Dead neighbour etiquette

[Pat "5mph"]

Oh - an idea Shaun ... As the years go by, one-by-one we CycleChatters will end up joining that great forum ride in the sky. It seems a shame to think that we will just disappear off the forum without any formal mention of what happened to us. How about an obituary sub-forum respectfully tucked away somewhere? If such a thing existed, I would leave instructions for one last post to be made there on my behalf, saying what fate had befallen me, what I thought of this place, and my feelings about riding with you lot!

And we would leave

 

[ColinJ]

And we would leave

Don't leave on my account!

I only know of one or two members from the various forums that I frequent who have died. Many people have disappeared without a trace though and surely not all of them were bored or banned? Online communities are still relatively young, but over the next 20 or 30 years a lot of us will be popping our clogs. (I'm hoping to be around for another 30 years or so but the grim reaper will eventually have his day.) I think forum obituary pages will eventually become quite common.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Don't leave on my account!

I only know of one or two members from the various forums that I frequent who have died. Many people have disappeared without a trace though and surely not all of them were bored or banned? Online communities are still relatively young, but over the next 20 or 30 years a lot of us will be popping our clogs. (I'm hoping to be around for another 30 years or so but the grim reaper will eventually have his day.) I think forum obituary pages will eventually become quite common.

I meant: leave roses virtual ones .... on your virtual grave

 

[ColinJ]

I meant: leave roses virtual ones .... on your virtual grave

Oh, it's a rose - that's what comes of not wearing my glasses - I thought it was a lollipop! (It did seem kind of odd to be offered a lollipop when we were talking about death!)

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I would have thought he could only get away with this once!

At the club, there were so many different people, and things would be left to be run all the time. Almost everything was left untouched. But every so often, something would mysteriously disappear, or this guy would beetle off with it 'on your behalf'. To be fair, you almost always did get your models back, but this guy was one of the main people at the club, he had a key, he was down there all the time, he really was a common denominator in a lot of it.

Of course, there was never any proof.

He would do things over a long period of time in a way that you wouldn't really notice or you'd forget all about it...unless it was something special.

We are talking about relatively cheap Lima and Hornby models here, nothing like the models mentioned in the previous post.

Also, you see, the old club room had lots of different cupboards and what have you, and models would be put away, so, if one went missing you might think that it had just been put elsewhere.... until you looked, and even by then it might be too late. It only takes a few seconds to lift a model and be off with it.

I'd be a lot more careful these days.

 

[snorri]

I think forum obituary pages will eventually become quite common.

I don't think so ColinJ, obituaries are so real world. The beauty of online friends, as opposed to real life face to face friends, is that few actually ever meet so we don't see each other grow older. Have you ever seen a post saying " have you seen *****, he has slowed down a lot over the winter", no of course not because on here we are ageless, enjoying eternal youth, at least that's why I'm here instead of in the local pub.

Apologies for thread topic swerve.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Model locomotive collectors are an eclectic binch.

I would not be surprised to find a few undead amongst them

Amen to that!!

 

[ColinJ]

I don't think so ColinJ, obituaries are so real world. The beauty of online friends, as opposed to real life face to face friends, is that few actually ever meet so we don't see each other grow older. Have you ever seen a post saying " have you seen *****, he has slowed down a lot over the winter", no of course not because on here we are ageless, enjoying eternal youth, at least that's why I'm here instead of in the local pub.

Well I've met over 80 of you lot so far and there is a core group that I ride with regularly! It's true that we are friendly rather than friends though. I was talking to potsy about this over a pub lunch a couple of weeks ago on a forum ride plagued by wintry showers. I think we rode together about 10 or 11 times last year but we live miles apart and will probably never meet up apart from on the forum rides. No matter though - it is what it is, and we enjoy it for that.

People riding with me will definitely be noticing the changes in me! Apart from putting on over 3 stone since my avatar picture was taken 5 years ago, my hair is also rapidly going grey ...

I've actually had CC members comment on the fact that I am fat and don't look fit any more. Er, yes - I had noticed!

Anyway - back to pestering widows for bike kit ... don't do it!

 

[asterix]

Anyway - back to pestering widows for bike kit ... don't do it!

Wise advice. If I got a bike in those circs, riding it would never be as enjoyable as it ought to be.

 

[MarkF]

Wise advice. If I got a bike in those circs, riding it would never be as enjoyable as it ought to be.

What happens to all the bikes of dead owners? I've dealt with the loss of a sibling and father, there is a point when you get practical and start to deal with "stuff".

 

[asterix]

Well, I was thinking back to my own father's death. He became less able to look after himself and by good fortune we acquired a house in the same street as us where he could live reasonably independently with our assistance when necessary. Unfortunately he was found to have a brain tumour which killed him inside 5 years.

In the aftermath it was a considerable help when his neighbours had a kind word and expressed their sympathy, people we didn't know and who probably didn't know him that well either. It was a comfort which would have been greatly diminished if it transpired they had had any underlying motive.

 

[MarkF]

I understand, my father was a horologist, a mutual friend was a collector (as I am) and when my a father died I knew the friend was desperate to get his hands on several pieces, in the end I offered them, to put him out of his misery, but I wouldn't have been offended if he'd asked first.

The guy appeared to spend all his time either cycling or fettling in the garage, It's the only place that I saw him, in over20 years. His wife does not share the interest, he said so. The garage/workshop is rented, it's highly unlikely the widow is going to want to keep renting a garage full of "stuff", it's more likely that it will be cleared. Maybe everything will be junked, maybe sold, maybe somebody will charge her to clear it? I don't have any shame in asking to purchase the bike, it's just a matter of how long I should leave it before asking. I'll post what happens when it happens.

 

[tyred]

A tricky one, but if you really want the thing, don't leave it too long. My uncle died 2 years ago and he had a lovely Raleigh Lenton fixed gear hanging on his garage wall for as long as I can remember, although I never seen him ride it or any other bike. I really wanted but didn't like to ask, and kept putting it off but the bike was always there any time I was at the house. Then, just early this year, I was in the garage when I was doing a few odd jobs for my aunt and noticed the bike, and a load of other bits and pieces like a spare engine and gearbox for an Austin A35 were gone. I asked my aunt, "oh, I put it all in a skip, who'd want it!"

 

[Archie_tect]

My grandad had a special knife and fork he used only to eat his Yorkshire pudding with on Sundays... + a set of Encyclopaedia Britannica in his bookcase in the best room. When he died no-one wanted them except me, but I was only little at the time. I doubt anyone even noticed and they were thrown away. No matter how hard it is to mention it, if it's important to you, you should ...or regret it after.

 

[dellzeqq]

if I pop my clogs the bikes get buried with me - the Brommie can go in the coffin. So you can leave my grieving widow alone.