“After decades of debate, the Golden Gate Bridge board of directors voted 14-to-1 on Friday to install safety netting 20 feet below the bridge’s deck. The net, made of metal wiring coated with plastic, will catch any jumpers and allow rescue teams to easily untangle them due to its design, which makes it partially collapse around anyone who jumped into it, according to Denis Mulligan, chief engineer for the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, the authority which oversees the structure.” – Eric Blair efluxmedia.com
The first time I’ve seen the Golden Gate Bridge was courtesy of my 20 dollar bus tour thanks to the generosity and lack of touring spirit of my dad. Sadly I don't have any pictures of it, I went there alone and I bought a disposal camera which I left at my dad’s friend’s house in San Francisco. But I remember the structure’s beauty, vastness and novelty. It’s not just a bridge, it’s a masterpiece. I’ve seen too many shots of it on TV and viewed postcards to last me a lifetime, just as an actual image is properly stored in my mind. But in some cases, it’s also comically viewed as the “most convenient” suicidal structure for those who might be nursing intense problems they chose not to manage anymore. If they’re going to pick a bridge, might as well pick the grandest. But I don’t think they instantly die from the dive, unless they don’t know how to swim or have actually chained heavy balls in their ankles. Putting a safety net in this tourist attraction is very timely. You don’t want to add those negative suicidal numbers as a “matter of fact” on tours, right? Especially now that entertaining suicidal thoughts is in season.
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