Your views online

Published on Saturday 4 July 2009 11:20

An elderly woman who died alone and unmissed dominated our online posters' thoughts - plus trams, of course

Our tragic front-page story about an elderly woman who lay dead in her flat for five years before her body was found touched many readers. A few derided her neighbours for not spotting her absence sooner, but many others took a broader view...

This is shocking. The "concern" of her neighbours is real touching – if only they'd have thought to check on her.

Diana, Edinburgh

Horrible story. Yes, the neighbours should have done more, but it wouldn't have helped her. Feel sorry for those that found her.

animmo

Can't blame the neighbours. It's one thing to notice an absence, but quite another to know where she lives, and feel confident enough to visit. It does highlight that it is important to invite people into your home at regular intervals.

The people who are really in a position to monitor vulnerable people are banks: they have addresses, and are in a position to notice when there has been no (unautomated) activity on a bank account for a period of time. Would it be feasible to set up some sort of opt-in monitoring scheme using telephone, water, electricity and bank account usage?

echidna, Melbourne

I've never been moved to register or comment before. I'm sorry for this lady in lots of ways, but also sorry for her neighbours who are being abused. They, like me, must think it appalling that the direct-debit/credit obsessed organisations were apparently quite happy to continue operating this lady's life – money going in and out – without ever visiting to, for example, read a meter. Are all of you who are critical of the neighbours sure that you know all your local candidates for an incident like this?

Martin05, Surrey

Surely wouldn't be too difficult for the banks to have an automated arrangement where they highlight inactivity on an account to social services, it wouldn't even be that costly and it would show their gratitude for the help the taxpayer has given recently.

Tynieweeguy

Banks acting in the public interest – now there's a radical idea. Could it catch on?

Elsewhere, our report that Edinburgh's tram depot could be as much as two years behind schedule drew a welter of online criticism.

Two years and counting, Now there is a surprise.

alfonsa pedrosa, embra

It COULD be two years late and then again IT MIGHT NOT. If you want to take conjecture as fact then that's up to you. A bloke in the pub told me that Galashiels is the new Dundee.

Rebecca of the Sea

Not so long ago the council told us that everything was on time and on budget. A short time later they reluctantly admitted it might be nine months late and over budget. Now the transport convener tells us that speculation is unhelpful!

Jams, Edinburgh

Delay? Who would have thunk it?

Lee John

Who indeed Lee.

Finally today, Edinburgh's got talent – city sales executive Emma Anstruther was discovered singing at a karaoke night, and now she's appearing on a new hit CD alongside acts including Simple Minds and The Proclaimers.

This girl can sing.

DougieHMFC

She certainly can Dougie.