One of the reasons I hate swimming in outdoor community/development pools is the lifeguard glare you get when you come in with all your gear, prepared to swim and hour or two. :banana: I've been swimming outside for 25 years in the summer, and find that the guards are mostly all the same - texting, playing ball, sleeping, eating. Heaven forbid, they have to sit up and watch a swimmer. I feel like they really hate when I walk in because they have to actually do their job. I've treated them to lunch, ice cream, treats and some are fine, but overall, they are mostly very lazy. I tell them I had a guard cert, (I can swim better than almost all of them!), and they don't have to sit in the chair, or even watch, but I still feel the glare. I've even encountered a few occasions when the sun was shining and guards claimed they heard thunder. What happened to the good old days when guards sat in the chair and did their job without resentment? I only see that type of mentality at the indoor pools. On rainy days, they really give me the evil eye. :badday:
I'm fortunate in that Fairfax County lifeguards are really awesome. They man both sides of the pool at all times and there are always two at least walking the deck to keep an eye on things. I wouldn't swim in an un-manned pool because I'm not that good or confident, and I'd hate to think it would take an incident for these facilities to wake up and realize life-guarding is serious business, not just a way to make an easy buck.
I'm fortunate in that Fairfax County lifeguards are really awesome. They man both sides of the pool at all times and there are always two at least walking the deck to keep an eye on things. I wouldn't swim in an un-manned pool because I'm not that good or confident, and I'd hate to think it would take an incident for these facilities to wake up and realize life-guarding is serious business, not just a way to make an easy buck.
