Call me morbid, and I totally am, but coming from San Francisco instilled the same macabre fascination with suicide in me that it did in Wittman. But here's the thing, the Golden Gate Bridge, this thing right here:
is the second most popular destination in the world for suicide. Over 1500 people have jumped off of it. It is so popular that people literally fly all the way to San Francisco just to use it as a means to an end. While millions come every year to take photos and stare and walk across the great Golden Gate, somewhere between 20 to 30 people on average every year come to the bridge just to jump off of it. I grew up just sort of expecting this to be a normal behavior. Dad went grocery shopping, there's a baseball game on, another earthquake, and ah yeah, someone jumped off the bridge again. It's common to the point of signs like these posted across the bridge:
Right now, a safety net is being built to catch people who do jump off the bridge. Which, when you look at the numbers seems like it's almost too little, too late. But it was actually argued against by some people for being too "unsightly". Because what really matters when people's lives are on the line is how pretty your damn orange bridge is, right?
Anyway, I think what I'm really curious about here is why. Why the Golden Gate? What is it about this bridge in particular that brings in so many desolate people? I also want to remind people that there are resources out there for you if you need help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and other numbers and resources are available out there. No one is alone.
Some sources on my information: The Final Leap and SF Gate
I have always wondered the same thing. Why the Golden Gate bridge? There are many other bridges in the area, and so many other means to an "end".
ReplyDeleteGrowing up, my parents liked to take us every now and then to walk across it. I remember there being officers of some kind patrolling the bridge, stopping to ask people who appeared to be alone, or looking off the edge of the bridge, how they were doing. I remember asking my mom why they were doing that, and she told me that a lot of people used to bridge to commit suicide, and that they were probably just stopping to see how people were, if they were okay, and simply reaching out.
Seeing that always made me happy, as even if a person was not intending to jump off the bridge, it was nice to see people reaching out to individuals, and trying to make a difference.
It has been a long time since I have walked across the bridge, and I don't know if people patrol the bridge anymore to check up on people, but it was nice to know that something simple was being done in order to try and prevent this from happening. There are also telephones on the bridge with signs for the suicide prevention hotline number close by.
As for the question why the golden gate? I've always sort of thought that it was symbolic of the end of the earth, as far west as you could go, which might seem morbidly fitting for someone who is trying to end their life.
As morbid as it is, I think the question of "why the Golden Gate bridge?" in relation to suicide is simply because it's famous. Sure, there are other bridges (hell, the Bay Bridge is even in the same city) but due to the notoriety that the Golden Gate Bridge has as a symbol of the city as well as a national landmark, it somehow draws more attention to someone jumping off of it. The fact that it's become a type of phenomenon that requires a net being installed underneath the bridge to prevent if from further happening (and in response to "too little too late", I would say better late than never) means that there is something about jumping off of the Golden Gate bridge that maybe the people jumping think will bring even more attention to themselves. It's unfortunate that so many people have ended their lives this way and that the bridge has now gained this macabre association with it, but I think the phrase "going out with style" might provide some insight as to why a person might choose to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge.
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