Scotty wrote:

http://radio.javaranch.com/map/images/suicide.gif

I could have sworn I'd seen this map before, and thought it must've been here, given the subject matter. I remember remarking to myself that "Light Pole #69" had seen an inordinate amount of action. I'm guessing, however, that it was due to its location at nearly the center of the bridge, and on the eastern side (causing me to wonder why more people didn't jump in the direction of the setting sun).

As a regular bridge toll payer I do not support spending $50 million for any such physical barrier. Barriers are not the answer to reducing suicides. The desperate just bypass them and find another way.

And their $78,000 estimate for continued maintainence is woefully, laughably low.  A cost estimate like that represents swapping a few shackles and adjusting tensioners. It would not even cover inspection schedules for a mesh that size.

Their is no way a coated stainless steel wire mesh will last. No coating would hold up on such a large mesh that is cosnstantly moving, flexing, and changing length due to temperature fluctuations. Especially in that local enviorment where there is high wind and fog containing a surprising amount of salt laden moisture. Stainless steel actually ends up corroding faster under coatings where the reduction of ready oxygen prevents it from chemicaly resisting corrosion. In the type of SS metal alloy used for tensioned wire, as micro-fissures develop in the coating the difference in oxidation between adjacent areas of metal will set up electrolytic current flow that will further speed up corrosion even under the coating. Oxidized metal will then attract moisture to areas under the coating and along the strands furthering  the corrosion process.

All this will be more likely to happen at fittings where the greatest stress is ocurring in the SS alloy. So you get work hardening and micro corrosion in the same area. A double whammy for maintainence cycles.

No way in hell will such a large mesh structure only cost $78k/ year. I've been on  projects on large sailboats where they spend about third of  that on wire rigging budgets. I have enough knowledge of this subject to be dangerous, I have diagnosed equipment failures, sometimes corrosion and seal realted, for systems that spent years of time along the bay in the enviorment just in from the GGB. Plus my friends father was the paint engineer on the GGB and one of our business associates was a consultant in  marine corrosion prevention systems.

Last edited by Johnny_Rotten (2008-10-11 23:27:57)

Taint wrote:

pALEPHx wrote:

Scotty wrote:

http://radio.javaranch.com/map/images/suicide.gif

I could have sworn I'd seen this map before, and thought it must've been here, given the subject matter. I remember remarking to myself that "Light Pole #69" had seen an inordinate amount of action. I'm guessing, however, that it was due to its location at nearly the center of the bridge, and on the eastern side (causing me to wonder why more people didn't jump in the direction of the setting sun).

Romantics have suggested that jumpers wanted a last view of the City before they died, but in all probability, the easiest access point to the pedestrian lanes is on the Bay side of the bridge, hence the higher number of jumpers from that side.

It is too early in the day to post them, and I am not nearly drunk enough as they still give me the heebee jeebees, but I have a couple of stories of being under the bridge at the wrong moment. A few other High street regulars who spent time fishing out the shark bait in the bay also have have their own.

choad wrote:

Advertise multi-jump nights, sell tickets, put a concession stand in the middle and sea level cams to catch all the shark nibbling action below!

Have the jumpers wear numbers and you could do bingo.

Maybe you are right.

First I'll get the current proposal for details about the engineering and breakdown of the cost estimates, then make a call to my colleague about the issue.

Some philanthropic millionaire should offer cash prizes to anyone who jumps and lives. Knowing you Americans, there'd be line-ups, pushing, shootings and fights. You'd each have your lucky pole, a theory of aerodynamics and a fistful of statistics. I'd make a rare exception and travel south to the hilly city, to watch the bodies fall like little flailing stars and bounce broken off the waves. I realize it's a forlorn fantasy, but it's mine, it makes me feel good, and I like it. Some of are born to be suicide bombers, others have to dream.

choad wrote:

Jump, Damn It, Jump!

Tubular, man.

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Can't we just shoot jumpers with paintballs as we drive by?

Make it the latest reality show. Contestants stand in speedos at each light pole. Drivers nail them with paintball guns as they drive by. The last one standing gets $1,000,000.

taffy wrote:

What are we going to do with all the people caught in the nets?

Shoot the fuckers.

Having had the pleasure of fishing a few of the bodies from the bay, I could say please put up the net.  However, being of Libertarian bent and a strong fiscal conservative, I say save the money and let the fuckers decide their own fate.

Here's a couple of pictures I took of the bridge last October.....  Funny thing is the part of the bridge that I felt the greatest urge to jump from on the map was light pole #52 which doesn't show any jumps...  Go figure.....





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WilberCuntLicker wrote:

taffy wrote:

What are we going to do with all the people caught in the nets?

Shoot the fuckers.

I imagine they are going to have to taser the jumpers caught in the net to prevent them from crawling up over the edge and flinging themselves off. They will have to hire and staff a special team trained and harnessed in extracting the catch of the day.

Dirckman's photos point to a solution.  A razor-wire net.

choad wrote:

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2008158,00.html

The only reason I can think of for preventing jumpers is to protect those they would fall upon.  The Golden Gate is a perfect suicide venue.  The jump is almost always fatal and there is nobody to hit at the bottom.  The Coast Guard picks up most of the bodies with a wire litter and the rest are handled by the tide.  I should add that picking up the bodies is a bit of a bummer (I did it a couple of times) so there is that issue.  But other than that, free people should be allowed to decide their own fate.

The Golden Gate Bridge is an engineering marvel and aesthetic masterpiece.  The idea of defiling its beauty and possibly shortening its useful lifespan for the sake of people who realize they are losers is just wrong!

choad wrote:

phreddy wrote:

I should add that picking up the bodies is a bit of a bummer (I did it a couple of times) so there is that issue.

Just tenderized meat, unless you know them. Then it's still just meat. We all croak sometime and somebody will draw a wage to shovel up the mess.

It doesn't resemble any meat you've purchased at the store, especially when it has been on the bottom of the bay for a week or two.  The smell along with the crabs feeding in the body cavity give it a certain exotic twist.

Last edited by phreddy (2010-08-09 12:04:04)

phreddy wrote:

give it a certain erotic twist.

Damn Phreddy

Scotty wrote:

I still stand by my Peep photo.

You may have something here Scotty.  The thought of being sliced and diced could be a great deterrent.  Those hearty souls who jump anyway would make the cleanup effort much easier for the Coast Guard.  They just become instant fish food.