Cold Spring Bridge Suicide Barrier Complete

Wonderful. Now, thanks to the bleeding hearts, one of the most beautiful views in our area has been magically transformed into one of the ugliest.

Apparently, you just can't live without the 11-seconds it takes to cross the bridge while gazing out across the valley instead of keeping your eyes on the roadway as you hurtle across the span, hence the barrier was expressly installed for braindeads like you.

So thank us instead of whining over crossed causeways.
Try the view from the lookout less than a quarter-mile from the bridge. The valley really doesn't change much from that vantage point and you won't get any ideas that might put innocent lives in jeopardy, you selfish lout.

You're welcome, from:

A Bleeding Heart With A Working Brain, Duh

Why hasn't Draxor been banned yet? All he does is post insults.

Jeez.....I was just up on the pass. It's less than 11 seconds. You can see through it. Also, if your driving, your eyes need to be ON THE ROAD. Apart from that 300 ft. enjoy the other 35 miles of highway 154. Gimme a break. The best view is when you crest the pass.....there is also the Overlook, and the view on the way to SB. Get a life people.

Bravo, Draxor.

Nine foot seven inches tall? Hmmm, I have some scrap 10 foot ladders I'll be happy to leave by the roadside.

Just another waste of money...That money could have been used to help the people that need it before they make the decision to end their life...If people want to kill themselves they will find away...

Forget the ladders; small trampolines.

(In my best Howard Dean) ... now we're going to the Courthouse Tower, then we're going to Stearns Wharf, then to all the train tracks, then fencing around 101. Yeah!

I see our resident troll Draxor is posting his usual ill-informed drivel. This project diverted $4 million from highway safety projects. Hey Draxor, should we also thank Caltrans for the additional driving deaths?

Since when does CalTrans Transportation funds go towards mental health???? And while we are on it....CalTrans isn't exactly known for fiscal prudence.....similar to our own BOS.

I feel safer already, because no concrete bridges on state highways are crumbling anywhere in California.

"Why hasn't Draxor been banned yet? All he does is post insults."

Etna (anonymous profile)
March 1, 2012 at 2:36 p.m

Because he's entertaining.

I keep hoping Etna will fix up a nice diorama of all the volcanos of the world, each 1" tall, in a plexiglas box in the turnout by the bridge. He could make them smoke at regular intervals, and have tiny people, maybe 0.01" tall, all around. It would be SO COOL! Maybe they could `toot toot' and sound like tiny saxophones!

Gosh what a wonderful barrier, it is totally great. It will save many lives and families. Hoo-ray... money well spent.

GREAT JOB CALTRANS!

Etna: Please see Bill Clausen's comment. And that, from someone I've lambasted a time or two as well have agreed with a time or two.

So, Etna sends me a private message saying IT knows me in real life. I responded with: "Prove it," and a bit more. Well, Etna? We're waiting.

Otherwise, up the shuck fut, sit back, and marvel at what an intelligent troll can do when given such easy tasks as dismissing those of a certain willfully hobbled ilk. Like yourself, say. Ha! (There you go. Your very own insult. Ban me, pleeeeze!)

And Sevendolphins: You win funniest post in this thread. LOL

Carry on. Barrier is up and we shan't be reading about any more span divers unless Riceman makes good on his ladder workaround. ;-)

Sorry Draxor, I didn't send you a personal message, and you're really not worth my time. You'll have to find a pen pal elsewhere.

Sir Dracksor: While the Earth Crust Spitter and yourself have posted many a droll witticism, I daresay that our pod will give both of you a run for your money on the comic level.

Even if you two (2) unite, you will still have five of us to deal with.

Would it be cool if there WERE volcanos off in the distance from the bridge? It would be like Ray Strong and Peter Max collaborating on a painting.

So, Etna, you didn't send this:

The user Etna sent the following message to you via The Santa Barbara Independent:

LOL. You just shat your pants in public with that last post.
==============================

Then may I be the first to alert you to two things:

1. If you did NOT send this to me, then your Indy account has been hacked.
2. If you did send it to me but are wimping out with the above reply, then you're a coward.

Which is it? Am I worth your time, or not? Apparently I am because you've now messaged me twice. Make up your rigid little mind. If you persist, I shall have to inform the Indy staff and we'll see who gets ghosted.

Listen: I shake in my boots for no one, least of all an inconsequential zephyr broken in denim wind. Do you really wish to engage me? Then by all means---I'm yer huckleberry.

LOLOLOL

And now for something completely different.

I am glad the bridge is up - I have never seen so many words wasted on a topic before. Mention Cold Springs Barrier on any board, and stand back for the volcano of hot steam spewing forth without rest.

