People taking to Facebook to spruik the benefits of using a coloured card system to assist their elderly neighbours during the COVID-19 lockdown have apparently not heard of telecommunication. A spate of posts have been seen on social media in the last week, with people kindly assisting their neighbours by encouraging them to place a green card in their window if they’re okay, yellow if they need help, and red if they’re experiencing an emergency.

While the intention is kind, and the community spirit is to be admired, some observers have openly pondered why these neighbours didn’t just give their phone number to their neighbours. According to one social media user, Harry Johnson, the coloured card system doesn’t make sense on multiple fronts.

Johnson said, “It’s a broken system for both ends of the chain. If the vulnerable person needs help, surely it’s easier to just pick up the phone and call someone, not fiddle around with cards in a window. And don’t get me started on the ‘emergency’ card. I’m pretty sure it’s a better idea to just call 000 than make your way to the front of the house, stick a red card to the window, and then sit and wait for a neighbour to notice. I mean, seriously.”

Johnson continued, “As for the kindly neighbour, how often do they have to check the window? I know many of us are looking for things to do, but I don’t really want to be checking a neighbours window every half hour on the half hour when they could just call me if they need a hand.”

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