golden gate bridge

the suicide barrier debate

suicide barrier plans. 1½ minutes.

10.10.08, psychcentral.com, Golden Gate Bridge Gets Suicide Net Approval,
After decades worth of engineering studies and heated debate, Golden Gate Bridge officials have voted to erect a suicide barrier on the bridge. The winning design is a stainless steel net that will be hung beneath the iconic bridge span.
The net will not obstruct the existing views from the bridge. It works by catching any would-be individuals who are feeling suicidal that try to jump.
The Golden Gate Transportation District’s board of directors voted 14-1 for the net option today. They considered several methods to stop people from jumping off the world-famous bridge, including fences. The board settled on the prevention net, which has an estimated cost between $40 to $50 million.
The net still requires additional permits, including an environmental review, before installation will begin. It is estimated that it will still be another 2 to 3 years before the net is installed.
Bridge official estimate that, on average, 20 people jump from the span every year. Thirty eight jumped last year and 19 have jumped so far this year. Once installed, it is expected that the net will prevent virtually all suicide attempts from the world-famous bridge. (thanks to bill for sending this.) now, try the whine:
10.10.08, psychcentral.com, Golden Gate Bridge To Get a Suicide Net, by John M. Grohol,
The Bridge’s board of directors has been under increasing pressure in recent years to do something more to prevent the numerous suicides that take place on the iconic span. Thirty eight people plummeted to their death last year from the bridge.
We’ve previously documented how a film was made capturing some of the suicides that take place on the Golden Gate Bridge. We expressed our frustration in July with the slow progress being made in erecting the barrier. We didn’t make any fans of some San Franciscans when we first blogged about this issue over two years ago in an entry entitled, What do San Franciscans Value? The View or Human Life?. With the use of the net, the hope is that the existing view can be maintained, while still saving lives.
But it’s still got a ways to go. The district has no money to pay for the net (apparently no one thought to begin looking at ways to fund the barrier two years ago when it was first considered). It will likely be at least two more years before the barrier is in place, assuming funds are found, environmental permits are received, and engineering studies are completed.
It’s taken two years and over 60 deaths to get to an approved suicide barrier plan for the bridge. Sadly, it’ll probably cost another 60 or so more human lives before the net actually is approved and constructed.
(this barrier net has an "estimated cost between $40 to $50 million" and like most every other government construction job, will no doubt be much closer to $100 million in delays, cost over runs, and corruption. tag on many thousands a year in maintenance the net will demand. the net will stop many suicides from the bridge, but it will never stop everyone that wants to end their life by jumping from the golden gate bridge. a net may catch the jumpers, but they will figure out a way around a net. then there is the very likelihood that anyone caught in the net and injured in any way, will sue and win large sums of money for having created a structure that injures people that jump into it. anyone caught in the net will also need to be rescued from it. the rescuers will also likely get injured doing their job and that too will result in lawsuits and disability issues. sorry, john, but your cute little net will not save everyone. those that are stopped may well find another way to check themselves out. you will never stop suicide and you should stop worrying so much about it. people have the right to die by their own hand and you need to let them make up their own minds. your bridge has about 20 suicides a year. it would take 50 years of bridge jumpers to equal the suicide rate of one single day of cigarette smokers. in this country alone, one thousand people a day extinguish their lives through all fault of their own with cigarettes. perhaps you should order up a barrier around a pack of smokes.) mr. grohol replies:
10.12.08, John M. Grohol, @phil - Nobody’s looking to stop suicides completely as that’s an unreasonable goal. Just to make it less easy to do so for people who make the decision “in the moment,” as many bridge jumpers have been shown to do in research on this phenomenon. Fences and barriers of this nature simply work and the research proves it.
As for gov’t corruption, I guess we shouldn’t do any program that enhances social good for that very same reason. Heck, let’s stop building roads too, since those are the biggest death traps in the U.S., killing 40,000+ Americans each and every year.
There are many causes of preventable deaths in the U.S., including 100,000+ from medical mistakes in hospitals. But every neighborhood and community has to look at what makes sense for them. And for the Golden Gate Bridge, this is a no-brainer, easy way to prevent the vast majority of deaths each from the bridge. (we contend that it's not feasible to expend such a large sum for so few. there are many causes of preventable deaths in the u.s. and of course we should take all logical and concerted efforts to prevent them, but not so many millions for the so few that want to end their lives anyway, regardless if it's on impulse or not. the real no-brainer is to use the 'net' money for the greater good. you have an agenda and we applaud your effort, we just think it's misguided. here's an idea, use the 'net' money to buy nicotine gum for those that wish to quit smoking. the 'lives saved' return would be better than bridge jumpers saved. see, we too have an agenda and feel ours will save more lives for the dollar then yours will. you can reply if you wish, but we have made our points and will not bother you any more. good luck with your net.)

