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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that if you're in the swimming pool, you should bloody well SWIM.

98 replies

FreyaFridays · 26/01/2014 18:53

Within reason, of course. The ninety-year-old and the baby in the yellow seat flotation I will graciously let off.

I live in a rural location which is very popular with tourists. We have no proper gyms or swimming pools, so locals use the hotels for gymming and swimming. I use a very popular hotel which has a highly subscribed gym and swimming pool, both excellent facilities. Partner and I go after work during peak time when all the other working folk are also at the gym and pool.

AIBU to wonder why the hell people choose to use the swimming pool during peak time to do anything except swim? What possible pleasure can you get out of floating aimlessly around the pool chatting or feeling each other up whilst us actual swimmers have to dodge round you as we're trying to do lengths? At my pool there is a small shallow pool for relaxing/children right off the main pool, two jacuzzis, a steam room and a sauna, so no real excuse for drifting around in people's way. It just seems bizarre to me that you would choose to stand in the middle of the pool staring blankly as six or seven other people come barelling up and down at speed because we've been at work all day and we're trying to get a bit of exercise in.

Why not sit in the jacuzzi/come at another time/swim the fuck on with it?

OP posts:
Original poster
FreyaFridays · 26/01/2014 19:12

Doesn't make sense, Sirzy. They ought to be on the wine by that time, surely?

OP posts:
ScrabbleBabble · 26/01/2014 19:13

YABU, I love a good float in a hotel pool

Sirzy · 26/01/2014 19:16

perhaps you could provide the hotel with a list of rules for using the pool which fit with your expectations? They could provide everyone staying with them with a copy to stop you being upset by people daring to want to relax?

Original poster
FreyaFridays · 26/01/2014 19:19

I'm not as bad as most of my countrymen, honest Sirzy. There has been a genuine suggestion going round that during the summer months, the first 100 camper vans across the border are to be torched on arrival. Now, I wouldn't go that far, so long as the people in the vans are normal and will swim properly according to the time upon which they enter the pool.

OP posts:
Megrim · 26/01/2014 19:39

Could you swim before work? Probably not many grockles in the pool at 7am.

Original poster
FreyaFridays · 26/01/2014 19:45

Ah, wish I could, but I'm afraid I'm usually in work by 7am (teacher). I make the most of it during holiday times though.

OP posts:
JodieGarberJacob · 26/01/2014 19:48

There's nothing worse than paying for hotel facilities then finding bloody locals clogging up the pool with their clipped stroke, straight line, up and down, no fun swimming. Get out of my way! I'm on holiday! I want to float on my back, kick my feet a little, stand around with my shoulders underneath the water and chat without being batted by some entitled non-resident. SHOO!

Original poster
FreyaFridays · 26/01/2014 19:54

You should only do that between the hours of 9-5 weekdays Jodie, when the rest of us buggers are at work! Then at 5:05pm precisely, we shall all gang up, apply extra tight speedos with lots of snapping of bum material over arse whilst staring you straight in the eye (for the intimidation, of course), before entering the pool en masse, forming a chain and butterflying straight up the pool with the intent of drowning and Drifters who get in our way.

The Regs are actually getting quite good at this manoeuvre.

OP posts:
Original poster
FreyaFridays · 26/01/2014 19:54

*any Drifters.

OP posts:
Hunfriend · 26/01/2014 19:54

YANBU
fuck off non swimmers!
Luckily my pool is very strict about lane swimming and time wasters/floaters - arf and kicks them out.

Original poster
FreyaFridays · 26/01/2014 19:57

You are very lucky Hunfriend. The Regs often have words with the people at our pool, but they're very unwilling to turf the tourists out, since apparently they went to the trouble of paying for a big hotel room to go with their swim. The bastards. They should swim in their room, since they've paid for it.

Luckily, our pool is at least very strict on the child banning though, for which I am very grateful.

OP posts:
Megrim · 26/01/2014 19:57

Think you're a bit stuffed then, unless a bunch of members got together to suggest to hotel management that they run a couple of lanes maybe 2 or 3 times a week at a time where there would be fewer guests using the pool? Does the pool have the necessary fixings to put in ropes?

Mia4 · 26/01/2014 19:58

YABU, people paying for the hotel have every right to use the facilities in this way if they choose. It's a hotel pool firt, a pool for others to use secondly. The fact that the hotels won't make lanes clearly shows where their priority is and its's not with you.

