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 hope that if you were guarding now, you'd feel differently. That is their job, and other than going through rigorous lifeguard certification training (which I've done and passed), how often do they actually DO ANYTHING? I never had such a cream puff job in my lifetime. They need a reality check on what would happen if anyone actually drowned.
Thanks, rxleakem. I am familiar with Bennington. I've been there a number of times. It's a lovely town. And it was an easy drive from when I lived in Mass. We used to go up to buy pottery and leisurely strolls through downtown. I've also been up to Montpelier for the post grad creative writing workshop at VCFA. I love Vermont. We've even talked about retiring there, but I don't know if I could handle the winters. It's one of the most beautiful states, IMHO. So when I do get up there, I'll pem you and you can steer me toward the best pools with the nicest lifeguards.
If this were me I'd probably not think they were glaring at me in anger for having the audacity to swim, I'd just think that was their face when they were very bored. Honestly, unless the guards were verbally accosting me I'd just ignore it and go about with my swim. These are just kids. No one should have to have a sitting job for 8 hours, but if we want to swim safely someone's got to do it.
Just keep being grateful to them and do your thing.
If the lifeguard staff is that inattentive, it is a direct reflection of the management of the pool. Their supervisor obviously does not care about the patron's safety. That place is asking for a lawsuit. All it takes is one drowning and their closed for a while and branded with a bad reputation.
philoswimmer, I thought the same thing and wondered why they only focused on these guys. But I enjoyed the video and tried not to be disappointed that women were not included.
That was beautiful. And it gives you a whole new perspective on what it means to be a lifeguard. I love how these guys work so hard to keep fit and jump into the surf every day just to train and get ready in case they're needed.
