History vs. Safety

When we were in San Francisco they were debating whether to add a special safety barrier to prevent people from jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. Of course, the last time I was in the Bay Area they were debating this too. While there might be several reasons for resistance, one reason that is often cited is the desire to avoid making changes to this beautiful historic structure. The Washington Post has just published a nice summary about the phenomenon and the debate. Some question whether you can really stop people if they really want to jump, but:

CalTrans officials point to a University of California survey's finding that nine out of 10 people prevented from jumping off the Golden Gate were still alive years later or had died of natural causes, despite the rationale that a barrier would prompt them only to "go somewhere else to end it."

Eric Steel recently made a documentary about this phenomenon, filming the bridge day after day and capturing more than a dozen jumpers in action. Even the trailer for The Bridge is not for the faint of heart. This is an emotional thing.

When we talked in class about the complexity of social issues, this is exactly what it is about. A change that saves lives sounds like a no-brainer until you hold the public hearings. A change to treasured historic monument is suddenly a challenge. And the variety of public views on suicide becomes an additional layer.