Draxor: Again, I am not sending you personal messages, and I have no desire to engage someone as obnoxious as you. Please go troll somewhere else.

This barrier doesn't look so bad and I'm glad they didn't take forever to finish. Just hope it does what it's supposed to do!

"And now for something completely different."

Ken_Volok (anonymous profile)
March 1, 2012 at 9:54 p.m.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_pC2T...

I hope it is still there when I eventually visit, I would love to give it a try w/ a parachute (just in case it fails).

Ohhh! Base-jumping! Great idea, billclausen!

Not everybody is driving when they are crossing the bridge, some people are passengers.

This seems like a waste of money and an eyesore, doubt it will save any lives.

Forget the view from the bridge, what about the view OF the bridge? There is no appreciation for the architectural elegance of the bridge!

You can not save people who don't want to be saved! That's the bottom line! So what's the point of this thing? It certainly is wasted money that I'm sure could've found a use elsewhere. If people really want to jump off the bridge then they'll climb the barrier. Then we'll have to build a barrier for the barrier. Better put a barrier on the courthouse tower too.

@nelsonjazz: Here is a video from KCOY t.v. talking about the bridge. They say it was done well ahead of schedule.
http://www.kcoy.com/category/187903/v...

"Base-jumping"? I don't understand.

Base-jumping is sport parachuting from a fixed location (tall buildings, bridges...)

basejumping comment should have been addressed to dou4now. my bad.

I will miss seeing the Cold Springs bridge in TV and magazine car ads at least 3-4 times a year. It was a connection to my youth and great memories while deployed overseas.

Got it John.

A waste of money in my opinion. If the person wants to commit suicide he/she will find another way to do it. Would have been better to take the money spent on the barrier and use it for mental health care for people who can't afford it.

Friends of the Bridge was formed in 2005 in order to present to Caltrans and local elected officials a plan that was far superior to the cage barriers that have now been installed. That plan was strongly supported by the only qualified expert on the subject of dealing with suicide from bridges who submitted comments to Caltrans, but Caltrans and certain local elected officials refused to listen.

The cage barriers now deface the bridge. As a founder of the Friends of the Bridge group, I have written this message of thanks for their efforts to prevent it:

Dear Friends of the Bridge and friends,

Work was completed this past week on the $4 million project to install the so-called suicide prevention barriers on the Cold Spring Canyon Arch Bridge. For over 5 years we did our best to prevent this deeply flawed and fiscally irresponsible project from defacing the unique grace and beauty for which the bridge was widely renowned since its completion in 1963.

In the end, our efforts were doomed by the failure of local elected officials to meet their stewardship responsibilities regarding this iconic community environmental and historic resource. Make no mistake about it: a far superior solution to the problem of occasional suicide at the bridge was made available in a timely way to these officials and could have been implemented if adequate care and courage had been exercised by them in connection with the Caltrans proposal.

Former Assemblyman Pedro Nava and former Supervisor Brooks Firestone pushed hard in semi-secrecy to get the barriers proposal off the ground in 2005, and current Supervisors Farr, Wolf, and Carbajal cast critically important votes to ratify the highly dubious transfer and allocation of funds to carry out the barriers project. Other local elected officials who behaved similarly could also be called to account, but it is time to move on to other challenges and opportunities, not to settle scores.

I am grateful to each and every one of you Friends of the Bridge for your help in our campaign. We did not achieve our primary goal, but we were successful in obtaining court orders to set aside violations of environmental law and in illuminating clearly the responsibilities of our elected officials to act as protective stewards of the community's environmental and historical resources.

Best wishes for your being and doing wonderfully well!

Marc

Why, the road is uglier than the barrier - and the view in the distance is magnificent !

To call out the names of many local politicians specifically, and then claim you are not out to settle scores is pure hypocrisy.

Of course, Prof. McGinnes makes no mention of the taxpayer $ his group and/or Marc Chytilo received from their lawsuit against Caltrans. Now in their minds, I suppose, they rightfully deserve that $ for addressing wrongdoing by Caltrans.

But another perspective was: they were just having fun and getting paid for it while troubled people's lives were consequently ruined or ended by their actions. Of course Prof. McGinnes and Marc Chytilo would disagree with that assessment. But can they even imagine a difference between self interest and selfless dedication?

Can you even imagine not posting the exact same thing in every thread on this topic?

Number of suicides since barrier installment: 0

To the dismay of FOB, it's working.
Carry on.

There have been plenty of suicides since the barrier went up. They just happen in other places now.

I could post that exact same thing on most threads dealing with local governance issues.

Nanny State at its best! Everyday you guys are pushing me a little closer to becoming a Republican. How is that for a suicide barrier?