California cops want spider guns

[True_Blue]

SAN FRANCISCO, California (Reuters) -- Attention Spiderman: California needs you. The state highway patrol, hoping to avoid another epic traffic jam caused by a suicide jumper on a major bridge, wants inventors to design and build a gun that can capture would-be jumpers in a spider-like web.

"At this point we're about ready to put out a request for a proposal," said California Highway Patrol spokesman Tom Marshall. "And we'll just see if there's some technology that might be usable."

The idea for a suicide spider gun was first floated by a local radio talk-show host following a 13-hour standoff between cops and a blade-wielding man threatening to jump off the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, Marshall said.

After hours in traffic, some motorists were so furious that some yelled out for the man to jump.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/West/04/26/odd.spidergun.reut/index.html

[saigon68]

1. motorists were so furious that some yelled out for the man to jump.

How many people have jumped from that Bridge?

[AlecBGreen]

2. one is too many

and shame on those people for egging him on. I wonder how many of those same people had their kids in the car...What a great example to set. Sheesh.

[noonwitch]

3. This is a good idea-I'll bet someone will come up with one

Although I keep thinking of the gun Marvin the Martian had that shot out straitjackets.

But if someone could invent such a gun, it could save a lot of lives, and it could save cops a lot of grief.

[DS1]

4. Would 2 tons of water softener be just as effective?

Yeah, yeah, going to hell, I've heard it before.

[bobthedrummer]

5. That could be classed as a non-lethal (misnomer after Moscow)

Non-Lethal Terms and References (from USAF/INSS)
http://www.adacomp.net/~mcherney/nonlethal.html

[BiggJawn]

6. They have one

The chinese made it.