[Ian W]

One of my neighbours always takes his bin in once the dustmen have been. Bin has been out since Thursday and my wife informed me was still there last night.

Went to knock to check everything was ok, but house was in darkness. Knowing he works various shifts I decided to leave it until this morning, but the police beat me to it.

His employers called them as they had not seen him for a couple of days and could not contact him.

The police had a few problems getting in, but the top windows were open. Got the ladder off the van for them and footed it while one investigated. By his reaction, I guessed that my neighbour had died and he confirmed this when he got down.

Now, I can't claim that he was a great friend, but I had known him for a long time and we always had a chat when we bumped into each other. My wife and I are both feeling a bit sad about it and my wife is upset that we didn't call the police last night. (In all honesty, I don't think it would have made much difference.) 

I would guess that quite a few window cleaners have found customers in similar situations?

[peter holley]

thats very sad we have just moved home and we miss our old neighbour, we  are in our thirties ,but she is 70, (a very young 70) if she were to die we would be very upset...

the thing is we dont appreciate people till their gone

[M & C Window Cleaning]

I would guess that quite a few window cleaners have found customers in similar situations?

I've had it happen twice in thirty two years of window cleaning, both times with very nice elderly custies. It was sad and I wasn't even related to them, though I did enjoy the little chats we had and their cheerful faces every time I called.

[windowwashers]

One of my neighbours always takes his bin in once the dustmen have been. Bin has been out since Thursday and my wife informed me was still there last night.

Went to knock to check everything was ok, but house was in darkness. Knowing he works various shifts I decided to leave it until this morning, but the police beat me to it.

His employers called them as they had not seen him for a couple of days and could not contact him.

The police had a few problems getting in, but the top windows were open. Got the ladder off the van for them and footed it while one investigated. By his reaction, I guessed that my neighbour had died and he confirmed this when he got down.

Now, I can't claim that he was a great friend, but I had known him for a long time and we always had a chat when we bumped into each other. My wife and I are both feeling a bit sad about it and my wife is upset that we didn't call the police last night. (In all honesty, I don't think it would have made much difference.) 

I would guess that quite a few window cleaners have found customers in similar situations?

Dont beat yourself up about it, nor your wife, we can all drop dead at anytime, at least you helped many would not have bothered shows that you and your wife are caring people and for that you should feel proud 

Ian

[Simon_King]

Yes Ive had two die like that.
First one the neighbour found him just before I arrived and the second one last year I tried to get in the bedroom window for the Police but it was locked.
They broke the glass in the back door and the ambulance man crawled in and found him in the chair watching telly. Poor guy had been gone 3 days. I'm glad I couldnt reach the window key on the sill or that would have been me fnding him.

[Bazzy1999]

Ive got a good one for you and its very sad so im going to take my time to type this coz its still very sad for me and after you read it your know why i feel like crap when i think about it.


Bazz...

[Oakley Windows]

One of my custys was found dead on her sofa 2 weeks ago, not ever actually come across one myself thats died.

She'd had a heart attack earlier that day and died watching Jeremy Kyle.

Matt

[Neil Williams]

Luckily in 7 years not had this happen. Yes customers have died on us between cleans but never had the dreaded situation of having to find a dead customer.

[Bazzy1999]

Ive had a few die on me but the worst one for me was…..
I used to clean this oldish (mid 60s) couples bungalow and the guy always used to chat and show me his latest paintings he done and I must admit they were very good but then his wife got very ill and later died and this all happened over a 2 week period.
The next time I cleaned his windows he just about opened his door to hand me the money then the time after that he was really friendly asking me all about the internet and how to search for things so I told him about Google then the next time I went to clean his windows all his blinds was closed and there was a reeth in the back garden which I thought was for his wife but turned out it was from his neighbours as he died.
It turned out he search on the internet (which he left on his comp) on how to kill himself.
I feel I had a bit to play in this and it does turn my gut at times when I think about it but I only hope he’s happy now he’s back with his wife..


