Public Expenditures to Prevent Suicide

[DGS49]

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey proposes to erect a nine-foot-tall fence along the pedestrian walkway on the George Washington Bridge, in order to make suicide-by-jumping more difficult. The fence is estimated to have a "pricetag" of about $47 million, but the history of such projects, particularly in the "tri-state area" makes it likely that the actual price will be at least twice that amount.

Honestly, what could possibly be the justification for spending fifty million taxpayer (and transit-user) dollars to prevent these perennial suicides? Assume for the purposes of discussion that 25 people will use the bridge thusly every year, in perpetuity.

It is not altogether with tongue-in-cheek that I say, "Who gives a shit?"

This is not a "public" problem, nor is it a mass transit problem, nor is it a transportation problem. It is entirely and appropriately a PERSONAL problem for the people committing suicide and for their respective families. The fact that there are several of them each year does not make it a public problem, nor does it make it the public's obligation to make the act more difficult.

Does anyone truly think that building this fence will prevent those troubled souls from committing suicide? They will most likely simply pick another bridge, building, tree, or mountain from which to jump. But it probably won't be on Port Authority property. Unless they decide to jump from a subway platform...yuk!

I see this as just another grotesque example of public officials spending OTHER PEOPLES' MONEY for no reason other than THEY CAN(!).

Public officials who vote for this sort of crap ought to be - as a minimum - hounded out of office and forced to make a living in the Real World. They are obviously out of touch with reality.

 

[Wry Catcher]

Some people do "give a shit". The Golden Gate Bridge is a notorious draw for many who contemplate suicide and funding is now in place to build a net.

Golden Gate Bridge Suicide Barrier Gets Final Funding - Bloomberg

Food for thought: Graphic video of actual jumpers

 

[Mad Scientist]

Humans HAVE to "give a shit" about life all the way to the very end. People can get depressed, contemplate suicide, come out of it and go back to their regular lives.

Then later on say to themselves: "What the f*ck was I thinking"?

 

[DGS49]

But what does this have to do with the GOVERNMENT??????? Why should I have to pay for suicide prevention?

If these public officials were spending their own money, they wouldn't spend a dime on this. It's only because it doesn't cost THEM anything.

Was it Alan Greenspan who first observed that the WORST spending paradigm is spending SOMEONE's ELSE's money for SOMEONE ELSE's benefit? You don't care about the cost OR the efficacy.

 

[Wry Catcher]

But what does this have to do with the GOVERNMENT??????? Why should I have to pay for suicide prevention?

If these public officials were spending their own money, they wouldn't spend a dime on this. It's only because it doesn't cost THEM anything.

Was it Alan Greenspan who first observed that the WORST spending paradigm is spending SOMEONE's ELSE's money for SOMEONE ELSE's benefit? You don't care about the cost OR the efficacy.

Guess what, public officials pay taxes too. As for the desired effect, methinks saving the lives of a nation's citizens is an essential duty of government; we spend billions of dollars every year protecting American's from attack; yet such expenditures do not assure full protection, see the recent attacks in Boston and LA for example.

 

[Wry Catcher]

I guess DGS49 has no response to the ^^^, and this is typical of the libertarian mentality. They hold 'these' truths to be self evident, but when put under the light of day they can't justify or explain the ideology they hold near and dear.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Wouldn't it be a hell of a lot cheaper to simply close pedestrian access to the bridge?

 

[Jughead]

There's also been discussion in NY about possibly installing platform screen doors at some subway stations in order to prevent suicides. In 2013, 151 people were struck by subway trains in NY, 53 of those incidents were fatal.

 

[Norman]

What a waste of money. What about actually addressing the root problem instead of coming up with this sort of "prevention", that logically doesn't really prevent anyone from doing suicide.

I think DSG is absolutely right about spending someone else's money to help someone else on this case. Who could possibly think this is the best way to help the depressed?

 

[ShackledNation]

Wouldn't it be a hell of a lot cheaper to simply close pedestrian access to the bridge?

If people are contemplated suicide I don't think a closed sign is going to stop them.

 

[Avorysuds]

Some people do "give a shit". The Golden Gate Bridge is a notorious draw for many who contemplate suicide and funding is now in place to build a net.

Golden Gate Bridge Suicide Barrier Gets Final Funding - Bloomberg

Food for thought: Graphic video of actual jumpers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG3UMb3uHe0

Why not just tare down the GG bridge as it obviously makes people randomly want to kill themselves.... Lets face it, without the GG these people would be happy and have no reason or way to kill themselves. The GG is evil.

 

[martybegan]

But what does this have to do with the GOVERNMENT??????? Why should I have to pay for suicide prevention?

If these public officials were spending their own money, they wouldn't spend a dime on this. It's only because it doesn't cost THEM anything.

Was it Alan Greenspan who first observed that the WORST spending paradigm is spending SOMEONE's ELSE's money for SOMEONE ELSE's benefit? You don't care about the cost OR the efficacy.

If it makes the place less attractive for actual suicides, it also makes it less attractive for the "call for attention" almost suicides, that have a habit of shutting down the bridge for hours as they talk the asshole down.

That alone is worth the cost.

 

[martybegan]

Wouldn't it be a hell of a lot cheaper to simply close pedestrian access to the bridge?

It then becomes an access issue. You would be denying people the ability to cross a state line based on their inability to pay for a vehicle. The two tunnels are already pedestrian limited, so you might run into some freedom of travel issues.

 

[Avorysuds]

OMFG guys I just thought of something great and wonderful. Every building over 2 stories tall has to pay a suicide tax!!!!!

Fuck, every vehicle that travels over 35 mph has to pay a suicide tax!!!

All medications that if overdosed are lethal must pay a suicide tax!!!!!!!!!!!!!


And if you don't support this idea you obviously want people to be killing themselves, you're heartless and probably a Republican or conservative minded nutter, far right.... a Nazi....

 

[Youch]

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey proposes to erect a nine-foot-tall fence along the pedestrian walkway on the George Washington Bridge, in order to make suicide-by-jumping more difficult. The fence is estimated to have a "pricetag" of about $47 million, but the history of such projects, particularly in the "tri-state area" makes it likely that the actual price will be at least twice that amount.

Honestly, what could possibly be the justification for spending fifty million taxpayer (and transit-user) dollars to prevent these perennial suicides? Assume for the purposes of discussion that 25 people will use the bridge thusly every year, in perpetuity.

It is not altogether with tongue-in-cheek that I say, "Who gives a shit?"

This is not a "public" problem, nor is it a mass transit problem, nor is it a transportation problem. It is entirely and appropriately a PERSONAL problem for the people committing suicide and for their respective families. The fact that there are several of them each year does not make it a public problem, nor does it make it the public's obligation to make the act more difficult.

Does anyone truly think that building this fence will prevent those troubled souls from committing suicide? They will most likely simply pick another bridge, building, tree, or mountain from which to jump. But it probably won't be on Port Authority property. Unless they decide to jump from a subway platform...yuk!

I see this as just another grotesque example of public officials spending OTHER PEOPLES' MONEY for no reason other than THEY CAN(!).

Public officials who vote for this sort of crap ought to be - as a minimum - hounded out of office and forced to make a living in the Real World. They are obviously out of touch with reality.

Agreed!!!