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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Teenagers messing around in swimming pool.

72 replies

Atlastatlastatlast · 30/07/2018 15:07

I go swimming twice a week in my local pool and normally it's very civilised. Fast swimmers use the fast lanes, slower swimmers or those who want to walk up and down use the main part of the pool, people swimming widths stay at the end of the pool. Since the schools broke up however gangs of teenagers have been making it impossible to enjoy a proper swim. They stand around the middle of the pool in a circle chatting, swim randomly anywhere, ignore the no diving or jumping signs and jump in on top of people, etc. They also chase each other around the dressing room, take photos of each other and generally make it an uncomfortable place to be.

Following lots of complaints and threats by regular users to start going else the owners have now put in place an over 18s policy between 10am and 4 pm.

A friend of mine whose teenagers are keen swimmers is really pissed off and thinks this is very unfair, as does one of my neighbours whose 15 year old uses the pool regularly. I have sympathy as they're not among the messers but AIBU to be secretly delighted that we won't have to tolerate annoying teenagers in the pool anymore?

OP posts:

FASH84 · 30/07/2018 15:09

What a horrible rule for the summer holidays, my local pool have over 18 hours very early in the morning or in the evenings

ProudThrilledHappy · 30/07/2018 15:10

Our local pool has time slots for various purposes. Lane swimming of different skill levels through the day, aqua classes, private lessons and then “general swim” which is basically free for all, kids splashing around time.

Does yours not do this normally?

YerAuntFanny · 30/07/2018 15:11

I think the pool needs to take control and make an effort to get shot of the trouble makers rather than stopping those who want to swim using the facilities as intended.

Personally, I'd be surprised if this policy lasts as they will lose out on a lot of trade from families over the holidays.

Pengggwn · 30/07/2018 15:12

I sympathise with well-behaved teenagers, but how else is the owner meant to protect year-round business?

shoofly · 30/07/2018 15:12

Sounds awful. Surely they'd have been better addressing the poor behaviour, rather than a blanket ban?

Shortstuff08 · 30/07/2018 15:15

but how else is the owner meant to protect year-round business?

Address the people for their poor behaviour at the time.

No one would be happy if, say, all over 60s were banned for most of the day because a few people over 60 were dicks. Why is it ok because they are teenagers?

coles · 30/07/2018 15:18

Paying a lifeguard to help call out bad behaviour would be better. Probably more expensive than just losing some custom though?

DannyDogg · 30/07/2018 15:18

Is it a municipal pool, adult swims here are generally early or late, seems strange in holidays to ban children at prime time

Pengggwn · 30/07/2018 15:18

Shortstuff08

I see where you are coming from, but I believe businesses are allowed to discriminate in this respect. They are trying to run a business; this is allowing them to keep their customers.

If I'm wrong, then, by all means, they should challenge it in the courts.

Original poster

Atlastatlastatlast · 30/07/2018 15:19

It's not one particular group. It's a general problem. It happened last Summer as well and apparently a lot of regular users stopped coming and never returned.

OP posts:

DGRossetti · 30/07/2018 15:23

Is this a local authority pool, or a health club type facility ?

However, disobeying safety notices is straying into ban territory.

Jumping on top of people is incredibly dangerous, and should have attracted an immediate instant ban.

Which begs the question about WTF is running this place ?

Out of interest, how many lifeguards are on duty ? (I really hope the answer isn't "1" ....)

Shortstuff08 · 30/07/2018 15:24

I see where you are coming from, but I believe businesses are allowed to discriminate in this respect. They are trying to run a business; this is allowing them to keep their customers.

Jesus who mentioned it going to court. Punishing all people of certain age group because the business owners don't want to challenge poor behaviour, is a bad move. It's ridiculous. Having your own business means dealing with things like this.

It's not one particular group. It's a general problem. It happened last Summer as well and apparently a lot of regular users stopped coming and never returned.

They stopped going because the Managment didn't deal with the problem correctly. It's not every teenager, in the areas fault.

Pengggwn · 30/07/2018 15:25

Shortstuff08

What I am saying is, it's either legal, or it isn't. If it's legal, the business owner can do it.

LoveInTokyo · 30/07/2018 15:27

Following lots of complaints and threats by regular users to start going else the owners have now put in place an over 18s policy between 10am and 4 pm.

