Seattle is so polite... (houseboat, new construction, live)

[hymalaia]

I visited Seattle for the first time a few days ago. I went to check out the Fremont troll and take pictures. Really cool. Then I walked up onto the Aurora Ave bridge to take more pictures. After a bit a cop car pulled up next to me. He got out and screamed at me not to move. My first thought that pedestrians were not allowed on the bridge or something but that didn't make any sense considering how urgent his voice was. I calmly turned around and told him I was just taking pictures. He said that was fine and told me that five or six people called in saying I was going to jump from the bridge. All within the span of about ten minutes. Heh. Nice to see the city so concerned...

[Ira500]

Well,the Aurora Bridge is the place where people do commit suicide from.

[hymalaia]

huh, I googled it and found a bunch of interesting info. This is my favorite:

Below, you can take your pick on what you'd like to combine with gravity in order to cause your death - trees, road, sidewalk, gravel parking lot, houseboat, dock, or the calm waters of the ship canal. My favorite though, would be an to be impaled on the mast of a sail boat, although that would take a lot of skill and obviously you'd only get one chance. The Golden Gate may have this bridge beat in terms of numbers, but I don't think there's any other on earth that offer such variety and creativity for an early checkout.

I had no idea the bridge was so "famous". I will have to get myself back up there to to take more pictures before they build the suicide barrier! So if you see someone leaning over the edge, look hard to see if he's got a small camera in his hand before calling the cops. Of course then again, now I know where to go when the [Moderator cut: Language] inevitably hits the fan...

[kclseattle]

You can laugh about it, but its sobering when twice in one month I saw the harbor patrol dragging for bodies under the bridge because someone jumped. And workers at Adobe just under the bridge have reported seeing bodies hit the water as they sit at their desk and look out their windows. Seattle apparently has a high suicide rate, some say because of the grey weather. Did you not notice the suicide phones up on the bridge?? People are encouraged to pick up the phone before they take the plunge.

[hymalaia]

Originally Posted by kclseattle

You can laugh about it, but its sobering when twice in one month I saw the harbor patrol dragging for bodies under the bridge because someone jumped. And workers at Adobe just under the bridge have reported seeing bodies hit the water as they sit at their desk and look out their windows. Seattle apparently has a high suicide rate, some say because of the grey weather. Did you not notice the suicide phones up on the bridge?? People are encouraged to pick up the phone before they take the plunge.

I noticed the phones but we have them here in Portland on minuscule bridges. I saw them on the Golden Gate bridge. I figured it was just par for the course out west. I didn't know there was anything "special" or "controversial" about this particular bridge.

As for laughing, I hesitate to post this but I've been suicidal. I may be suicidal again (not soon, don't worry). I know what it's like. Sometimes laughing about it is the only way to stay sane. I can say this though; the people who talk of erecting a "barrier" could care less about those who would jump off a bridge. They simply don't like a reminder that such pain exists intruding into their daily lives. Erecting the barrier will prevent some suicides at that location, but it won't help with the pain. It will mean that yuppie Fremont residents and well to do Adobe workers won't have to think about it however. Which is what really matters...

Here's some irony; the part I was leaning over to take a picture of was a foundation for new construction. Somebody tagged it "RIP Fremont". I imagine a reference to gentrification. What a great symbolic place to jump; as if being "priced out of this world". I imagine the construction workers amongst those who called the cops on me.