body yourself or witnessing it in the confines of one's own home is surely worse.

However, I would not oppose a barrier. If it even made one person reconsider, it could save many people (family, friends, coworkers, etc.) a lot of grieving.

[cola262]

The barrier will get rid of the impulsive suicides, which I read are a huge majority of them.

Some old news article was about a guy who was retired and became the the guy who stood on the bridge trying to convince people not to kill themselves. And apparently no one died since he took over the bridge. So I'm sure it will work, and give these impulsive people a chance to think it over.

[redney]

It is very tragic that people choose to end their lives in this way. But a barrier on the GG Bridge alone won't help stop the suicides. There's always another way, and in the SF Bay Area, many other bridges.

[yeliab]

They needed to do this a long time ago.

[FashionParadise]

I love the beauty and majesty of the Golden Gate Bridge in her full splendor, but I have a very strong support for the suicide prevention cause and a barrier would prevent a lot of people from jumping to their deaths. True there are other places there would go to if they are bent on their goal, but some of them just want to do it at the bridge for it has been romanticized in a way. Then there are the impulse jumps among others. Even if it prevents one person from ending their life, that means a lot to me and I wholly support it.

We should definitely do more education and intervention about this topic. It's still taboo and nobody will speak about it or people still have misconceptions on suicide. It's so heart-breaking for the survivors after their loved ones die and I think if more people know about it and recognize the signs, we could do save a life.

[LV-PRADAfanatic]

people shoudl be abel to do what they do as long as thye dun endanger other