After
working at the local swimming pool for four summers, I have learned and
observed more than many people would guess. In the spirit of it almost being
summer, I have compiled a list of 5 things that I wish all people coming to the
pool would know.
1. Lifeguards are not glorified
babysitters! More times than not, parents drop their young children (sometimes
even under age 6) off at the pool at 1:00 when the pool opens and don’t come
back until 7:00 when the pool closes. These kids are usually sunburned redder
than a lobster and hungrier than a teenage boy after a football game by the
3:00 break. Parents, take care of your
kids. I don’t get paid enough to do your job for you!
2. Don’t run! Before working at the pool
I thought this was an obvious one. However, more kids get into trouble with the
lifeguards as a result of running than anything else. We are not kidding when
we say, “DON’T RUN!” It is dangerous and can cause slipping and potential injury.
I would rather not have to backboard someone because of carelessness and a lack
of discipline. Slow down boys and girls!
3. Pregnant women and mothers should not
wear bikinis! This may sound harsh, but in my years at the pool, I have seen
more soon-to-be mommy’s strutting their stuff in a tiny string bikini. Ladies,
have some respect for yourself please. You are pregnant, not looking for a man.
On that same note, if you are a woman who is married with children, cover up as
well. Even if you are still 25 and back to a size 4, the image you are putting
out is that you are more interested in yourself and showing off your body than
you are in taking care of your kids.
4. Follow the rules of the diving
boards. I, like all other lifeguards, love to see the coolest tricks off of the
diving boards. However, even if you have a super cool trick that was legal at
another pool, check to see if it’s legal at our pool. Diving boards can be
dangerous if they are abused, and no lifeguard wants to backboard an
unconscious person in a pool full of blood.
5. Chlorine does not mean peeing in the
water is okay. Boys and girls. If you think that swimming in your own urine
sounds like a fun time; get help. Chlorine does prevent things from growing in
the water and does eliminate germs, but seriously people, when I see you
swimming around in a yellow haze I feel like throwing up. We have bathrooms for
a reason. Use them.
1) That one's a given, we got told that from Training Day #1!
ReplyDelete2) However, there IS always that teeny bit of hope that they do slip, so that they finally learn there lesson! (That one might just be me.)
3) AMEN!
4) I have a friend at college who does gainers off the side of the deep end, I can't help but cringe every time.
5) But it's sterile.........
This is probably the worst thing I've ever read. Coming from a females point of view she would assume that every woman wearing a bikini is interested in showing her body off. It has nothing to do with comfort or availability? What if the mother can't afford a new swimsuit since all her earnings go towards her children? If you don't want to see it, please don't feel like you are forced to check moms out and judge them based on your limited teenage outlook on life. I would be way more worried about teenage boys staring at my teenage daughter in her swimsuit than I'd ever be worried about any boy staring at the mother of my kids. Full grown women have earned the right to dress however they please where as teenagers still live with their parents and should abide by their rules.
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