Kids Who Go To Public Swims.. .. Just to bother the lifeguards

[xaetos 0]

So, just as a bit of info before I even start, I work as a lifeguard/swimming instructor at a pool. I have for about six months, and before that I coached for a swim team.. I don't have a problem with kids. Unless they're causing problems on purpose.

 

Today started off with a 2 1/2 hour english exam. That in itself is enough to entirely ruin the day. I finished with a whole two minutes left, and I ended up leaving out a whole paragraph. I then had a huge lunch "hour" of 30 minutes. After that, I had a 3 1/2 hour AP math exam. This was the worst part of the day, up until about 7:30. But anyways, the math exam. It was ridiculously long, with weird questions about particle acceleration and random stuff having next to nothing to do with math. There were at least two things on it I can honestly say I've never seen before. The stuff I had seen before, I blanked out and couldn't remember a lot of it. Annnd to make it even better, I was at the front of the gym where all the teachers gathered and talked for the whole 3 1/2 hours, completely oblivious of my semi-glare and complete distraction from the exam.

 

Now, on to the fun stuff, and what I'm actually upset about. I had to work the Friday night swim tonight. This isn't anything new, I've been working it since September, though there is distinct hope that I might soon be taken off this particular swim when a few more 'trainees' get hired on. But tonight, unfortunately, I had to work. See, the Friday night swim is the worst and busiest and most "skeet" populated swim of the entire week. Anyone who's a general annoyance to society is there, all at the one time. I can honestly say that I hate working it. But tonight was one of the worst ones in ages. There were these three kids who kept going down the tube slide (where I had to tell people when they could go), and they'd stop in the middle, and try to climb back up. They spent about five minutes at this, all the time more and more people were lining up behind them waiting, and getting upset at me for letting them on the slide in the first place. I ended up kicking them off the slide for the rest of the swim, something I've never had to do before. Completely ruined my mood.. or, what mood there was '

 

So after these guys go off, another two come along and decide they're going to splash me as much as they possibly can. I mean, it was ten minutes before the end of the swim, and they got my soaked. Why would you even bother? How on earth does getting someone who could have gone home dry, wet give you amusement? I can't really see the humor..

 

I just don't understand why you would pay $5 just to bother lifeguards. Don't you have something better to do with your Friday night? Seriously..

[far3 0]

Wow thats pretty retardeed of thsoe kids, the best revenge is living well. Hope you did well on your exams and i think its good that they dont hire more trainees, more money for you which is cool. Do you compete in swimming or just teach>

[brainless 0]

oh yeah, always love those kids ... my theory when I worked at an outdoor swimming pool last year was that those kids don't get enough attention at home...

[Rena 0]

I agree. once, I went to an aquatic park with my family. we were in acapulco and we wanted to have a nice day, so we chose an aquatic park.when we arrived we spent like 10 minutes parking because the stupid kids would run on the road and stay there, stupidly looking at us. we had to be extra careful to not run over one of these kiddies.then the tub slides... god, it was terrible. they did exactly what you are describing, climbing up the tube slide.then the restaurant with all the babies crying and children running around the tables. one even managed to almost throw away the glass of water my mom was drinking.horrible day...

[iwuvcookies 0]

There was people regulating at theaquatic park at a place in Vietnam. People were running and stuff especially children. They go down the slide and does the same thing over and over again like you would describe. I should just push them in and let them go in head first. lol. evil me. It must be pretty stressful for you as a student and have to work with children well the bad ones anyway. Those children gonna grow up doing crack and throwing eggs on peoples houses for fun. lol.

[xaetos 0]

Hope you did well on your exams and i think its good that they dont hire more trainees, more money for you which is cool. Do you compete in swimming or just teach>

Both.. though, the competing thing has been put on hold until after exams. I actually need decent marks this year to get into univeristy.

And, my hours are locked in until at least June..same thing every week. So I'm kindof hoping they hire more trainees, so then Ken can take me off that swim on Fridays. Its not like they'd take any of my other hours, the ones I actually "want".

