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!

[basgetti]

Any reasonable person would be upset and hurt, yes. They would not, however, be furious and wanting to "rip her fucking head off."

The OP has already said she often feels invisible. Maybe this was just the straw that broke the camel's back and she needed a rant.

[Sneezecakesmum]

Thank you Maxsmummy and basgetti. Yes I did just want to rant and be understood. At the time I said nothing, and even if I had said something it would have been polite and just to make her aware of her actions.

I am too polite which I am more angry about than this womans behaviour. It was rude, thoughtless and arrogent, but I was too much of a wimp to point this out to her. I wont next time though

[JonesRipley]

some of the responses on here are perverse in the extreme.

We teach 3 year olds to apologise for unintentional acts that cause someone to be hurt. Shouldn't expect that from a grown woman though, who if she showed thought could have avoided kicking a child.

Let's blame the blame the pool management though eh?

[JonesRipley]

OPs ranting does not harm to anyone.

[plecofjustice]

I was placing a child in danger by taking him into the local pool?

Yes, you were. A swimming pool is a dangerous environment by definition - it contains a substance which, if immersed in it, will kill a person.

We mitigate the risks through the provision of lifeguards, buoyancy aids, etc, but ultimately, if you are going to take a child into a pool, you are responsible for their safety, and that means being situationally aware at all times. Yes, you do need eyes in the back of your head, everyone who takes responsibility for another pool user does.

Treat this as a reminder of the importance of awareness in swimming pools and be glad that inattention didn't cause any injury. Many parents and carers don't get to say that

[JonesRipley]

God Lord. I've heard it all

[ProudAS]

I don't think I "own" the pool where I swim but I do think it reasonable for recreational swimmers to give way to those of us doing lengths (the pool doesn't have separate areas but is much wider at one end than the other so a fairly narrow area for lengths and plenty of room in the wide bit for recreation).

Kicking people in the pool is easily done by accident and maybe the woman couldnt see without her glasses.

[JonesRipley]

Proud

Are you aware when you have kicked someone?

[JonesRipley]

And if you are, do you apologise?

[SconeRhymesWithGone]

I am curious to know what her "middle age" has to do with it?

[Sneezecakesmum]

I only ranted on here because I dont rant in RL.

I would have been quite happy for a simple 'sorry' but just to carry on swimming and then turning and swimming back past me as if I and DGS didnt exist was what infuriated me.

[JonesRipley]

Possibly middle-aged women are deemed to have intelligence and manners?

Maybe not

[JonesRipley]

Sneeze

It would have infuriated me too. Rudeness does. There may have been statistically very unlikely reasons why she didn't see you, stop, avoid you, apologise, but here in Opposites World, it's all your fault.

[ProudAS]

Yes Jones - If I know then I do apologise but seems a bit odd asking me whether I know. If I didn't realise I'd kicked someone how would I know that I hadn't realised????

[bruffin]

Not sure how you can apologize when you are head down swimming . Accidental kicks happen fairly regularly even in my lessons. I have never seen anyone stop to apologize because ors not practical and others have the common sense to realise it wasnt on purpose.

[JonesRipley]

Proud

OK, you think it's likely you'd be swimming behind someone, hit them hard enough to push them backwards and not notice?

Or that you'd be swimming behind someone and not take steps to avoid them?

[Sneezecakesmum]

Middle aged has nothing to do with anything. It was a description, as was 'woman' and 'swimmer'. She was wearing a one piece. It doesnt matter how the 'swimmer' is described, she was rude and arrogent.

Proud. Its already been established that not wearing glasses is not the equivalent of 'blind as a bat'. I used to not wear glasses in the pools and could at least distinguish people from thin air. I was quite happy to give way and did several times yesterday, but she came up behind me. I cant give way to someone I cant see.

[JonesRipley]

bruffin

Stop swimming?

I am starting to remember why I don't like swimming pools either. Do you apologise if you accidentally step on someone's toe or bash into someone?

If you say No I won't believe you.

[brt100]

If she was swimming lengths you shouldn't get in her way, not that getting in her way deserves a kick.

[PrimalLass]

I think there may be a few selfish entitled lane swimmers on this thread.

[JonesRipley]

^ I meant if you knock into someone out of the pool.


Joggers say sorry if they accidentally run into you, is swimming different?

Are you all Olympians?

[Sneezecakesmum]

aibu Is most definitely Opposites World.

Or more precisely, say something infinitely reasonable and be torn limb from limb world!

[JonesRipley]

sneeze

Hmm

Maybe it's something about swimming that we Don't Quite Get.

[Sneezecakesmum]

Sadly I think there are quite a few selfish entitled lane swimmers on this thread!

I think one of them was most definitely in the pool with me yesterday

[Sneezecakesmum]

Jonesy. Thats for sure.