To hate people chucking balls around in pools?

[hugasaurus]

Just pondering from my sunbed!

No issues with inflatables but I really hate people throwing balls about in pools. It feels really antisocial. I got clocked in the face by some kids chucking one about earlier and it knocked my sunglasses off, my 4yo got walloped in the back of head with one earlier with grown-ups as part of the game and was a bit upset,

Fortunately it turns out they are actually banned in this pool so once a lifeguard who actually cared turned up, it stopped, but I felt quite annoyed about it because it takes up huge swathes of the pool that you can’t go in lest you get whacked in the face or just be in the middle of someone else’s game.

I would never do it. If you do, do you consider the fact other people might get hit by the ball or that you’re taking up a lot of space?

Strapping in

I think in a hotel pool at a holiday resort you have to expect that people will be playing ball games, using inflatables, splashing about with kids etc. If it’s a family resort I’d assume that would be the kind of thing the pool would be used for, not people silently swimming lengths or acting like they would in a spa.

Obviously if the hotel prohibits ball games people shouldn’t do it, and of course the life guard was right to stop them. But in general I think it’s just part and parcel of the kind of holiday which involves spending time around a pool with lots of other people, especially families.

Any ball that’s being used in a pool is going to be very lightweight, for obvious reasons; it’s not going to be a cricket ball or a leather football! So the chances of anyone being hurt are extremely slim.

I agree OP. Any time we stay in hotel now there's always a group of people in fucking pool throwing a ball back and forth, taking up a huge amount of space and basically preventing people from swimming. I think it's incredibly rude and antisocial. If you want to play endless ball games in the pool, rent a sodding villa! But I also think lifeguards should tell them to stop and there should be signs. Hell really is other people!

They should only do it when it's not likely to annoy anyone. I remember on one of our first holidays in Olu Deniz there were water polo tournaments in the pool every afternoon, but nearly everyone seemed to join in 😊

Totally agree. There were a couple of times on holiday I felt I couldn't go in the (small) pool as I'd literally have been in the middle of people's game. More recently I was surprised to see it allowed in the baby/training pool at our local leisure centre, which is filled with mostly babies and toddlers and always really busy. My kids are older so i wasn't worried about them getting splashed or anything, it just took up a large amount of space and it was hard to predict where they'd go. Tbf the boys were massively apologetic when it landed (pretty hard) right by my younger daughter but it was entirely predictable that was going to happen!

Hotel pools will be full of kids splashing, inflatables etc. Y'know, having fun.

Miserable fucks who don't like that are the minority in such places and should get a villa.

Last couple of holidays I’ve been on lots of kids have had water guns, which are even worse!

Oh I'm sorry, a four year old getting hit in the back of the head is not my idea of fun.

Totally agree. I wear contact lens. I’ve had my lens ‘washed out’ before by balls hitting me. I now pack glasses as I couldn’t drive home from the pool and ended up with getting a taxi . I’m now super vigilant and avoid pools with lots of splashing.

YANBU OP, our local swimming pool provides balls in all of the family swim sessions. It's frustrating when we're actually trying to help young DC practice their swimming skills as there's never a decent stretch of pool to swim in which doesn't go through the middle of someone's ball game, plus we all regularly get hit on the head by balls which upsets DC.

That’s a new level of hell

Just had a blissful time in pool with NO BALLS.

I didn't say teaching, just supervising them getting some practice in. There aren't any other suitable sessions at the pool as they aren't good enough for lane swimming yet.

It’s fucking irritating and stops others enjoying the pool. It’s antisocial and unnecessary. Play with your balls in your own fucking pool.

I’m with you OP 😂, and I don’t even swim. I hate seeing my poor daughter desperately trying to avoid getting whiplash from some twat not being able to control their compulsion to lob balls around in a very small public space.

Off you pop to continue your antisocial antics 😂

Yes! I don’t mind kids doing it, but when it’s fully grown men playing with other fully grown men - it’s much more likely to hurt someone.

Grow up.

when you parent your own children, they can have fun AND have manners and show respect for other people.

so OTHER children can have fun too.

I know, it means parenting them, it's a hard concept for some people 😂

That lightweight (not) ball turns into a painful missile when lobbed full speed across a pool. Honestly the ones playing ball certainly don't give two hoots as to the size or weight of the ball.

But to be fair, you're trying to stop the ball-throwers enjoying the pool, too. People have different ideas of what constitutes fun. I agree with the PP who said that of course if there's a "no ball games" rule then they shouldn't do it, but generally speaking I don't see why one person's preference for quiet, sedate swimming should automatically take precedence over another person's preference for ball games.

Speaking as somebody who is fortunately wealthy enough to own a private pool, I must concur. I love watching the little ones splashing about in the summer, safe in the knowledge that the football-lobbing oafs are all down the local rec.

You must struggle to swim with your nose so far in the air 😂

Surely it depends on the type of pool. When we go on holiday we generally go to big hotels with huge activity pools and then there will be a little kids pool and a quiet pool or adults only pool. It's fair game that the big activity pool will have ball games, kids on floaties etc. There will often be organised ball games, water polo etc too. If it's a small resort with one small pool then yes everyone has to be considerate. Personally I love a ball game in the pool. My son has made many friends on holiday by playing the header game and then other kids have asked to play it with him.

because someone quiet enjoyment is having no impact on the other one?

It has nothing to do with preference, but everything to do with what makes a difference for others.