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skywaybridge.comments2022 updated: 06.26.22 |
contact/comment barrier comments commenteering through the years: latest comments are at the top. (our responses to comments follow.) comments do not appear immediately, please be patient. if we post your comment, it will be found on the page most appropriate to your subject matter or on this page. 06.26.22, Brad G., Just sharing my experience in relation to the Sunshine Bridge. In 2010 my wife committed suicide in Florida. Not by the bridge. We had been together for 25 years (since childhood) and it devestated me. I was in Sarasota at the time, she killed herself in Clearwater. Over the following year or so, I contemplated suicide. Well, I really didn't contemplate it, I planned it. My first "attempt" was going to be the Sunshine Skyway bridge. For no reason in particular, I just had to travel across it on the way to my business and it seemed easy enough. On the drive to the bridge, I had the radio on. A news article came on about jumpers on the bridge, no shit. But it was talking about how they always didn't die and even when they did it wasn't as instant as they likely thought. Well, that talked me out of it ;) I won't go into my other plans, let's just suffice it to say, I for sure didn't want to stay on the planet, really wasn't afraid to die (but surely didn't want to suffer) and for whatever reason, like didn't want me to do just that. Took me about 4 to 5 years to recover from her suicide, maybe 8 to "fully" recover, but I have, and now happily married living life. All that being said, my wife took her life. It wasn't by a bridge, it was a drug overdose by someone who was not a drug user. It would have been a bridge if that wasn't available, and if not a bridge a gun, or whatever method she decided to choose. I have read some of the hate mail you have and what I do know from experiencing her death, people want to blame someone or something. In my case, her family blamed me. In your case, your site. Suicide sucks. It's a horrible thing to experience as a husband. But the idea that your site is somehow promoting that seems just preposterous to me. (thank you for your story and for sticking around to tell it. as you lived it, your desire to end yourself was temporary. you worked it out and have a new lease on life and we wish you the best of it. your wife's family needed someone else to blame. surely, it can't be their daughter/sibling's fault. sadly, you were the chosen one. understanding their point of view, however flawed it is, helps get them past blaming her, when in fact, it was her doing. bottom line, we are responsible for our own self-end. be well.) 06.01.22, 7:40am, Susan D., facebookdm, When will the bridge change the lighting for Pride Month? 06.01.22, in a hurry? skywaybridge.com/lights 06.01.22, Susan D., Well, sadly,at least on the St Pete side, last year apparently yall needed Jacksonville to do it first. And June is Pride month. So Im kinda puzzled by the rude response I got. 06.01.22, again, skywaybridge.com/lights 06.01.22, Susan D., I didnt realize youre no one actually connected to the skyway. (not following an offered link, is akin to lazy people never listening to their voicemails.)  04.24.22, Leah R., facebook, I think maybe the netting may need to be reinspected and reevaluated and maybe the company that put the netting up needs to change what they did because too many people are bypassing this 04.24.22, the fence barrier can be climbed, scaled, and/or circumvented in several ways. primarily, it is doing what it is designed to do. so far, it has stopped roughly 90% of the typical flow of skyway suicides. can more be done? sure, and i bet more will be done, but who knows how or when. (this exchanged was spawned by this incident.) 04.14.22, Scott W., Indiana/Florida, Hello, I have been fascinated with the Skyway Bridge for many years, almost obsessed you could say. I can just sit and stare at that bridge from the piers for hours. I came across this site a few weeks ago. I started in and could not stop. My eyes were almost bleeding, I was taking in so much so fast. Took me almost a week to get through it all. Just Wow! I was astonished at the amount of information you have compiled about the leapers over the years and the historic accounts. I was fascinated by the leapers and their stories. I will have them in mind the next time I'm out there. I have to say that one of my favorite things about this site is the hate mail. I was laughing so hard, my stomach literally hurt while trying to suppress my laughter in front of my wife and kids. (try it) try holding in your laughter for any extended period of time. Best time i've had in a while. Your responses to these nuts were priceless. I do wonder which fascinates you more, the bridge itself or the ones who leap from it? I'm probably 50/50 myself. I think you've done a fantastic job, this will be a site I frequent over time. Is this a nearly full time job for you? This has to take an exhausting amount of work. I have never made donations to these types of things, but I think this site is worthy of giving you fifteen bucks, just to show some support. I hope the social justice warriors do not get you shut down. Sick of those clowns that try to stifle free speech. I don't mean to ramble on but I wanted to drop a note and say job well done! If there is any other skyway material that you think might interest me, please pass it on to me by E-mail if you have time. I would love to get a copy of Bill Deyoung's book about the Skyway disaster with the account of John Lerro, that story is amazing. I never got to finish it at a friends a few years back. I would like to buy a signed copy from the author, I understand he lives in St.Pete somewhere, and was responsible for the monument that was made at the bridge. If I had to guess, you are probably familiar with him, or maybe are him.