The awakening

It was on this very day, May the 27th, eighty eight years ago, that something truly monstrous made its debut. An awakening, of sorts, had occurred that day late in the month of May. This was a thing that had slowly come together over a period of a few years and was finally ready to be pressed into service. On that fateful day hundreds of people made their way on foot onto the soaring steel roadway that now spanned the Golden Gate of the San Francisco Bay. The following day, the mighty structure would began carrying motor vehicles, which was (and still is) its primary reason for existence. The towering reddish orange metal monster suspension bridge began its life as a major thoroughfare, and today it carries over 100,000 vehicles every day. It is of course as well known of a structure as is the Empire State Building, or perhaps even the Pyramids of Giza. I have seen the latter in person, and I was able to enter the pyramid of Khufu to view the sarcophagus. While I’ve not been to New York City (which really isn’t a place I have any desire to go) I have driven across the rusty red steel monster that spans the Golden Gate.

Thinking back on that drive, which occurred around the year 2000, I am quite glad I knew nothing of that monster’s history. The above photo was taken that day. All I knew is that it was an old and very famous bridge, which had become symbolic of the city (and to a degree, the state) in which it is located. Not at all unlike the notion of the Great Pyramids and the Roman Colosseum (another historical structure I have visited) just being very old – and very famous – ruins of ancient civilizations in their respective cities and countries. But of course, most everyone has some idea of the history of famous historical monuments. The Colosseum is well known for its purpose of showcasing bloody battles between gladiators, animal hunts and executions. To say it has a dark history is an understatement. However, the Art Deco embellished ruddy hued metal monster bridge also hides a sinister and bloody past. Worse yet, unlike the Colosseum, deaths still occur, albeit less frequently these days, on and around the Golden Gate monster. No blood has been spilled at Rome’s epic arena in more than a millennium, but this isn’t the case with this infamous bridge.

Probably most are familiar with the blockbuster film entitled Gladiator, starring Russel Crowe. Other films have been made that have featured the Colosseum or other ancient arenas, but this more recent one is perhaps best remembered. There is also a far less well known film that was produced almost 20 years ago that chronicled the horrors of that notorious site in San Francisco. This film was simply called “The Bridge”. It became nearly as notorious as its chosen subject matter. I had seen some clips of it a long time ago, and it totally creeped me out. It quite literally shows the metal monster of the bay claiming victims, not unlike in the way a nature documentary might show a crocodile bringing down a zebra. The filmmaker got a lot of hate, but he caught several kills on camera, one of which is prominently featured in the film. It isn’t gory, as little can be seen, similar to a crocodile kill in which the final, fatal action is partly obscured in a huge splash of water. But to be fair, the film mostly focuses on the victims as human beings, even though it is very hard to watch. It tries to answer some of the questions as to why those victims gave up their lives and succumbed to the monster’s siren song. Also interviewed are the survivors, including family and loved ones of the deceased and the hardships they have suffered.  If you do watch this movie, be warned. It isn’t graphic, but it is intrinsically gut wrenching and horrifying and you won’t ever see this iconic metal monster in the same way.  Watching this before visiting the Golden Gate Bridge would be like watching Jaws before hitting the beach. Except of course, Jaws was fiction and many beaches have never even seen a fatal shark attack. I was innocent of mind when I crossed the bridge so many years ago. If I had the chance to go back to California and drive across it, or worse yet, walk across it, I don’t know if I could do it. Likely I’d be overwhelmed with emotion, as I will probably be if I ever get to walk across its evil counterpart here on the east coast in Tampa.

So therefore, today, I have decided to make mention of the “birthday” of an aged steel and concrete serial killer that hails from the state of California. It is one with a body count few human serial killers could ever hope to match. But many serial killers do get caught, eventually, and are imprisoned. The rusty red slayer takes far fewer victims these days, as it too has been “imprisoned”. Only those determined enough to get past its barrier will be able to give up their lives to the blood lust of the aged metal monster.