I went to Sholem Aquatic Center yesterday to enjoy the water and the sun on my day off. Sholem must be the place to be this summer because usually when I go there it is crowded and I can never find an empty poolside chair or an inner tube for the lazy river.
But this day I was lucky and found an empty chair. I plopped down my towel and flip-flops and reclined for a few minutes to enjoy the sunshine.
The chair next to me had a couple of pairs of flip-flops on it. In case you are unfamiliar with the unwritten rules of the pool, when you see peoples’ belongings on a pool chair, it means that that chair is taken. By putting something on a chair you “save” it so no one else can sit there.
So while I was lying there baking in the sun with my eyes closed, enjoying the wonderful summertime sounds of kids laughing and splashing, my serenity was interrupted by the annoying, metallic, scraping sound of someone sliding a pool chair across the deck. I opened my eyes half-way and saw a blurry figure pulling away the chair that was next to me.
A little while later, a woman and her kids came to where the chair used to be. She made some kind of disgusted comment about how someone threw her things on the floor and took her chair.
The unwritten rules of the pool had been violated.
What I would like to know is how do all of you readers feel about these unwritten rules of the pool? I admit, I’m kind of on the fence regarding this issue. On the one hand, I don’t like it when I want to lie in the sun for a while but I can’t find a place to recline because everyone is using the poolchairs as if they were lockers. But on the other hand, once I find a chair and want to jump in the pool for a while, I want to make sure I still have a chair when I get out.
So what’s the solution?
Do you agree with these social mores of the swimming pool that say it is OK to save a chair for indefinite lengths of time when you aren’t even using it and while other people actually want to sit down? Have you ever had your belongings removed from a chair you saved and if so, what did you do about it?
Or maybe you yourself have knocked other folks’ stuff on the ground in order to take their chair and if so, what's your rationale for doing so?
Comments (7)
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 9:19 AM
I had a similar problem last week. I was at a really crowded outdoor concert and could not find a place to sit because so many people had laid claim to sections of the lawn by laying their blankets down and then leaving. Like you say, it's a problem because it isn't fair to have "dibs" on a certain area when you aren't even there, but there has to be a way to reserve a spot for a short period of time.
If anything, it's the venue's fault (or in your case, the pool's). Would be so difficult for them to provide a sufficient amount of chairs, or perhaps lower their maximun occupancy?
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 9:27 AM
And good luck trying to score a tube for two! Both kids and parents (shame on you, SW Champaign Moms!) will ruthlessly hound anyone leaving the lazy river with a dual-tube in an effort to out-maneuver those of us who wait like rubes in the tube corral. If it's like this for a damn innertube, I'm not looking forward to the food and energy crisis of 2011.
But as far as the chairs go, I think if one isn't using it, one doesn't really have any claim to it - although I respect "saving" chairs when there are others available. But if not, I'm afraid it's use it or lose it. As consolation, all I can say is that life is full of tough choices like "Shall I swim or lay in the sun?"
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 10:17 AM
I think married people should get to use the chairs first because they're more tired out from watching the kids. If any extra chairs are available, singles should be able to use them until someone with a wedding ring asks politely to take that chair.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 10:40 AM
this reminds me of this one time there was this family living out of their car in front of my house in aurora in the 80's. I think they could've really used something like a deck chair for the swimming pool. maybe we should send deck chairs to darfur. or instead of missionaries sending bibles to poor kids in guyana, they should just send deck chairs. or maybe instead of putting up a wall on the US border, just put up a bunch of towels so immigrants know to move on. there are just so many options.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 10:43 AM
Like everything else in life, there are different rules depending on the situation. I went to Sholem the other day with another adult, a 10 year old, an 6 year old, a 3 year old and a baby. I needed a chair at the end of the row because of all of our stuff and the stroller. We didn't use the chair as a chair too often, but when we were getting the kids in the pool, gathering them up for lunch and getting ready to leave, having a chair was invaluable. Do I need a chair when actively swimming with my 6 year old? No. But, I do need a place at the pool side to put my towel. Perhaps pool side hooks or cubbies would help the situation. As it is now, I use one chair to put our family's towels on. I would expect that my towels be left on a chair if I put them there. But I also expect that people are thoughtful when they save chairs by consolidating their family's belongings. Every towel doesn't need a chair.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 1:35 PM
To this pasty white person, shade is a much more valuable commodity to me at a pool than a chair. I wish Sholem had more shady areas.
Nonetheless, this all proves that where there is a lack of resources, there will be conflict. If they don't provide enough chairs soon, there will eventually be roving bands of chair gangs at Sholem.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 4:17 PM
I believe we should all follow the basic rule of "chair and chair alike".