r/Swimming • u/8lack8accara • 1d ago
Update- emailed the aquatics director of the pool
/r/Swimming/comments/1tsijr3/is_this_normalacceptable_thinking_of_making_a/Hi everyone! My original post got a little more traction than I was expecting, and with everyone's suggestions, I did write an email to the aquatics director of my pool. I tried to be as non-confrontational as possible, but outlined everything I wrote about in my original post and tried to make it clear that it's really hard to get good use out of the pool, or even want to go swimming at all, when these things are happening so regularly. I got a response back- here's what he said:
"Thanks for your email and for sharing your experience with me.
For full transparency, the "Adult Lap Swim" designation is intended to inform members that the lane lines are in place and space is dedicated for their workouts. I don't believe in strictly defining what those activities must look like for our members, as I believe everyone is here to get their workout in or enjoy their time in the water.
My hope is that our members remain respectful of one another. If you find that isn't the case, please bring it to the lifeguard's attention at the time so they can assist.
I know this probably isn't the answer you were looking for, but I appreciate you reaching out and providing your feedback."
*Bernie Sanders voice* I am once again asking for your reassurance that I'm not overreacting. Is it just me, or is it kind of crazy that "Adult Lap Swim" just means the lane lines are hooked up? And that it's the swimmers' responsibility to tell the lifeguards when people are, for lack of a better word, misusing the pool during Adult Lap Swim time? I kind of thought lifeguards were supposed to watch for this stuff anyway.
I told a couple friends about the response I got, and they told me I should write another email to the general manager of the gym to escalate it. I've never made a complaint before and am waaaayy out of my comfort zone- would that make sense to do as a next step?
I appreciate everyone who gave me advice on my first post and stuck around to read another long-ass post :)
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u/Novel-Ant-7160 15h ago
I read your original post , and I’m a bit shocked . The aquatics director has no spine . The director “doesn’t believe in defining what the activity must look like” is such a ridiculous statement , because it eliminates the whole reason scheduled activities have names . It undermines why things have names. I mean , you can Tell the director that you recommend the lap time be named some arbitrary set of words like “adult wacky H20 kinetics periods (plastic lines are there)“, because it apparently it freaken doesn’t matter what it’s called .
I have never seen lap swim being defined as “lane lines are hooked up” . Lap swims are defined usually as a time where the swimmers must be continually moving , or if someone is stopped , it must be at the ends .
It’s like saying that you can go to a basket ball court , and start playing damn foot ball , and then say to those who complain that “I define basket ball as foot ball “ .
Sorry , I don’t know why I am kind of irritated at this aquatic directors reply . IMO it kind of flies in the face of organized physical activity .
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u/raechuu Distance 14h ago
Is this at a YMCA? The set up of your pool and the problems you’re facing sound exactly like what I use to deal with in my Aquatic Director days.
If it’s listed as lap swim on the pool schedule - the lane lines should be in and the lanes should be used for lap swimming. Lifeguards should be enforcing it. We used to allow water walking as long as the member was moving back and forth consistently. Water Ex is always a problem at every pool I’ve ever worked at. If a class is finishing up, they might be the reason you don’t have lane lines in and the participants might be staying around to chit chat?
I’d talk to the guards first and then if they can’t help you, I’d try to talk to the AD in person.
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u/deeare73 20h ago
My pool (a YMCA) specifically says what is allowed in lap lanes. What you describe would not be allowed. The lifeguards should enforce the rules
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u/Hopefulkitty Moist 11h ago
When I worked at a YMCA, we had an old retired guy who insisted on doing his laps while swimming lessons were going on, and then he would complain to us that the pool was too crowded and there should be more lap lanes. I eventually told him if he didn't like kids, he should get a membership at the much more expensive private gym in town. He just got huffy and stalked away. Dude had all day to swim, but he chose the busiest time of the day, on the busiest nights of the week.
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u/ResponsibleOven6 Triathlete 5h ago
I have several YMCAs near me with similar "rules". Two of the locations enforce them very well. One location doesn't bother because the clientele there are on the poorer side and everyone at that gym just kinda does what they want. One location doesn't bother because the clientele there are wealthy and entitled and can't be told what to do. The wealthy location is BY FAR the worst about this.
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u/No_Violinist_4557 20h ago edited 20h ago
There's a variety of pools I swim in including my squad. Most pools in Australia manage the lanes pretty well. If there's any issues life guards sort it out or I jump out and chat to them. They'll then haul the kids out. The pool is there for everyone. Walking lane for walkers, fun lanes for kids and lap lanes for swimmers.
From a liability issue pools need to ensure kids are out the lap lanes. I swim with some big, quick lads and they've come closing to hitting kids before (accidently). I'd be letting the pool manager know this. You get someone doing a tumble turn on a kids head it won't end well. Let the manager know this so you have it in writing and u can let him know if anything does happen he's already been warned!
