The Nice People Thread, No.16: A Universe of Niceness.

Pyxis

GDB2222 wrote: »

The fact that someone can go missing for 3 days and nobody even knows. This tells us a lot about our society. He sounds like quite a fun and interesting character, and clearly pretty active, but he had presumably just outlived all his friends.

This is something that concerns me a bit.
We don't have milkmen leaving bottles on steps any more.......the classic red flag for something not being right.

In addition, I don't always answer the door or the telephone if I'm tired, in the middle of something or not expecting anyone, so that wouldn't flag up a problem.

I can go a few days without using the car, and two or three without going out, so that wouldn't flag anything up, either.

I have a couple of lights on timers to deter burglars, so I could be out even if the lights are on.

Sometimes I leave my curtains drawn during the day.....if the sun is too bright, or I'm not using a room.

I don't walk around my house with my mobile strapped to me, so that's no good.

A couple of years ago I slipped on my stairs and tore a leg muscle.....I was ok, and mobile, but it made me wonder about what would have happened if I'd knocked myself out.

Two neighbours do have keys, but they'd have to be seriously worried to let themselves in, and that might not happen for several days.

Even the internet doesn't help, as my connection frequently goes suddenly, so people might think I'm still logged on when I'm not.


So, do I really want the hassle of, say, putting a certain pot plant in the window every day to signal I'm ok? No! :eek:
Anyway, I might forget, or leave it there by mistake.

So, I don't know what the answer is, really.

PasturesNew

Pyxis wrote: »

So, do I really want the hassle of, say, putting a certain pot plant in the window every day to signal I'm ok? No! :eek:
Anyway, I might forget, or leave it there by mistake.

So, I don't know what the answer is, really.

There is a special type of alarm these days that monitors house movement ... but it's not for everybody.

It's mostly for people with kids.... the kids can monitor from their smartphone "mum's opened the fridge .... mum's in the living room" but there's no camera, just sensors. Of course, it could be somebody holding her hostage doing all those things

For those without family/kids.... in space nobody can hear you scream

The answer will end up being that those monitors can be monitored by a firm ... at a cost that probably means most say "no thanks" as it's not until you have a problem that you think you'll ever "get old".

Also, in 20-40 years' time (too late for most of us) there'll be in-house robots pottering around old folks, doing the hoovering... cooking .... dispensing meds ... chatting to them .... and alerting authorities if they're unresponsive.

Pyxis

PasturesNew wrote: »

There is a special type of alarm these days that monitors house movement ... but it's not for everybody.

It's mostly for people with kids.... the kids can monitor from their smartphone "mum's opened the fridge .... mum's in the living room" but there's no camera, just sensors. Of course, it could be somebody holding her hostage doing all those things

For those without family/kids.... in space nobody can hear you scream

The answer will end up being that those monitors can be monitored by a firm ... at a cost that probably means most say "no thanks" as it's not until you have a problem that you think you'll ever "get old".

Also, in 20-40 years' time (too late for most of us) there'll be in-house robots pottering around old folks, doing the hoovering... cooking .... dispensing meds ... chatting to them .... and alerting authorities if they're unresponsive.

Oooh! I'd love a house robot! It would have to be programmable to like things that you like so that you could have a decent chat.

Don't like the idea of those sensors. I reckon burglars will find a way to hack into them.



The thing is, I'm no more likely to have an accident than anyone else, really...... the stairs incident was due entirely to the stupid loose insole I'd put into a pair of clogs.

SingleSue

hjd wrote: »

Got back home after a trip to the USA. Drove round seeing fall foliage then 3 days in Boston. Beautiful scenery.
Some of the hotels were "interesting" - one had a notice above the conveyor belt toaster to say please do not put butter/jelly/peanut butter on the bread before putting it in the toaster....
Boston was fine until I got a phone call from my brother to say my mother had died. Not a fun journey back home across the Atlantic. Off to sort things out with my brothers today; not looking forward to that. Sleep would have been good but maybe a luxury at the moment.
Sorry to put a downer on things. Carry on as you were.

So sorry for your loss xx

Pyxis

hjd wrote: »

Got back home after a trip to the USA. Drove round seeing fall foliage then 3 days in Boston. Beautiful scenery.
Some of the hotels were "interesting" - one had a notice above the conveyor belt toaster to say please do not put butter/jelly/peanut butter on the bread before putting it in the toaster....
Boston was fine until I got a phone call from my brother to say my mother had died. Not a fun journey back home across the Atlantic. Off to sort things out with my brothers today; not looking forward to that. Sleep would have been good but maybe a luxury at the moment.
Sorry to put a downer on things. Carry on as you were.

It's rough hearing news like that at any time, but particularly awful when you're away on holiday and so far away, too. :A

SingleSue

We have a new date for dad's operation. Hospital called this morning before 8, he has to go in on Sunday afternoon for operation Monday morning.

Pyxis

SingleSue wrote: »

We have a new date for dad's operation. Hospital called this morning before 8, he has to go in on Sunday afternoon for operation Monday morning.

Fingers crossed this time.

PasturesNew

Pyxis wrote: »

...... the stairs incident was due entirely to the stupid loose insole I'd put into a pair of clogs.

I never wear slippers to go up the stairs. I have "slip on" slippers, where there's just a fat band across the toes... I kick those off at the bottom of the stairs and go up.

I can't manage to walk up stairs with footwear that's "flapping" behind me, it's all too hard.

ivyleaf

I'm so sorry hjd, what a rotten thing to happen

Sue I hope all goes according to plan this time x

I have some nice news: I've had my 2nd cataract op a couple of days ago so I no longer have unbalanced vision, and can now see properly where the edges of steps are, and should be able to get out of my DD2's front door without having someone hold my arm - she has a slightly fiddly arrangement with the edge of the doorframe being very near the edge of the top step, and for 7 weeks I just couldn't work out where the edge of the step was. I'll have to regain my confidence on escalators too, as I've been unable to use those safely. I've been ok on the travellator at Tesco though, as that doesn't have steps

Pyxis I've signed that petition. I despair at the parlous state of music in state schools in England; I don't know about other UK countries, but when I was at secondary school in Scotland in the late 1960s instument lessons were free.

Pyxis

ivyleaf wrote: »

I'm so sorry hjd, what a rotten thing to happen

Sue I hope all goes according to plan this time x

I have some nice news: I've had my 2nd cataract op a couple of days ago so I no longer have unbalanced vision, and can now see properly where the edges of steps are, and should be able to get out of my DD2's front door without having someone hold my arm - she has a slightly fiddly arrangement with the edge of the doorframe being very near the edge of the top step, and for 7 weeks I just couldn't work out where the edge of the step was. I'll have to regain my confidence on escalators too, as I've been unable to use those safely. I've been ok on the travellator at Tesco though, as that doesn't have steps

Pyxis I've signed that petition. I despair at the parlous state of music in state schools in England; I don't know about other UK countries, but when I was at secondary school in Scotland in the late 1960s instument lessons were free.

Thank you Ivy.

It's such a terribly short-sighted view to take, imo. Music has measured benefits for so many aspects of development which apply to any age group.

I also feel it should play an active part in hospitals, too.