Yes, yes, I know... you all think that your pool is the worst (except those that train at UT or IUPUI). But before you vote, consider this:
- indoor 6-lane 25 yard pool, L-shaped
- built in 1969, with negligible upgrades since
- heated to at least 85 degrees
- operated by the city at a significant loss every year
- closes for three to four weeks every year (two for upgrades - aka cleaning - and two for "budgetary reasons")
- shared by the city, the high school, the local university and the swim club
- vacuumed once a week ("whether it needs it or not")
- lifeguards cannot be moved from their plastic chairs on the deck
- for lap swim, only two lane lines put in - not in lifeguards' job description to put in more
- patrons blatantly ignore the lane signs indicating "fast", "medium" and "slow"
- lifeguards do not enforce the above
- patrons of all types refuse to circle swim, and instead swim next to each other (again, with few or no lane lines)
- healthy mix of college girls in bikinis, college boys in board shorts, noodlers, and elementary backstrokers
Poll opens now.
Parents
Former Member
I'm happy with the University of Pittsburgh pools. Very, very happy.
A few decades ago, when I was a student here, it was not so nice.
World class pool, but no lane lanes for rec swim. This was OK up to about 2 swimmers per lane, but ugly after that. There were frequent harsh words between swimmers and occasional fisticuffs.
Rec swim would sometimes be in a much smaller pool.
The clock would run 6 or 7 minutes fast and the lifeguards would order people out a few mintues before that, so if you hit the pool half an hour before official cloosing time (as I often would), you were hosed.
For a while, there was some guy that would show up for the most crowded swim time in the small pool. He was buffed with long hair, beard and speedos.With a general "in-your-face" manner.
He would survey the pool, pick a space (not really a lane, no lane lines) next to the most comely female swimmer. No matter how crowded that space would be. No matter how open some other part of the pool would be. (not very open, but still...) He had his priorities, after all.
He would dive in (reading the "no diving" sign was, evidently, beyond his literary skills) and proceed to do about 20 yards of splashy, unstraight "butterfly" sprint, then turn around and repeat.
There are very few people I know this information about, but he was pretty good with his fists, too. I know this from watching, not participating.
I think he was eventually banned, but it it was a long time before the other problems improved.
After that rec swim hell, pretty much anything looks good to me.
Now, the same facilities are well run. I always thank the lifeguards when I'm done.
I'm happy with the University of Pittsburgh pools. Very, very happy.
A few decades ago, when I was a student here, it was not so nice.
World class pool, but no lane lanes for rec swim. This was OK up to about 2 swimmers per lane, but ugly after that. There were frequent harsh words between swimmers and occasional fisticuffs.
Rec swim would sometimes be in a much smaller pool.
The clock would run 6 or 7 minutes fast and the lifeguards would order people out a few mintues before that, so if you hit the pool half an hour before official cloosing time (as I often would), you were hosed.
For a while, there was some guy that would show up for the most crowded swim time in the small pool. He was buffed with long hair, beard and speedos.With a general "in-your-face" manner.
He would survey the pool, pick a space (not really a lane, no lane lines) next to the most comely female swimmer. No matter how crowded that space would be. No matter how open some other part of the pool would be. (not very open, but still...) He had his priorities, after all.
He would dive in (reading the "no diving" sign was, evidently, beyond his literary skills) and proceed to do about 20 yards of splashy, unstraight "butterfly" sprint, then turn around and repeat.
There are very few people I know this information about, but he was pretty good with his fists, too. I know this from watching, not participating.
I think he was eventually banned, but it it was a long time before the other problems improved.
After that rec swim hell, pretty much anything looks good to me.
Now, the same facilities are well run. I always thank the lifeguards when I'm done.