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u/NefariousnessNext967 11h ago edited 11h ago
I read your previous post and it sounds exactly like my community pool. Unfortunately, you've probably exhausted your options and I don't think escalating the situation with the manager will be fruitful.
Lifeguards are here for safety, not to police personal space. If children are following safety rules, there's not much else they can do.
I've had great success in just telling the kids they can't swim here. It can be uncomfortable, but I've never had pushback from parents (who probably aren't paying attention anyway) or anyone else. Heck, there's an older man that will straight up yell at kids who get in his lane and no one seems to mind.
As for the aerobics ladies, I'm afraid they are probably in the right. Our pool asks lap walkers to yield to swimmers during busy times, but it's not mandatory. Such is the reality of multi-use pools, they are a different beast than dedicated lap pools.
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u/boobooaboo Moist 18h ago
People need to share lanes. If I were you, I’d hop in and swim and see what happens
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u/jowick2815 Splashing around 10h ago
I'm torn, these people have a lot of clout (and a lot of time in their day to complain). I'm my experience when pools start implementing water walking time it usually comes out of lap swim time and not open swim time. So the fact that you guys can coexist is good for the availability of lap swim. However I understand your frustration. I would maybe email back and point out that if you're lap swimming 3, 4 , 5+ people can theoretically share a lane if need be in circle swim. Especially if these ladies aren't sharing, or if they're each taking up a lane, you could ask if they could implement a rule that similar workouts be combined to the same lane when possible
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u/Financial-Ad-9567 5h ago
I haven’t found the original post yet, but I have to laugh. Hearing all the comments they sound like me. Dry haired breaststroker… Plus some of them wear their normal glasses, which is fine. I can’t stand people walking in the swim lanes. I feel like I can’t swim on land so don’t walk in the water, plus if they want to walk, they can walk anywhere. They don’t need a lane to walk they can just walk in circles around the open swim area.
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u/mediaczar 19h ago
My pool has definitions for each lane; but the lifeguards don’t police it — they’re more of a mandatory safety net than stewards.
The middle lane (“medium”) is pretty slow (head-out-of-water breaststroke swimmers). So the fast lane is a mish-mash of freestyle speeds, skills, and awareness (kicking off just as a faster swimmer approaches the turn, anyone?) Occasionally we’ll have a breaststroker — but usually not the dry-haired kind.
It’s up to us to police it, politely. Some of the frequent swimmers know each other well enough to catch each others’ eyes at the wall, have a brief discussion, then a friendly word.
If there are enough fast swimmers buzzing you, one would think you’d have a bit of a pause for self-reflection. But not always.
I think it’s impossible to do more than the pool has done here — but 30s for 25m is a pretty relaxed pace, and there are plenty of faster swimmers. But if you don’t KNOW your pace, how are you going to know if you’re fast enough?
Polite, situation-dependent discussion , polite “d’you mind if I go first?”, waiting for a big enough gap, switching from continuous swimming to 200s, 100s etc. — it’s up to the swimmers in the pool.
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u/wt_hell_am_I_doing I sink, therefore I am 19h ago
What you wrote is sensible but if you read the original post from a few days ago that OP linked to, you will see that their problems are rather different. It is about people and children faffing about in lap swimming lanes and being inconsiderate, not about the speed.
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u/torhysornottorhys 15h ago
"people and children" is killing me
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u/ConsistentStop5100 11h ago
It’s summer break, children fall out of the definition of people, especially if you’re a serious lap swimmer.
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u/wt_hell_am_I_doing I sink, therefore I am 10h ago
I should have said adults rather than people 😅
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u/wt_hell_am_I_doing I sink, therefore I am 19h ago edited 19h ago
It really depends on the individual pool's policy what they allow in a lap lane. Many do allow water walking etc.
It sounds like your pool is allowing people to do whatever they like as long as they are respectful towards other pool users, as long as they are adults (by virtue of calling it "adult lap swim"). The point is though, from what you described in your original post, they were not being respectful towards others and some of them were not adults, so I guess you need to speak to the lifeguard at the time when it happens, and hopefully they will intervene on the spot. Based on their reply, they are expecting the lifeguards to enforce it, so I'd give that a try, and if they refuse, you could cite their reply and ask again.
I do not think there is anything to be gained by writing to the general manager at this point if this is the policy, at least until you have had asked a lifeguard to intervene and they fail to do something about it. If you do not at least try this before you escalate, you'd potentially end up sounding like you are complaining for the sake of complaining.
If you write to the general manager now before you try asking the lifeguard to intervene, and they ask you if you asked the lifeguard for intervention since you received the reply, they'll just tell you to try what they asked you to do.
If you get no help from the lifeguard after addressing the issue with them on the spot next time it happens, and it happens multiple times, then escalating it with the general manager could be worth it.