(Today was my first day back teaching tots since August, I'm still kindof bitter about it.. I'd much rather teach the other levels with people who can talk :\)

[adriantc 0]

I have the same problem with this kind of stupid kids. I have just bought a pair of ice skates as my christmas present and despite the fact that I'm not a very outdoor person I've decided to try them out.I'm not very good skater, but since I also have a pair of normal skates I can (pretty much) stand on my own two feet. But it seems there is a general rule for kids. The younger they are the more "balls" they have... ... when the little thing hits you with twice your speed your pretty much doomed to hit the ice. Just like that I had an impact with a kid... what really annoyed me was that the kid didn't fell, but I did and even managed to hit another skater on my way down. I simply hate those kids... Not to mention the fact that you have to be very focused not to hit them... if that happens no matter what it is your fault. And if it happens to be with his parents it is going to get ugly... Stupid kids... I sure didn't have such big "balls" when I was their age

[butters 0]

wow,i would have been annoyed too.hang in there.o yea, i hope that you did well on your exams.

[MaineFishing45 0]

Happened to me when I was supervising parking operations for a major church event. These stupid kids kept running in the way... then causing cars to stop abruptly and causing even more trouble by playing basketball in the middle of the main lane ! What the heck? So go over and give them a chat, and tell them to move it or lose it with the cops! So about 15 minutes later they come back and one car hits the back of another car, because they ran accross the road and caused it to stop very short.... dumb kids. So I pick up the phone and dial 911 and tell them there has been an accident @ the church and no inguries..... so two minutes after that I go over to the "Rent-A-Cop" ( ) who was sitting in his car on his phone and said

Its your big chance of the day.... detain those kids and hold them till the police arrive...

So he was happy and pulls out lights and siren on and they stop and he waits with them and here comes a lot of explaining....lol

[semeticsister 0]

Wow I really empathize you guys...sometimes i hate little kids so much that I just want to strangle them like rag dolls. But anyway, I was at the pool for some "well-mannered frivolity" (<==goblet of fire, tee hee) and I saw these little crap sacks splashing everyone that came into the pool. Then, to add insult to injury, the freaking peed in the pool! There is nothing worse than coming into the pool and being greeted by a warm yellow cloud in the water...absolutely horrible. So I went up to those little ten year olds who think they are so cool and I totally *BLEEP*ed them out. I didn't even care that their parents were nearby, I just screamed nonstop: "YOU KIDS ARE SO STUPID YOU ARENT EVEN POTTY TRAINED GET THE HELL OUT OF THIS POOL AND NEVER COME BACK AGAIN OR I'LL HUNT YOU DOWN LIKE A DOG" or something like that. Then those huge walruses they call parents were like "washoo yellin at mah kyids foh?" and then I just walked away because I was hoarse. It was pretty awesome.

Edited March 4, 2006 by semeticsister (see edit history)

[alfredglenstein 0]

Personally I could never myself attend a public swim with any amount of enjoyment I don't think. Ma famille had a membership of some sort to go out of town to a public pool nearby (we live in a small town). but I just couldn't imagine having fun at it.I just don't like sharing space in water with others, but it's hard to say way. I think there is something intimate about water, fun and fascinating as it is, how many things can be as awkward as going to your favorite swim spot and seeing someone else there? I've had this happen and it was sufficiently awkward. I don't know.. I certainly wouldn't want to waste time messing with a lifeguard like that.Also, I almost always get what's called "swimmer's ear" - water loaded into my ears that doesn't go away for days.. please don't reply with something like "ummm earplugs lol?" because I really don't think most earplugs for swimming are very effective.

[inyourarms 0]

I know what you mean. A lot of the reason why I don't go swimming is because I don't like people in my personal space. I hate those children who just stay there the whooooole day just bothering other people, splashing, being irritating. Also their parents don't even do anything about it... That's what I find so stupid.

[xaetos 0]

Also, I almost always get what's called "swimmer's ear" - water loaded into my ears that doesn't go away for days.. please don't reply with something like "ummm earplugs lol?" because I really don't think most earplugs for swimming are very effective.

I always get ear infections from the pool.. kept me out of swim practice for the past two weeks. I came pretty close to going insane. Earplugs do work, but you can't hear anything with them.. I don't like using them much..

As for the part about too many people there, you don't really notice it, especially if you're there with friends. You tend to concentrate more on them than all the random people you don't know..