To be furious at swimming pool regulars who think they own the bloody pool. To the point of kicking a disabled child?

[Sneezecakesmum]

Dont know who I am angrier with. Myself or the middle aged woman swimming in the local pool apparently doing her daily 50 lengths of breast stroke, when we (the interlopers) dared to be in her way and which gave her the right to kick a 5 year old disabled boy in the chest!

FFS she came up behind us so definitely saw us. I was holding a child festooned in buoyancy aids, (so both arms needed) and facing away from her so I didnt see her. The first thing I knew she kicked/or hit me lightly then with the next stroke kicked out strongly and I felt the childs body rock against me. Luckily he is a tough nut and just looked a bit shocked.

AIBU to want to rip her fucking head off? No apology, no acknowledgement despite being fully aware she hit us!

I just stood there like a wimp feeling it was my fault for being in 'her' pool

You know that thing where you do/say nothing at the time, but rage and vent afterwards? Well I am venting!

[AuditAngel]

YANBU (and you know it

The not having a go at them straight away? It is called shock (and sometimes good manners, but I don't suffer those in a situation like this!)

I hope he's OK and not put off swimming.

[Mrsmorton]

If she was just going up and down up and down, then you should have been able to see that you would be in her way. She shouldn't have kicked you deliberately though.

[Aboyandabunny]

The same brigade stopped children having private lessons at our local pool on Satudays and Sundays given by the swimming teachers until parents threatened to stop using the pool for the lucrative (for the council) after school swimming groups.

[OwlCapone]

Were you in an area reserved for "proper" swimming?

[Sneezecakesmum]

mrs morton. we were facing in the direction she was heading to so she was behind us. She saw us but we could not see her. It was the complete lack of humanity that makes me furious.

[OwlCapone]

As she was doing breaststroke, I seriously doubt she deliberately kicked you and was simply swimming.

I think the phrase "kicking a disabled child" is misleading.

[Sneezecakesmum]

There was no area for proper swimming. It was the pool we were told to use by the lifeguards as there were lessons in the other pool.

[OwlCapone]

And, if I'm honest, the fact that your DS I s disabled is irrelevant to your complaint.

[GreenEyedGoblin]

If you were in the swimming lanes then YABU.

If not, YANBU to be annoyed...but I do think maybe a bit OTT. Much more likely IMO that she misjudged how far behind her you were and it was an accident than her purposefully kicking a disabled boy in the chest.

[TheFairyCaravan]

Bitch!

[Silvercatowner]

The pool should have had lanes sectioned off for serious length swimming. She shouldn't've kicked you, but it is extremely irritating when you are trying to swim lengths and people are just bobbing about in front of you.

[GreenEyedGoblin]

Or ANY child for that matter. I also think your dc being disabled is not relevant.

I would be just as annoyed if I thought that an adult kicked ANY child purposely, never mind what needs they may have.

[OwlCapone]

The pool I used to go to had a flat bottomed pool for recreational swimming and lessons and a square standard pool for "proper" swimming. If the recreational swimmers had been made to use the other pool, I think the "proper" swimmers would have been rightly annoyed unless lanes had been set up for proper swimming (which is how I've seen it done on most places).

The complaint should be with the pool management who haven't segregated the pool to avoid clashes like yours.

[PsychologicalSaline]

That's shocking and YANBU.

I swim regularly and use the dedicated lanes when I can. If I am at the pool when there are no lessons for non-recreational swimming then I only swim breaststroke and swim around recreational swimmers with care!

If it was only you (plus DC) and the other woman in the pool and you could see where she was repeatedly swimming up and down then it would be only courteous not to move in to the 'lane' where she was swimming.

[Sneezecakesmum]

there were no swimming lanes. Even though its annoying when you are trying to swim lengths, you simply dont kick people because they are in your way.

Im not saying she did it deliberately but that she showed no common courtesy not to kick other pool users. No apology after a kick strong enough to push both of us backwards in the water.

It was the horrible arrogant way she didnt even acknowledge us or what she had done. 'My' pool.... you shouldnt be here, attitude!

[Sneezecakesmum]

The pool just had a few swimmers like her and a few children and parents (school inset day) so not busy. If I see someone swimming I would move out of their way, but I was facing the opposite direction, therefore to me the onus was on her to swim round us.

The other length swimmers were courteous and everyone, including me, avoided the other swimmers.

[SoulJacker]

I know quite a few people who swim 'blind' as they take glasses off for swimming so I wouldn't assume that she definitely saw you.

[comedaygoday]

YANBU

And you weren't a wimp, just shocked and polite.

[OwlCapone]

Im not saying she did it deliberately but that she showed no common courtesy not to kick other pool users.

If you think she should show courtesy not to kick other users you are saying she did it deliberately. Accidents have nothing to do with courtesy. She misjudged how far she was from you, that's all.

It doesn't take a lot to push someone back in a pool as you have very little balance when in the water.

[Sneezecakesmum]

I just want to turn the clock back and stand in her way on her next length. Stop her and ask why she thinks she owns the pool, and what gives her the right to kick other swimmers, including young children (disabled or otherwise)?

Sigh.....but as usual the moment is passed and I feel better now I've said it because next time I wont be polite and apologetic in similar circumstances.

For some strange reason, holding a disabled child made me feel invisible, insignificant and vulnerable

There won't be a next time though

[Madmum24]

YANBU, this really bothers me! I take mine swimming in the mornings (we home educate) and despite there being not one, but two designated swimming lanes there is a group of people who insist on creating their own "lanes" and tut and give catsbum face looks to anyone who is "in their way".

[TheFairyCaravan]

She might not have seen the OP, but in whose world is it okay to kick someone and not apologise? She would have felt it, so she should have said sorry, or raised her hand or something! There is absolutely no excuse for it, it's just bad manners!

[Sneezecakesmum]

Owl. Not quite understanding. Are you saying if you do something accidentally to harm someone else you dont need to apologise?

It was a very strong kick out from the breast stroke with her foot. It WAS forceful. She knew she had done it.

[Viviennemary]

I wasn't there but it is possible that she genuinely didn't see you. But she should have apologised. You should have reported her. I can't be bothered with the etiquette of public swimming pools unless I'm the only one there.

[PsychologicalSaline]

Absolutely. No excuse at all for kicking anyone, ever (or scratching - and I have been scratched by woman with talons for nails doing breaststroke without apology). However, surely if you are in a public pool and walking backwards while holding a child then you should take care to be aware of where you are backing in to?