Swimming pool changing rooms

[changingroom]

So this has been bothering me for a few days...

Me, my mum and DS went swimming last week. When we got out 3 of the four family changing rooms had clothes left on the floor and no one actually changing in them. There was no one in the showers so I moved one set of clothes into a smaller changing room next door and proceeded to get me and DS changed.

I was half way through dressing ds and there was a hammering at the door, a woman yelling at me for moving her stuff, that was her changing room, she had only been in the toilet etc. I said sorry but there was no one here or in the showers so I assumed the stuff was lost property. I needed to get my son warm and dry.

She said to her mother how rude and disrespectful I was. Then said to her child lets get you in the shower. They went off to the shower, by the time they came back to actually use the changing room, my mum had taken DS and I was getting my socks and shoes on. The mum of shouty lady had gone to reception to get a member of staff to tell them I had moved their stuff. Member of staff just tried to calm the situation and everyone went away.

I am dreading going swimming this week and seeing them again. Was I unreasonable to move the clothes?

Should add the fourth changing room was being used by people actually changing,

I see your point but I wouldn't touch someone else's stuff when it's clear they could be back any minute.

Of course you weren't.
No-one can 'save' a changing cubicle.
You use it and clear it.

YANBU. NO-ONE has the right to keep/reserve a changing room. I always used to shift stuff out of them if people were 'reserving' them whilst still in the pool!
If they came back and we were still in there, and they knocked at the door, and called out 'hey, that's MY room!' I used to take great pleasure in ignoring them. Petty... moi?

Changing room hoggers drive me mad. In our local pool people 'save' the changing room by putting all their stuff there so noone else can use it. I've moved people's things loads of times, and I have been told off by said hoggers for doing so. I'd move their things again though as I find hogging a changing room incredibly annoying ... :)

Do people actually put their clothes on the changing room floors and not on benches? 🤢

OP - did you remove any bags/shoes too or was it just their clothes?

I had this at a swimming class. Only 2 cubicles and notices up not to leave stuff, to put it in lockers.
Every single week people left stuff and every single week i lifted stuff out and dumped it in a locker.

One woman did what yours did, had a complete mental sweary melt down. But i wouldn't come out till my twins were done.

Its so bloody selfish. I mean why would somebody think they can reserve a cubicle?

Get the staff to move the stuff if you are nervous - they may enforce the no hogging rules if it inconveniences them

I moved an almost empty bag and a pair of shoes. I don't think they had put all their stuff in there just enough to reserve it. There was definitely no children's stuff in it, if there was I would have moved stuff from a different changing room.

They could, but they also could be in the swimming pool and be another 10 minutes if they stay in until the end of the session.

YANBU
I have the same things with kids swimming lessons, all the cubicles "reserved" while the kids are showering or still in the pool. I just use the cubicle anyway, with their stuff in it.

Is it male/female changing room?
There are separate ones in our pool and I don't bother with a cubicle at all.

No, it is only cubicles. You have to change in a cubicle unfortunately.

I haven't been to a swimming pool since I was about nine, so I'm not sure what the usual set-up is, but I would assume that the usual procedure is that you get changed, put your clothes etc in a locker or something, and then go swimming - so had these people got changed, then just left their clothes and stuff in the changing cubicle until they'd finished their swim, expecting nobody else to want/need the cubicles until they were done? If so, than YANBU and they are dickheads.

Also she couldn't possibly have been 'only' in the toilet - that would mean her and her kid had finished their swim, gone to get her stuff from the locker, dumped it on the floor of a changing room and then gone for a wee. It definitely must hvae been left there the whole time they were swimming.

I have this a fair bit at our pool which is mixed-sex changing so all cubicle; I leave it all in there but if they come back they have to wait for me to finish. There are only three big/double cubicles to use with kids so it's selfish af.

You weren't unreasonable. It's the same set-up at the pool where I swim regularly, there is one big changing area with about 8 family changing rooms and then the rest are singles. It really annoys me when people 'save' changing rooms by leaving their stuff in there for the whole session.

There used to be notices up telling people not to do it, but it made no difference. There are plenty of lockers easily available where you are supposed to leave your stuff.

Thanks everyone, I feel much more confident going swimming again tomorrow.

YANBU.

She could have easily left her stuff in a locker (presuming her stuff was already in a locked whilst they were swimming) whilst going to the toilet/showers.

Please do not let it put you off going back. Hopefully she’s learnt her lesson and won’t “reserve” one again.

I hate this so much. I just change in them anyway and pretend I thought it was lost property.

YANBU, it makes me really angry when people do this. I made the mistake of going to public swimming at our local pool when a swimming lesson was on; every single cubicle was full of clothes that parents had obviously left in there ready for when their kids came out. Not very helpful for any of the other pool users!

Good news! We went swimming today. The hoggers were there but didn't say anything to us. Also the pool now has, do not leave your stuff in the changing room notices everywhere! Hopefully the hoggers saw them and realised it was because of them (but I doubt it)!

Seems as if you have been supported by the pool staff which is welcome to read. Far too often shouty aggressive people are placated in the wrong way (ask anyone in retail no doubtless they have many tales).

I might have waited a couple of minutes to see if they had gone to the toilet or something. I don't think it would have occurred to me that anyone was reserving the changing room. Do people really do that? I think stuff would get stolen where I live.