Sunday, 14 February 2010
Golden Gate bridge
So I just saw this article and am a little unsure about the whole thing. If someone is determined enough to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge they must be pretty strongly suicidal, and so if they know that isn't going to work they will probably just do something else. I think I agree with the view that the article says some people hold - that $50million could be better spent on MH services. Or I might just be pissed off because I have always liked the idea of jumping off the Golden Gate bridge.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I regularly read a newsgroup that is pro-choice re: suicide. Some of the (now former, obviously) members threw themselves off it, which I too thought was a cool way to go. But apparently of late they've been employing police officers to patrol it, specifically to stop jumpers. And now this abject idiocy. What a complete waste of public money, which as you say could so easily have been spent where it can make a difference.
ReplyDeleteBesides, the suicides will just chuck themselves off the Bay Bridge instead ;)
I was on the Golden Gate in 2003. Should've just thrown myself off then before all this nonsense. And I'm kind of aggrieved cos these stupid nets will ruin the majesty of the bridge reaching into the sky :(
Mmmm, probably the same newsgroup that I used to avidly read. I do think this net thing is a waste of money. That is an awful lot of money to spend, and it could be used to actually help people, whereas spending it on this won't actually achieve anything, as it won't stop people killing themselves. I suppose police officers is kind of fair enough - they have to be seen to be making some kind of effort to stop people, but that isn't costing 50 million dollars.
ReplyDeleteWould be a nice way to go, wouldn't it...
ReplyDeleteThere is a documentary about people jumping off it, it was really interesting and crazy the amount of people who do actually end their lives that way. It's called The Bridge and you can download it from torrent sites and the like. It's worth a watch although possibly not when you are feeling suicidal! But yes I think investment into better mental health would be more beneficial - prevention rather than cure is always meant to be the key isn't it?!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I watched that when it was on TV a year or 2 back, it was very interesting.
ReplyDeleteIt's actually a pretty nasty way to go
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment :-)
ReplyDeletePersonally I wouldn't advocate jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge ;)
Sarah x
That documentary 'The Bridge' made it perfectly clear just how unpleasant jumping off the Golden Gate could be. One of its achievements was that it avoided romanticising that particular method of suicide. It interviewed survivors who described the pain and trauma they experienced. Rest assured it is not 'a nice way to go'.
ReplyDeleteNeither blunt force trama nor drowning are terribly romantic.
ReplyDeleteNot that I've never dreamed about what it might be like to fly for a moment.
Yeah, I remembered writing in my diary after watching that documentary: 'Just for a moment there it must feel like flying'.
ReplyDeleteI always liked the idea of jumping off a bridge, so if my life goes the way is going I will soon fly to USA and jump off the golden gate bridge.
ReplyDelete