To be getting cheesed off with this poolside behaviour now?!

[Bocolatechiscuit]

We're away on holiday and having a lovely time. It's somewhere we holiday regularly and we love it. There are several pools and the DC enjoy playing with inflatables, water squirters etc. We usually have no issues at all but this year has been very different and people keep just taking the children's things without asking permission and in some cases breaking them. So far we have had:

-a water squirter (bought yesterday) taken by a lady and used in her family water fight, then given back broken and bent.
-a lady taking a swim ring off a non-swimming six year old's head and putting it on her own and swimming off with it. We had to go and help him out because he immediately struggled.
-a group of 5 men taking a swim ring, taking turns to dive into it until it popped, then quickly jumping out of the pool laughing.
-a lady in the pool pointing to my son's swim ring and saying to him 'give me that'.
-DC playing catch in the water with a ball, one child misses it and before they get to it, a lady picking it up and giving it to her toddler in a pushchair who then kept hold of it for over an hour, giving it back with holes bitten out of it and the pattern rubbed off (also bought yesterday)
-same couple allowing their child to play with DC's snorkel mask and leaving it on the side of the pool with a part missing. When DS asked where the part was, the man pointed at the bottom of the pool.
-Same couple allowing their child to use the mouth piece of the snorkel tube to chew on while they just chatted to him

I'm just getting fed up now. We have to constantly monitor where all the toys are. We encourage the boys to share and they are really kind and would never say no, but these people simply don't ask-just take them. One incident today in fact left me dumbfounded. I was getting into the pool by the steps holding a ring. I sat on the steps for a minute then noticed a family coming towards me chatting as they went. I asked if they wanted to get out and moved off the step. They nodded and a lady came towards me with her arms out asking for the ring-she had clearly thought I was offering it to her. I said no and then they were shrugging almost to say, 'oh charming, she wasn't letting you have it after all then!'

It's just so odd and getting frustrating now. We would never say no if they would ask and LOOK AFTER the stuff but they just don't and don't even seem to care when they break it. There is a language barrier so it's difficult to explain nicely. DP just wants to replace the broken things but it'll only happen again tomorrow I'm sure!

[Lottapianos]

Where are you on holiday? The fifth circle of hell?!

Awful behaviour all of it, and from adults no less! Don't blame you for being seriously hacked off

[DrinkFeckArseGirls]

Do they think the swimming accessories belong to the venue?

[BuzzzyBeee]

Where are you? Not to the same extent as you but when we were away in July we repeatedly had to ask for DDs noodle, swim ring and lilo back off of adults. Children I could understand but adults! I've never had this issue before.

The thing were either right my our beds/on them/under them or right next to us at the side of the pool.

It was fucking annoying!

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Is it possible they think that they are communal toys provided by the hotel?

[BuzzzyBeee]

Christ those typos are bad!

[Jellybean83]

Why don't you just go and take the stuff back off of them? Obviously tell them nicely that your DC is still using it....That's what I do when in the same situation.

[ElsaAintAsColdAsMe]

Is it clear the stuff is yours? People might just think it belongs to the pool, not that it's any excuse to break it.

I'd just tell them to give it back the minute someone touches your stuff. Fuck being friendly at this point.

[StillStayingClassySanDiego]

Sod that for a game of soldiers, I wouldn't let anyone else play with that stuff if others are taking the piss like that.

Don't suppose you have a Sharpie?, put your name on the stuff you've bought, don't share then tell them where the shop is and they can buy their own stuff.

[Bocolatechiscuit]

They're really clearly ours-right by our loungers. We do ask the children to get them back occasionally but when they don't want to actually use them I feel like I'm being mean!

[StillStayingClassySanDiego]

a lady taking a swim ring off a non-swimming six year old's head and putting it on her own and swimming off with it, I'd be fucking furious!

[WankersHacksandThieves]

Can you give an indication of where you are OP and the nationality of the perpetrators? We have had some similar issues in the past but only with one particular nationality. I've been called racist in the past for mentioning this though but I'm not referring a race or applying to everyone in that race, but with very little exception it's always been people from a particular European country that have been involved.

It's awful btw, even if they do think that the items may be for communal use, to take them and break them is still completely unacceptable.

[StillStayingClassySanDiego]

Where are you , out of curiosity?

[lionheart]

But even if they did believe the stuff belonged to the venue, why would they just take it, or even actually take it away from a child already using it?

[ArmfulOfRoses]

Yabvu but you can't expect to get your dc to deal with it by asking them to get their stuff back from adults!
You or your dp need to get them back, straight away, every time.

[ArmfulOfRoses]

*yaNbu, sorry.

[Aeroflotgirl]

You have to be assertive, if you see it happen go get it back off then, and say no that is ours thank you. Get a massive bag and put them in the bag and tie it, leave it by your lounger. Put your name on it with permenant pen.

[VladmirsPoutine]

How bizarre.

[Topseyt]

I would stop being so friendly. Kids too. Advise them that there does come a point when you have to stick up for yourself or you get taken for a mug (not saying that is what you are btw.

Tell these twats NO. They are taking the piss. The stuff belongs to you and your children.

[ToxicLadybird]

Who takes a swimming aid off a young child in a pool. I too would be bloody livid at that. I don't lose it with random idiots usually but that would unleash hell.

[TheHemsleysAteMyHamster]

why don't you just ask these adults what the fuck they think they are doing?! the swimming ring one, the twat who broke the snorkel mask, the mum who let her kid chew the ball- all of them. Get off the internet and start kicking some poolside ass! (you may want some dutch courage).

[Finola1step]

Sounds vaguely familiar. I'm going to throw in a guess...you're in Turkey and those involved are Russian speakers.

[Aeroflotgirl]

You don't ask your DC to do what you shoukd be doing, unless their teenagers. They sound awful.

[Glamorousglitter]

Christ. Never had this ! Where are you? If I were you I d ask the resort to put a sign up to say they don't provide pool accessories and toys and you must provide your own and respect others property or something to that effect.
Or leave a stinking review on trip advisor

[ExasperatedAlmostAlways]

We had this on our holiday in Lanzarote last October. Drove me up the wall. At the end I kept everything under my sun lounger and the kids came and took.what they wanted then brought it back before taking anything else. When someone asked for something I said no sorry as a couple of borrowed things were lost or broken.

I'd of went straight over to the person that took the ball or whatever else and said can I have the childrens ball back they were playing with it.

We were in Feurteventura in April and lots of people all borrowed each other things and there was no issues.

[WankersHacksandThieves]

Finola - I was guessing that perhaps OP wasn't in Turkey because the Russians haven't been going there on mass this year so they must be going somewhere else. After I posted I thought again. I have never had too much of an issue with Russian children but Adults have been rude (not to me but to staff in the hotel). I was actually talking about Dutch/Netherlands as without exception they are the worst children for this sort of stuff but they are very polite at the same time and I've never had too much of an issue with adults - I guess we could toss a coin in this case.