Bazz…

[TDW]

Something sad like this happened to me on Friday.

I knocked the door as they have to open the garage for me. And the old dear came to the door. Almost everytime in 5 years her first words are 'Oh no not you again' and I reply 'nice to feel wanted isn't it'.
But this time she just opened the door and said 'I'll open the gate for you'. Imediately i thought something was up. As I went round the house I looked if i could see her husband anyway but he wasn't in his normal chair so it was pretty obvious what had happened.

I always go in to do the inside of the patio door and the kitchen window and she was just sitting very quiet. i asked where her husband and then she told.

To be honest he was a right miserable old git and we had a bit of a 'love-hate' relationship. He was 99 and everytime I went there I told him I was going to put the price up when he got to 100!!

I didn't really know what to say to her so I said I be happy if i could get to 99 which was just an idiot thing to say.

Tdw

[borg]

if u kill your self u r not ment 2 cross over.

[windowwashers]

if u kill your self u r not ment 2 cross over.

would you know ?

only way to find out is to do it, anyone saying different really does not know 
we all have thoughts on it and me or anyone can't this prove what is right or wrong, what we believe is a comfort to us and thats really it there is no Facts.

[borg]

just wat i seen on that jonathon edwords i dont know my self just what i seen.

[windowwashers]

just wat i seen on that jonathon edwords i dont know my self just what i seen.

what not a knock at you fella, just a point for anyone trying to say they know when no person can unless they die it really is that simple.

there are a few things I could say about faiths of others that I think funny and they must be mental but I am not posting them as this is what I think and am not getting into a holy war with anyone. I have a faith I beilive in to a degree as will many on here so it is each to there own and thats fair enough.

[borg]

i aint got no faith as i said just wat i seen and im sorry he done that i was only saying.

[Ian Rochester]

Just found out that one of our customers husbands died on Thursday, he was sat in the pub with his wife and friends at the time, apparently he took a deep breath and that was it, gone! 47 years old.

[Londoner]

First job last Monday the husband came to the door a bit strange and said his wife had died on Saturday. I was shocked, I know she was having treatment but she seemed fine. She was a nice lady in her 50s.

Anyway, I appologised and went to go but he said no, they were going to need the windows cleaned ( for the funeral I guess) so I did them.

It was awful doing them, i wished he had just let me go, I couldn't ask what happened but you could still see all her bits and pieces around the place and I thought how fragile life is. 

[Ian W]

How old was this guy?  Can't have been that old if he was employed.  Very Sad.

He was about mid fifties I would think. For his employer to be the only one that missed him is the saddest thing. I don't think he had any family and we only saw one particular friend ever visit him.

[Ian W]

Ive had a few die on me but the worst one for me was…..
I used to clean this oldish (mid 60s) couples bungalow and the guy always used to chat and show me his latest paintings he done and I must admit they were very good but then his wife got very ill and later died and this all happened over a 2 week period.
The next time I cleaned his windows he just about opened his door to hand me the money then the time after that he was really friendly asking me all about the internet and how to search for things so I told him about Google then the next time I went to clean his windows all his blinds was closed and there was a reeth in the back garden which I thought was for his wife but turned out it was from his neighbours as he died.
It turned out he search on the internet (which he left on his comp) on how to kill himself.
I feel I had a bit to play in this and it does turn my gut at times when I think about it but I only hope he’s happy now he’s back with his wife..


Bazz…

That is a pretty awful story Bazz. But you really weren't to know what he wanted to do.

[Ian W]

I didn't really know what to say to her so I said I be happy if i could get to 99 which was just an idiot thing to say.

We all say some daft things in these circumstances. One of my customers told me her husband had died this week. (It was expected due to terminal cancer.) I then went on to tell her about a friend of mine who had died the week before of cancer. As soon as I mentioned it I felt like kicking myself, but she seemed to want to talk and appeared a little happier afterwards.

Maybe she just wanted to talk about it, cos we all tend to skirt around these issues?