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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to feel our local pool should put locals first!

17 replies

LowFatMilkshake · 10/07/2007 10:22

I am so frustrated. Tomorrow is enrolment day at our local pool and spaces are provided on a first come first served basis.

I phoned to get some more infomration and was told some people start queing from 7.30am! Great unless you have a baby and a 3 year old in tow. I was also told that on the sessions that would suit me there are only one or two spaces left. Because of children re-enroling or coming up from a lower group. So I may be going in vain anyway.

However I have decided I will leave my house at 8am and probably be at the pool from 8.10 - enrolment starts at 9am. I went to the pool today to get some infromation sheets to just check out where the queue would be etc. and was really annoyed to see that pushchairs are'nt allowed past a certain point - which the queue will be directed down. So I will have a fidgety 21lb 6 month old in my arms and a bored and lively 3 years to keep an eye on.

What makes it worse is that at work I have been hearing people who live up to 15 miles away and have at least 3 other pools to choose from are all coming in thier cars and signing up for about 3 or 4 peoples other children as well

Sorry this is a rant. DH has tried tog et the day off so he can have the DC's while I enroll them but he could'nt manage it. I just feel this system is a bit unfair. And I am not looking forward to tomrrow morning!

OP posts:

amen · 10/07/2007 11:06

seems like a fair system to me, first come first served.

kslatts · 10/07/2007 11:11

But how else could the pool do it other than first come first served.

LittleBoot · 10/07/2007 11:13

What?

I don't understand this at all.

You have to sign up in advance to use a swimming pool?

This sounds like the soviet union.

When I want to go swimming, I just go. There is no enrolment.

Am I missing something?

WotzaWeasley · 10/07/2007 11:16

sorry what is this for? lessons or just to use the pooL?

thomcat · 10/07/2007 11:17

No sorry, it's a public swimming pool. Why should you have priority because you live 2 miles away say, over someone who happens to live 15 miles away? And if the sessions that suit you are already taken up by children 're-enroling' or 'coming up from a lower group' then that's just the way the cookie crumbles. Dissappointing for you perhaps, but unresonable, and unresonable enough to start a whole thread on it, no, not in my opinion.

rhubarb90 · 10/07/2007 11:18

I don't think you're being unreasonable to think you have more of a right to use the pool than people who live further away, there'd be an uproar if schools gave up using the catchment system and just went with 'first come first served'.

However... I think the other posters are correct in saying it's the only fair way for a pool to allocate places. I don't really understand any of it to be perfectly honest, aren't pools for anyone who turns up to use on that day? I've never been to one where you had to have been given a place. Is this for swimming lessons or something? Or is it at a private gym where you need membership?

zubb · 10/07/2007 11:18

We have the same system here - they have tried others - waiting lists etc, but have stuck with this one.
Are any of your friends enroling as well - maybe they can enrol for you.

FluffyMummy123 · 10/07/2007 11:20

Message withdrawn

SueBaroo · 10/07/2007 11:25

Local things for local people. Want any special stuff?

Sixofone · 10/07/2007 13:46

Bah. Get over yourself. If your theory that noone with kids will be up and out that early, then no-one will be in the queue in front of you will they, so you'll probably get a place

TooTicky · 10/07/2007 13:51

It does seem odd that everyone has to sign up on the same day. Perhaps if the demand is so high they will start to run extra sessions. Good luck.

Original poster

LowFatMilkshake · 10/07/2007 14:03

Okay so I am being a bit unreasonable......

But is it not also unreasonable of people to sign for 3 or 4 friends who feel it is too much for them to get there - despite me having to drag my two out with me and feed DS his breakfast in a queue.

OP posts:

Sixofone · 10/07/2007 19:22

Yeah that is definitely unreasonable - they should have a rule like one surname only or something.

Snaf · 10/07/2007 19:23

A local pool for local people. Sounds lovely.

I assume they enforce the 'no heavy petting' rule quite thoroughly?

Original poster

LowFatMilkshake · 10/07/2007 20:15

snaf....

Actually there is sort of running joke about inbreeding in our town....

OP posts:

Weegle · 10/07/2007 20:24

Seems a crazy way of doing it! Our pool operates a FCFS basis for classes (with priority to those already enroled on the previous class) but the forms are available any time and dated on receipt by the pool and if you don't get on first term of trying you'll be at the front of the queue for the next term if you see what I mean. Couldn't be doing with queuing on a particular day. But I do think you are being unreasonable about the distance thing - we live 10 miles from our pool but it is best for us for all sorts of reasons and I pay my council tax same as anyone who lives 10 metres from it.

Original poster

LowFatMilkshake · 11/07/2007 11:05

Well, me and all the 'local people' got there between 7 and 8.30am and then others started arriving. And I managed to get my 3rd choice!

DS had to have his brekkie in the queue, but DD was found a pre-school friend and spent most of the time playing with him.

Could have been worse!

OP posts:

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