by Mike Cleaver » Tue Nov 23, 2010 11:50 pm
As callous as it sounds, it all comes down to cost.
Can you imagine the cost of construction and the inconvenience to those who use the Lion's Gate Bridge of installing and maintaining either a fence or nets along that structure or on the Iron Workers Memorial Bridge, not to mention every overpass on Highway One or over railway tracks?
Any high structure, be it a bridge, overpass or building will attract those who want to "end it all."
Just as does Skytrain or any other rapid transit system.
There are dozens of suicides in Toronto by people who jump or walk along subway tracks there and those who throw themselves in front of Go Trains.
The problem has existed for decades.
In my time in the newsrooms across the nation, the policy was no reporting of suicides except in extraordinary circumstances, such as the death of an extremely public figure or one that was so public, ie: drew a huge crowd, that it could not be ignored.
At one point, all of the Toronto media was called to a session at the Toronto Transit Commission to formulate a uniform policy on the reporting or non reporting of suicides which "used" their system to reach that goal.
I think just about every news outlet in the city signed on to an agreement on how these unfortunate incidents should be handled.
Toronto did eventually place suicide nets along the Bloor Viaduct which crosses railway tracks, a river and the very busy Don Valley Parkway.
It was a favourite (if you'll pardon the macabre pun,) jumping off place before the nets were installed.
I made my point about the disruption of suicide attempts from bridges several years ago.
One person should not be permitted to interrupt the flow of traffic, sometimes for hours, because he or she is threatening to jump.
The cost of closing a major bridge is enormous in terms of disrupting the ordinary flow of goods, services (including emergency services) and people just trying to go about their ordinary lives.
We should be working harder at identifying and preventing potential suicides and what causes these people to even think about taking their own lives.
The current "It Gets Better" campaign is a good example of how that program can begin.
Mike Cleaver Broadcast Services
Engineering, News, Voice work and Consulting
Vancouver, BC, Canada
54 years experience at some of Canada's Premier Broadcasting Stations