(I don't expect you to tell me if you were) my mind wanders sometimes:) Anyway I think you taken a great leap (pun intended) of faith and brought some joy to the lives of us everyday drones. Take Care and give me a shout if you have the time. All The Best Scott 04.14.22, thanks for your email and good words about the website. every so often, we get notice that someone went down the skyway website rabbit hole. there are around 300 pages of info, more if you include the separate skyway bridge disaster companion website. out of all the pages comprising the website, our favorite part is the hate mail pages. sadly, the hate mail isn't what it used to be. the last few years have been relatively slow in the hate department. hands down, it's the jumpers that are the focus of the site. all the other stuff is a result of collecting and adding as we found it. keep in mind, that this all started in 1998 about jumpers off the skyway, in the form of a guessing pool, where people could guess when the next one would seek the afterlife by jumping off the bridge. in the meantime, there's been decades of adding whatever we find or is offered by people, such as yourself. we actually spend little time on it for a while now. other than adding bits like this, there's not much new to add. when there is jumper activity, things obviously spark up, but quickly fade by the day's end, for sure the next day after. this is the way of the internet. things are hot for 15 minutes and then people move on to the next 15 minute thing. while we appreciate any and all donations, don't feel obligated. it's ok if you don't. i am not bill deyoung, but you might be able to purchase a signed book, if you ask him and buy one. pretty sure he can be found on the facebooks or some other interwebs thing. again, thank you for your email and kind words, be well. 04.14.22, Scott W., I just received your kind response. I forked over a few bucks as it was definitely worth the price of the entertaining hate mail alone. I would strongly suggest that anyone who's having a bad day to go here and get a few laughs. In my case a ton!(guess I'm just sick that way) Anyway, maybe my donation will land me on the Skyway Wall of Shame! Guess there could be worse places to be, although none are coming to mind. Again, I'm rambling here, guess I need to lay off the medication. Albeit, I could give the opposite advice for a lot of folks on here. All The Best! Scott 04.14.22, thank you so much for your support. you are indeed listed on the "skyway wall of shame"! 04.02.22, Gus, I think what ur doing is educational 👍 (thank you, we try.) 02.15.22, Harrison W., facebook pm, people really want to still end there lives on that bridge very badly even if the fence is installed so let them die if they are suicidal. Let them go do not save there lives. the only way to escape Covid and stress. 02.15.22, thank you, captain happy. 02.15.22, Harrison W., Suicide will never go away. I want to jump off that bridge. suicides will contiue 02.15.22, pretty sure you do not want to jump off the bridge, but would rather seek help with your feelings. virtually everyone that survived the jump, indicated they regretted it the second they jumped. chances are, you would too. seriously, seek help, be well. 02.15.22, Harrison W., facebook post 1, Look you guys let people die if they cannot take anymore with covid or other things like depression. They will just go somewhere or find another way like shooting themselves ok. later, on yet another public post: 02.15.22, Harrison W., facebook post 2, Come on take the fence away. Take in away take it away take it away. Look i did not say I would jump but they will. and you will not stop them at all 02.15.22, you did write, "I want to jump off that bridge.", so... then it just goes on... 02.15.22, Harrison W., facebook post 3, Let me die let me die let me die let me die on the skyway bridge or jump somewhere else and die. the golden gate bridge is suicial also you guys so thats that people 02.15.22, Harrison W., facebook post 4, I am not a very very very very very bad person ok. My point is that people will find another way to die on the bridge thats what they are going to do. 02.15.22, Harrison W., facebook pm, No no no no no no. people will still jump off the sunshine bridge in the future. suicides are part of life suicides will continue forever. covid 19 made them go. 02.17.22, Harrison W., facebook pm, Suicides are continuing 02.12.22, s.o., Suicide is a strange death. I think there is reason to not ban or mystify, but to look at those unfortunate people objectively. 01.26.22, Donna D., facebook, Thank you for everything you've done. Who knows how many lives have been saved because of your page and your website; and that work will have long-lasting effects. I'm very proud of you. My husband and I and our cats are moving out of Florida within a matter of days. Long story short, there's no other option. But I will stay subscribed to your page and read it from Colorado. 01.26.22, thank you for your kind words. i wish you well in your move. i came to florida after living in colorado for 15 years. 01.25.22, Paul R., facebook, Im so glad that Im seeing fewer and fewer posts from here. Thankfully the fence has helped at least some have a chance to get help. Thats a good thing get to see these days. God bless you all. 01.26.22, we agree, we are glad that we now have so little to post since this site started in 1998. it would be hard to argue that the barrier wasn't the reason. 01.12.22, anon, I don't hate this website at all I'm just confused as to why you gotta get political with every tag line lmao (we don't think we state a political view all that much, but if you don't see how the current administration is detrimental to this country, then we truly hope you wake up and do so quickly.) |