To wish you could still just turn up & swim

[Haveli]

All of the pools local to me used to have smaller children's pools where you could just rock up, pay and swim. Now you have to book a session at specific times. Dd was desperate to go swimming today but nowhere has a session. There was one 2-3 but it was already gone 2 at this point.

I get that they have lessons on at certain times but I've checked and there's none this afternoon so just whyyyy.

AIBU to think this is just stupid and annoying that you cant just decide to go swimming anymore or am I missing something?

I hate all this pre booking of anything to be honest

Can you use the main pool?

I think it depends on the pool. Our local one is run by Everyone Active and you can pre-book, but you can also turn up at reception and ask to go in. It's worth checking they're not fully booked beforehand. But if they are fully booked I agree it is annoying.

I am a planner, but it is things to do things on impulse from time to time!

It is so much better than turning up at the pool with young children and being turned away because the pool is already at capacity, believe me!

I'm sure pools never used to have to worry about capacity when I was younger!

I expect it’s because there will be a limit to how many people can be in the pool at once, health and safety rules and risk assessments will be stricter now than they were in the past. The booking system will be so that too many people don’t turn up at once, it would presumably be more annoying to get all the way to the pool only to be turned away on arrival because the pool is full than it is to look on the booking system and see that it’s fully booked whilst still at home.

They all went to a booking system during Covid and never seem to have gone back, I agree it's irritating,

Booking systems are much better i much prefer that most things now have to be pre booked

You can just turn up here but only if there's space. I can remember as a kid arriving at the pool being told it was full, the difference now is you can pre book if organised.

I agree, my local pool has set times for general swim, families and other groups, most sessions are 45 minutes long and you have to book on their app in advance, almost all the slots are taken on the day so you need to book at least 3 days beforehand if you want to go.

I've been looking around for other options but seems most are similar. I understand it's from a safety aspect, they also only have 1 pool so need to cater to every type of customer, I don't expect them to change anything but it's annoying.

Remember years ago we didn't have magic screens in our pockets and even credit cards weren't that common until late 80's

It’s also the slots though- schools 9-12, lanes 12-1, free swimming 1-3, lessons 3-6, clubs 6-8, women only 8-9.

Inflatables, polo or clubs at the weekend. It’s a bit chunked up. If you are late to a slot you’ve missed it.

But it was only pre-COVID that you could still just turn up and swim - we're not talking about the eighties or anything.

My eldest is 25. When he was small we would get turned away if we weren’t in the queue 15 minutes before the session started.

Anyone turning up on time or within the first few minutes of the session starting could not get in.

This is not a new problem in busy areas. Back in the 80s they didn’t worry about overcrowding so much, and fewer people took their children to the pool anyway. For the last 20+ years it has been an issue.

I’d much rather pre-book and know that I have a slot, that I won’t have to wait to go inside (if there are too many people already) and that it won’t be overcrowded.

Booking is irrelevant - unless they insist on booking 30 mins in advance or whatever you could just turn up and do it on your phone before entering!
In my local area quite a few pools never re-opened after covid. So of course the remaining ones are busier.

if there's no space unless pre-booked OP, there simply isn't. You could get turned away at the door, same difference.

Really? That was never an issue at any of the pools I went to in the nineties - we just turned up whenever and went for a swim!

It's one of those hangovers from covid that's really irritating. They do it to avoid people staying all day so they can get more people in and make more money.

I have to book "sessions" for a family swim I but I also have swim membership at my gym which was sold to me as unlimited access to turn up and swim whenever I like. But it's rarely the case as there always seems to be something going on in the lanes pool, some local swim group they've rented it out to or something or school swimming lessons or the pool is full of giant inflatables for a kid's birthday party so I turn up, get changed and then have to go home again. Pisses me right off.
Once I called to check if there was anything going on and if I could swim and they said yes, but when I got there, the pool was full of teeny boppers, there was rave music, disco lights and a constant wave machine on for three hours. They were like "you're still welcome to use the pool though" 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Just another aspect of modern life that pisses me off. I should be on that "grumpy old women" show.

I hate not being able to stay as long the children want to.

Everyone Active are shite though, absolutely buggered my local pool. You have to pre-book whether you want a fast, medium or slow lane... That's really not how it works irl surely? You get there and compare your speed to the others in the pool... It's all relative! Proper pisses on my chips that one 🤣

I don’t know how it was in the 90s, but it’s how it was where I live in London before Covid. Crowded and unpleasant when it came to pools, soft plays and other children’s venues. As I said, I much prefer the current booking system.

We have several pools in the area and never have to book. School swimming sessions only take up part of the lane swimming pool (and then there are usually other options available). Never heard of anyone being turned away, either. Most of our outdoor pools have opened by now as well so there are loads to choose from.

Agree Covid used as an excuse, not the only thing where you cannot just turn up and pay on the door if there is space.

Our adult pool, now not only do you have to book a timed session but also what lane you want to swim in! Fast, medium or slow!

I start off medium then end up slow but that's not allowed!

I remember during covid we paid 30 quid for our family to go swimming. We had 45 minutes in the pool before being slung out for the next load of people went in!

Yes, it’s a Covid hangover. It’s also eye watering expensive - £40 for a family of four here 😩