# How long do suicidal people wait before jumping off bridges? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 26, 2014, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-do-suicidal-people-wait-before-jumping-off-bridges/682321 "2014-02-26T15:05:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-do-suicidal-people-wait-before-jumping-off-bridges/682321/21 "2014-03-01T05:03:36Z")
I once walked halfway across the bridge; for all I know the CHP watched every move I made. I took a picture of San Francisco before I walked back. (There is a strong local belief that suicides jump from the east side–where I was standing–so they can take one last look at the city before they jump. ☹ ) ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-do-suicidal-people-wait-before-jumping-off-bridges/682321/22 "2014-03-01T05:36:15Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > The documentary focused on this guy [Google Search](https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=gene+sprague&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8). > > He thought about it and paced for about 90 minutes and then jumped up on the rail and just sort of allowed himself to fall. Yep, that’s the guy. He kinda had a rock-star attitude about him, as I remember. Most jumpers will actually climb over the railing or look as if they’re about to do so, which are the ones the filmmakers would call the cops on. The rock-star guy caught everyone off guard because nobody suspected he was even thinking about jumping, when clearly, he was. > [@dougie\_monty](#): > > (There is a strong local belief that suicides jump from the east side–where I was standing–so they can take one last look at the city before they jump. ☹ ) This one’s a mix of urban legend and confirmation bias…mainly because there’s no sidewalk on the bridge’s ocean side. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-do-suicidal-people-wait-before-jumping-off-bridges/682321/23 "2014-03-01T08:59:35Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > […] > This one’s a mix of urban legend and confirmation bias…mainly because there’s no sidewalk on the bridge’s ocean side. I didn’t know that. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2014, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-do-suicidal-people-wait-before-jumping-off-bridges/682321/24 "2014-03-02T05:00:20Z")
There is a sidewalk on the ocean side, but it’s restricted to bikes only. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2014, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-do-suicidal-people-wait-before-jumping-off-bridges/682321/25 "2014-03-02T19:34:07Z")
A guy was driving down the middle of a road, straddling the white line. A cop pulled him over and asked, “Do you know what that white line is for?” “Bicycles?” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-do-suicidal-people-wait-before-jumping-off-bridges/682321.md?page=1)