Urban hermits

[Hank W.]

We had a bit of a talk about a guy found in his apartment dead 3 years. Heres a bit of an in-depth article of him:
http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Life+a ... 5234722129

[mCowboy]

OMG, how badly written article... the writer obviously tried to write more than he's capable of...

Then when one day they are found dead by the postman or the meter-reader, the people living round about do not go beating their breasts and worrying about guilt and "what should we have done" - the deceased had lived the life he or she always wanted.

I think beating breasts could be considered indecent behavior... or is he referring to moobs...

[Hank W.]

A bit old-fashioned to rip ones diaper and sprinkle the ashtray on their head...

[littlefrank]

For once I'm in agreement with Mcowboy what a badly written article,

'At some point the bathroom lamp gave up the ghost, as they do, and he was left in the dark.'

I bet he were dead scared?

[mrjimsfc]

That article describes Finnish men quite well! If they didn't have wives, nearly all Finnish men would fit into the category of "urban hermit".

[raamv]

Hmmm I think that the writer of this article envisions himself to be a modern day version of a classic mystery novelist

[Oombongo]

Moral of the story:

The less people you know, the less problems you are going to face

[Hank W.]

I need to find the article in print. It might "flow" a bit differently. The "verbal landscape" is quite Finnish in places.

[hychamaz]

Ok enough complaining about how bad the article was written. My first experience with my wife in Finland was next to this dead guy and I have to deal with the nightmeres from my wife now!! Let me explain. When my wife and I made our first trip over here together from the states during Christmas 2005, we had the choice of staying at our current home in Järvenpää or at her fathers extra apartment he owns in Helsinki. Obviously we choose Helsinki . Who wouldnt, being right down the street from the great nighlife, bars, clubs, etc, on Iso Roobertinkatu. Not knowing then that my father is a direct neighbor with the dead guy.
So in other words during Christams of 2005 we spent it snuggled up right on the other side of the wall where by now this guy had been dead for 8 months already. Pretty amusing to me but not to my wife...
Don't let this article fool you that Hank posted. Maybe you couldnt smell anything then, but when they opened the door, boy oh boy, it was rancid. My father in law still complains that the hallways stink. Not to mention that the entire apartments walls have to be re-done as they cant get the smell out of the apartment at all. Crazy. Just thought I'd share my first time in Finland!

[mCowboy]

Welcome to Finland, where death, solitude and goths walk hand in hand...

[Ktulu]

Not to mention that the entire apartments walls have to be re-done as they cant get the smell out of the apartment at all.

They should market the apartment to some Goths... they probably find the smell of cadaverine (that's pentamethylenediamine for the technical people out there) quite appealing.

[littlefrank]

Of course there's always 'Herman's Hermits.'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzX88hTXJuY

[greenhorn]

How come the Janitor didn't visit the apartment with the master key

[otyikondo]

How come the Janitor didn't visit the apartment with the master key

i have no idea whether you are being serious or not, but if you are, perhaps you'd explain WHY the janitor should have gone in there. The housing cooperative as such had no cause, since the guy had been paying his monthly maintenance fee by direct debit from beyond the grave for two and a half years.

The people who MIGHT have ordered such a search would have been his other creditors - the article does not make it clear as to why the local energy utility or the TV licence people or any one of the other people in the frame (insurance companies and Elisa come to mind) didn't pass his bills to Intru Justitia or to ulosottovirasto, who would then have moved into action. Apparently not all his monthly bills were being paid directly, so one wonders why the instances to whom he owed money did not try to collect it.

As a signal to bad debtors, it is about as enticing as the signal given to the Third Reich by the Red Army's performance in late 1939.

[Hank W.]

Though we must remember the Maunula mummy, he might still be not annoying the neighbors if the janitor hadn't gone to install the fire alarm?