This is absolutely nuts.

The hours between 10am and 4pm are the hours when children and teenagers on their summer holidays can go swimming and people who work during the week can't.

It would make far more sense to say over 18s only before 10am and after 5pm.

Pengggwn · 30/07/2018 15:31

LoveInTokyo

No, wouldn't. The Sports centre or pool will be making more money across the year from regular customers who want to swim flexibly. Shunting those customers aside because teenagers can't observe the etiquette of the pool would be commercial suicide - they'd go elsewhere, as the OP has said they have said they will, if this isn't dealt with.

frenchfancy · 30/07/2018 15:32

If this is a municipal pool then YABU. The families with teenagers pay their local taxes too and are entitled to use the facilities.

LoveInTokyo · 30/07/2018 15:34

I should have said, if you are going to reserve set times for over 18s, 10am-4pm seems to be completely the wrong time to do it, since adults who work during the week will generally be unable to use the pool during that time anyway.

Obviously they should be properly people's behaviour in the pool at all times and asking people to leave if they can't respect communal rules.

Shortstuff08 · 30/07/2018 15:37

What I am saying is, it's either legal, or it isn't. If it's legal, the business owner can do it.

Something being legal, doesn't make it a good business decision. But to be honest, I think there would be a case.

What other group would you be allowed to ban, because some people who happen to be in that group behaved badly?

mikeyssister · 30/07/2018 15:38

My pool has lanes blocked off for lane swimming at all times and the lifeguards enforce it.

They also have adult only lane times, but teenagers are allowed in the pool if they're swimming lanes (I bring my 13 & 14 year olds). If they're not swimming lanes they're moved out of the lane area.

KatieKittens · 30/07/2018 15:40

That rule and penalises well behaved teenagers, children and families.

The pool should have clamped down on the tennagers bad behaviour before it became such a problem.

I do understand though that some users may want a child/ teenager free time in the pool-

If I remember correctly my local pool had a few adult only set days/ times.

Maybe three days a week would be fair, but a blanket ban until 4pm every day seems unfair.

Could you suggest the pool conduct a consultation with users and ask what would be their preferred situation in order to reach a compromise?

BoomBoomsCousin · 30/07/2018 15:40

If it’s a local authority pool, this is a pretty atrocious approach. They ought to be catering, to some extent, to teenagers over the summer.

If it’s a private pool that caters to lane swimmers rather than recreational I understand it more, but still think they could and should have approached it in a way that discriminates on the basis of behaviour, not age.

MatildaTheCat · 30/07/2018 15:42

It’s a shame that the lifeguards can’t sort this out and keep the pool civilised. However our club employs teens/ very young adults for the role and they are very reluctant to intervene in any disputes or disruptive behaviour.

We have an hour of protected adult time at lunchtime plus early morning and evening so I expect there to be children at other times. I don’t expect them to overrun the place and wreck it for everyone else though.

RideOn · 30/07/2018 15:43

That is long hours to ban children! Can they not just throw them out if they don't behave?
It's avoiding telling the teenagers that they can't behave like that, instead they just point to the rule and other teenagers miss out.

BluthsFrozenBananas · 30/07/2018 15:44

Wouldn’t a before 10am and after 4pm ban on under 18 make more sense during the holidays?

woolythoughts · 30/07/2018 15:47

My pool has the opposite issue.

I go to a pool to swim not to dick about. The only times they have lanes in the poo are 06:00-07:00 and 12:00-13:30 and after 20:00 is adults only when people swim normally.

Of a week day:
07:00 - 09:00 is used for various swimming teams - no general use
09:00-16:00 is school use - no general use
16:00-18:00 is swimming lessons - no general use

18:00-20:00 is general swimming but no lanes so its virtually impossible to swim without some dick going in front of you and then acting like its your fault when you swim into them. This is of course except for when swim fit club is on and they get the lanes out for them.

Saturday/Sunday its even worse.

06:00-08:00 is adults only
08:00-12:00 is general use but no lanes

and 12:00 onwards the entire pool is taken up by childrens inflatables and no adults allowed.

So if you're an adult the only option is to get up early. Personally I think it sucks and is why I pay for a private gym who keeps half the pool for lane swimming all the time.

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