more about the bridge, suicide bridge nets, and barriers: ggb suicide barrier.org
05.10.23: statnews.com, the tragedy of the bridge’s $400 million anti-suicide net.
08.28.22: marinij.com, GGB to build training facility for suicide net rescues.
03.27.22: americanthinker.com, barrier is nanny-state government writ large.
03.26.22: marinij.com, suicide barrier cost to rise by $2.3m.
03.15.22: sfist.com, Suicide Net Finally Nearing Completion.
05.18.19: kcbsradio.radio.com, Golden Gate Bridge suicide net is being built.
02.17.19: mercurynews.com, suicide barrier starting to take shape.
08.15.18: fortune.com, suicide net quietly being added. why it's so controversial.
07.29.18: marinij.com, Golden Gate Bridge suicide barrier work begins.
01.21.18: marinij.com, Golden Gate Bridge reports spike in suicide deterrence.
12.24.17: sf.curbed.com, volunteers needed to guard against bridge tragedy for christmas.
04.14.17: cbsnews.com, Golden Gate suicide barriers going up after 1,500 deaths.
03.02.17: mercurynews.com, Golden Gate suicide barrier completion date set.
01.26.17: sfgate.com, Building suicide-prevention net to take 4 years.
12.22.16: fox13news.com, safety net aims to deter suicides from golden gate.
12.15.16: marinij.com, bridge suicide barrier construction to start in 2017.
10.04.16: archinect.com, bridge needs additional $124,000,000 to build suicide barrier.
02.20.16: marinij.com, golden gate bridge suicide barrier delayed two months.
12.20.14: mercurynews.com, final design golden gate bridge suicide barrier complete
10.24.14: bloomberg.com, managers weigh fee for pedestrians to help pay for jumper nets.
10.12.14: marinij.com, Southern Marin fire crews to handle bridge suicide net rescues.
07.05.14: marinij.com, Editorial - Golden Gate Bridge anti-suicide net will save lives.
06.28.14: allvoices.com, bridge board approves $76m funding for suicide barrier. more.
06.23.14: ktvu.com, golden gate bridge 'suicide net' sparks mixed reaction.
06.09.14: dailymail.co.uk, grandson of ggb suicide barrier pioneer leaps to his death off ggb.
05.23.14: abc7news.com, Bridge suicide nets: Worst red tape in California history?
03.16.14: dailymail.co.uk, officials close to approving $66m safety net under bridge.
02.26.14: nbcnews.com, Golden Gate Bridge Hit Milestone in 2013 with 46 Suicides.
02.21.14: abclocal.com, Record number of suicides from Golden Gate Bridge in 2013.
11.05.13: sonomastatestar.com, Golden Gate Bridge fails to make life-saving changes.
10.15.13: slate.com, A simple fix to the Golden Gate Bridge would save hundreds of lives.
10.12.13: sfgate.com, Suicide barriers back in spotlight with Calif. law.
09.29.13: latimes.com, The suicide magnet that is the Golden Gate Bridge.
05.25.12: latimes.com, The Golden Gate Bridge's fatal flaw.
jumpers: the fatal grandeur of the golden gate bridge, by tad friend.
01.30.09: efforts increase to deter bridge jumpers.
10.13.08: how does a bridge suicide net work?
10.11.08: golden gate to get suicide net.
2005: LETHAL BEAUTY. parts: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7

11.13.84: full article

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10.03.16: Texting Offers New Lifeline To Prevent Suicides

10.03.16, npr.org, Sitting next to the living room sofa, fully charged, is the cell phone that belonged to Kimberlyrenee and Manuel Gamboa's son, Kyle.
"We've kept it on and I just think his friends, it helps," Kimberlyrenee says. "Well it helps us to heal and I think it helps his friends to heal."
So they can see whenever one of Kyle's friends sends a text.
"Yeah, and here's another one that says, 'Love you brother, I really don't know what happened. I miss you, I wish you were here.' And that was June 2," she says.
It's been three years since the 18-year-old high school senior skipped school, drove to the Golden Gate Bridge and jumped.
New prevention strategy
The number of people younger than 25 showing up at the bridge intending to commit suicide is five times what it was in 2000, according to officials. On average, two to three people jump each month. Bridge and California Highway Patrol officers stop most of them, but they still need more help.
Each time the Bridge Board holds a public meeting, the Gamboas show up to demand the board install a suicide net — a big, expensive project that keeps getting delayed.
But, at a recent meeting, the Gamboas learned of the bridge's new prevention strategy: the crisis text hotline.
"I'm all for it," Manuel says.
It's not the the ultimate solution, he says, but Manuel does believe that text messaging is a very big part of the young community. So now there are signs on the bridge urging anyone considering suicide to text the number 741741.
Texting is easier
In the dining room of her San Francisco apartment, Ellen Kaster is answering texts to the hotline, which come in from all over the the country. She's a volunteer with the suicide prevention network called Crisis Text Line.
"Right now I have a texter who has struggled with drug addiction and has gone through phases of being clean and relapsing," she says.
The texter tells Kaster he feels suicidal. This is a code orange, which means her supervisor — a social worker — has now joined in to monitor the conversation. They'll call police if the suicide threats intensify.
Kaster says for many, texting these emotional conversations is easier.
"It can feel very vulnerable, especially for the younger generation, to actually dial a real phone and talk to somebody, so there's something very impersonal about text that's very natural," she explains.
'Just give tomorrow a chance'
When a suicide threat is texted from the Golden Gate Bridge, the hotline counselors contact the bridge patrol. That team, which is constantly on the lookout for people who might be suicidal, is led by Capt. Lisa Locati.
"The ages here are just startling — 16, 22, 25," she says.
In the bridge command center, Locati thumbs through a binder full of printed Facebook pages. These are people whose loved ones have called in, worried they might jump.
What really bothers Locati is how many are just kids who don't have much perspective on life.
"They got a bad grade in class, broke up with their boyfriend or girlfriend," she says. "There's a lot of bullying going on in the age group."
Locati says that can be devastating to some young people.
"You want so much to make the connection and convince this person that dying is not the answer, at least today," she says. "Just give tomorrow a chance. So, yeah, it's very exhausting.
Reach out, someone will answer
At the Gamboas' home Kimberlyrenee says she doesn't know whether her son Kyle would have reached out to the textline. But he was on his phone that morning.
"And his last contact was on Facebook, and he texted," she says.
She hopes if Kyle's friends will reach out to a phone he hasn't answered in three years, maybe kids on the bridge will text for help, and someone will answer.

jumpers by year • full size