To think bums should be covered in a public pool?

[Whatkatyforgottodo]

I may be being unreasonable and I’m just old and out of touch… took my kids swimming today at our local public pool and there was a lady wearing one of those swimming costumes that is basically a thong at the back? I saw lots of them in the beach during the summer which I kind of understand as it helps you get a very high cut tan/eliminates tan lines but I felt a bit weird seeing one in an indoor pool? Not sure where boundaries lie…? Happy to be told IABU but wondered what others think?

I've already added my views on this thread & the posts never fail to amaze me.

It goes without saying given my own posts on the subject I don't agree with the I'll display my bum in public if I want to opinion & I don't care if people find it distasteful. Men wearing thong swimwear is also extremely bad taste. Thankfully we don't see many of them in public spaces. Is it because they have more decorum & they would be embarrassed walking about the poolside in thong style swimwear which exists for them too if they wish to purchase it?

Sadly women wearing this style remains popular for some. Hopefully in the future young women will look back, laugh & say did women really do this.

It’s definitely the string rubbing on the area where we defecate and one immediately thinks of it when people wear them. I think of poo, of grubbiness of shit infested bacteria rubbing all over the sunbed or wherever they sit.

Also I have a really hairy crack. I'm sure others must have too.
I do get a Brazilian on occasions because I am so unkempt.
I am hopeful the body positivity types get pubic hair back in fashion again. Bad enough with normal bikinis to keep it in check but there's no chance of getting away with stray hairs with that amount of cut out. It's just another thing women gave to maintain.

Its so true. I was close to retching reading this so on that note I'm off 🤦‍♀️🤣

I completely agree with you; but I couldn't help but find myself singing "And I think to myself: what a wonderful world" after all of that!!

😂😂 Maybe not so wonderful for the next person that has to sit on said seat!! 🤣🤣

I found myself wondering about this during the last olympics - stacks of professional female athletes, out there doing their day job, with all of their arse on show.

Now obviously they, nor anyone, has anything to be ashamed of with all of their backside out in the open. But who makes the choices?

Could it possibly be the male team managers, designers and advertisers who'd rather have a sexy young athlete to promote their position than a "covered up frump"?!?

If it was performance related, all the male swimmers & divers would have their butt cheeks out too. But funnily enough, they didn't. And the chinese ladies managed several golds in costumes which covered their arse cheeks too.

Conclusion - the only reason for these cuts is to put more of women's bodies on show & scream 'look at meeeeee'!

The sexism entrenched in that is grim, as is the level of 'maintenance' required to rip out great swathes of bodily hair so that isn't displayed at the same time.

Personally, if I'm swimming I prefer a fabric anchored on my gluteal crease so it doesn't move.

Maybe those who profess the comfort of a thong style should do a few more squats to fix their sedentary-living pancake arse?!?

Or just own that they've been sucked into a style designed by men, for men, and EVERYONE should have their eyes clapped on them wherever they move. Chose it, own it. I'm not going to tell a toddler to look away or stop pointing!

If it was performance related, all the male swimmers & divers would have their butt cheeks out too.

Indeed. In fact, a lot of professional male swimmers actually wear fuller one-piece costumes that cover far more than what men usually wear in their local pools.

You have male swimmers covering up their chests and backs; meanwhile you have female swimmers with their arses out. They can't both be for greater swimming efficiency or comfort.

Female competitive swimmers do often wear suits that cover a lot. Others choose to wear ones with less lower body coverage as they feel they restrict movement. It is ALL about aerodynamics.

They are not showing their butts at the expense of time. It's ALL about time advantage.

They wear a mixture. It's a payoff. Aerodynamics vs restrictive movements.

They are not showing their butts at the expense of time ffs. They train to the fraction of a second. They aren't compromising for a but if arse showing.

Those suits beit cut away or long leg are designed with one thing in mind and that is drag. Oh and nit grunge restrictive.

So why don't any of the male competitive swimmers seem to believe that they'd have better aerodynamics with their buttocks hanging out?

Surely there isn't that much aerodynamic difference between male and female bums - the males tend to shave their bodies anyway, so there isn't even that.

It's a mixed bag but currently the most common women's competition swimwear is like this.

Artistic swimwear( synchro etc) tends to be high cut

Like flashers in the park, you mean?

If I have to look at one more arsehole this summer (no pun intended!) I AM going to say something, because we are enabling by remaining politely silently horrified.

Meanwhile our children are being exposed to the anal passages of adult women, and somehow this is a violation not only of how dignified grown ups should behave in society - but the obvious issue that it is ALWAYS women that are parading around almost nude, whilst the men are fully dressed with their dignity in tact, having a great time - carefree.
It just reinforces the worst of the stereotypes. It takes us back to the dark ages.

It’s the obvious power imbalance that is as disturbing as the sight itself. Hotels, leisure centres etc should start clamping down on it, and should insist on some level of decency is the obvious answer.

Meanwhile our children are being exposed to the anal passages of adult women

It sounds like your children are getting far too up-close.

@CherryFlan Can be hard to avoid getting close when queuing for water slides etc. And kids are smaller, some of them at waist height…

If it was men in skimpy thongs with their butthole hair on display would you be so blase about where kids should and shouldn’t look?

I had another look at posts to see if there was anything new. I agree with @yogaatsunrise who suggested hotels should have a rule that maintains decency & respect for others around the pool. This policy should include no swimwear which displays a totally bare bottom, especially where there are children in the vicinity. So far 83% of a 21 page thread agree with the OP. This tells us the vast majority of posters & no doubt people in general find being subjected to bare bottoms around a poolside extremely inappropriate to say the least.

How about the Italian divers? This poor athlete has her costume wedged so far up her arse crack it could give you a weather forecast! And yet her male colleague seems not to value the "performance enhancing" aspect of that cut enough to follow suit (excuse the pun ;)

Frankly, yes!

Sorry to have taken so long to reply! I’m glad the majority agree IANBU. Some very interesting comments on this thread and I agree with those who are concerned about the pressure on young women to wear outfits like this. I wish there was a way to protect them and help them to be confident to wear what they want.

Some guidance on how to handle this in the uk... basically, if someone's got their arse cheeks out, just deal with it. If someone's intentionally bending over, flapping their legs about on the ladders or stairs, is on a lounger legs akimbo, or is otherwise intentionally exposing their genitals (vulva), then it's recommended to report it to the police.

"Indecent exposure (legally called just 'exposure' and sometimes known as 'flashing') is when someone deliberately exposes their genitals in order to frighten or upset someone else.
Men and women can both commit indecent exposure. It can happen in public or in private."

Indecent exposure - UK police definition

Ah, I see you’re of the “it’s impolite for your children to look at adults’ genitals on display in public” persuasion. What age ought to that kick in? Toddlers really should avert their eyes from adults’ arses in the pool as it’s so dreary of them to spoil the bum-flashing sexy fun?

Well you seen to have a vivid imagination! I have no problem with children staring, pointing or laughing at arses if the owner of the arse wishes to put it on public display.

Oh this. Racing swimmers tend to wear knee length suits. Both men and women. But that is just for race day. For training female racing swimmers would often wear normal cossies and there seems to be a trend for having them wedgied right up the bum crack. So not even thongs, just wedgies. I never know where to look when they are in the showers at the local pool with a full moon on display. I think it’s indecent.

At the Olympics the synchro swimmers were the worst. They were pretty much showing their flaps when they were upside down flopping their legs around. I’m sure these women are super fit and have worked harder than I could ever imagine but all I could think was how good their waxers must be.