There is an article in the New Yorker about people who choose to end their lives plunging from the Golden Gate bridge. This happens at a rate of about once every two weeks or so, though these events rarely make the news, as law enforcement and the media have mutually agreed to play down the incidents so as not to encourage suicide by glorifying the act.
The article includes a story by a Dr. Jerome Motto, who recounts a particularly sobering bridge suicide occurring sometime in the 1970s.
Dr. Motto:
“I went to this guy’s apartment afterward with the assistant medical examiner… The guy was in his thirties, lived alone, pretty bare apartment. He’d written a note and left it on his bureau. It said, ‘I’m going to walk to the bridge. If one person smiles at me on the way, I will not jump.’”
One smile, one “hello”, one door held open might not save someone’s life.
But it might.
Back in ye old days of the intardnet there was a website devoted to people jumping off the bridge. 400 by 2000 or something.
I loved that site.
Making light of people offing themselves is one of my favorite past times. I approve of bridge jumpers mostly because they dont leave a huge mess for people to clean up, just a floater in the bay. Though, on a certain level, I think it’s kind of lame jumping off a bridge, it’s so been done already. Wouldnt you want your last act to be something people will remember? Show you’re not a sheep, off yourself with some style!
I’ve often pondered what exactly that means, I mean, what’s left that hasn’t been done to death? (ouch) Most inventive ways have been done already, there isn’t much new territory to cover. Most forms of mutilation, gunshots, hangings, impacting an object at an ungodly speed. What’s left?