Don't get me wrong, YANBU to find it frustrating, it bloody annoys me when I try to swim and people and messing around but I have to suck it up and persist in asking for lanes whenever I go same as you have to suck it up and think about trying to either get lanes or get the council to rent time in one of these pools for lane swimming, build there own or travel for one.

MoominIsGoingToBeAMumWaitWHAT · 26/01/2014 20:00

YABU. I'm in uni through the day. When I go to the pool of an evening, I do a few lengths and then it helps my hips and back to float and tread water in the deep part, it takes the weight off.

Or do your gracious exceptions not apply to pregnant women?

Megrim · 26/01/2014 20:00

Or you could power up and down with fins, paddles and snorkel, that's pretty effective too. Or shout "POO" very loudly, that usually clears the pool.

Joysmum · 26/01/2014 20:01

Ah, yet another thread by somebody who expects everybody else with equal rights to do things the way they expect.

Thank you so much for explaining how we, and the pool, should be using the facilities! It's up to those entitled to use the pool to decide how to enjoy it, as long as it's within the rules.

Original poster
FreyaFridays · 26/01/2014 20:02

My gracious exceptions do indeed apply to pregnant women, they are within the within reason comment. Within reason, of course.

You're a student though, surely students don't do much through the day anyway, except take drugs and write beat poetry.

OP posts:
honestpointofview · 26/01/2014 20:03

Evening Freya

I think the probably is that the two things are not necessarily compatible. The hotel you say is being nice, I guess because you can not swim elsewhere, also they make money from allowing local people in. The difficulty is that if I go to a hotel to, especially one in a rural location, then i have come to rest and will be happy to just chat and play around in the pool rather than swim. As for me only swimming during the day, no way. I would not be happy being told that. I might choose to avoid it during the evenings but being frank if it was really busy because they allow people to join I might also be unhappy with that. As a hotel guest i want to be able to use it when I like.

Original poster
FreyaFridays · 26/01/2014 20:05

Hadn't thought of bringing a snorkel, that's a fantastic idea. I suppose there are also surf boards to consider.

I expect the pool people would think shouting "POO" would be even more vulgar than the idea of putting lanes in, so I'd better not do that. They are the keepers of the towels after all...

OP posts:
Birdsgottafly · 26/01/2014 20:06

"it's the hen parties I have issues with."
"Millions of hen parties in the pool."

You will have to keep reminding yourself that you are using a pool attached to a business that needs a good occupancy.

One of the reasons you choose hotels over B&B's etc are facilities, such as pools.

I hate the attitude of some local people whose towns/city's wouldn't have half the facilities and shops, if it wasn't for tourists.

The Hotel is doing you a favour and the guests have to put up with you, when all they want to do is float about (which makes you feel better when you've been drinking/busy).

JodieGarberJacob · 26/01/2014 20:08

Grin Giggling at your 19.54 post Freya and those poor drifters being blasted out of the water by formation torpedoes!

kaizen · 26/01/2014 20:15

I stayed in a local posh spa hotel recently which has a beautiful pool. I went in wearing speedo cossie and hat, snapped my goggles on firmly, and did 70 fast front crawl lengths around a honeymooning couple who were enjoying the peace and tranquility Grin

I enjoyed it, and my services are available FreyaWink

Marshy · 26/01/2014 20:24

Op, you need to buy your own pool and then you can lay the law down but until then you just have to suck it up because the other lazy feckers swimmers can actually just do what they want even if that is floating around in your very important way

EBearhug · 26/01/2014 20:26

One of the joys about a hotel pool on holiday is that I can go for a swim before going out for the day, then I get back and can go for a swim, and then go out for the evening.

I've only ever been on two hen do's, but one was at a hotel with a pool. I loved it - mind you, it may be relevant that the bride and I in our teenage years spent a very large amount of our non-school time doing various swimming club things, and we did some proper swimming - plus we were well-drilled in lane discipline, and kept over to one side only when we were chatting.

I've been jolly glad of hotels with pools in my time. Lifeguarding paid way better than waiting tables or cleaning, when I was back home in the hols (grew up in a touristy area.)

Having said all that, I think it's perfectly reasonable for any pool to have a lane roped off for my own personal use the minute I arrive. Oddly, it doesn't actually happen.

fatlazymummy · 26/01/2014 20:34

YABU. It's a hotel pool, not a gym or council run pool, therefore you have to expect that more people will be chilling and socialising than serious swimming.
I personally wouldn't bother swimming in a pool like that.