DGS49
Diamond Member
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.
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.