crummy pool experience

Ben was doing stuff on WoW until about 8:45, so we weren't able to go to the gym until 9 or so. I had decided that I was going to swim. I didn't have my tennis shoes or anything. I had put on my suit and was walking into the pool when the lifeguard told me that he was closing the pool. Mind you, I had told Ben before we left that we needed to hurry because the pool closed at 9:30. I was there a little after 9 and he was supposedly closing the pool. I responded, "I thought it closed at 9:30." He huffed and puffed and grabbed the tube off the guard chair, threw it to the ground and unraveled the strap, saying, "Ok, go ahead."

I felt very off-put. I swam an aggressive 100 because he had frustrated me. It was also frustrating when I saw him talking/texting on his phone as I'm swimming. I got the impression that I was inconveniencing him. So, I decided not to be a bitch (I could have been...I could have stayed in until 9:30 on the dot) and got out of the pool. I was going to tersely say that he could go home, that I was done (which, I considered may also have been bitchy: making him go up for me to swim 100 meters...but i figured he would get over it because he would be able to go home) and a man came in as I was getting out. So much for that. But, I had already gotten out and was still feeling annoyed, so I went and asked the people at the front desk what time the pool was supposed to close. They said 9:30. I told them the lifeguard had said that he was going to close the pool when I was about to get in. They were not very happy about that and said that it would be rectified and I should go back and swim if I wanted.

So, I did. I swam another 500 meters. In the time it took me to do so, I saw him on his cell phone (either texting or playing tetris or something) six more times. Mind you, I got out of the pool around 9:20 or 9:25, so I was probably in there for 20 minutes total. Seven times he was on his cell phone in twenty minutes. I went to the front desk again and said that while I didn't want to be a rat, I also felt as though he was not adequately doing his job when he was on his cell phone so much. I explained that I had been a lifeguard before, so I understood a) how boring it can be and b) how frustrating it is when no one has been swimming and suddenly someone shows up. I get it. It sucks. But, you do your job. Seriously, when no one was in the pool, you are getting PAID to do NOTHING.

The person at the front desk said that they're not even supposed to have their phone on the deck. She asked me to fill out a comment card, which I did happily and anonymously. I don't think that there is any hope for the quality of lifeguards at the gym's pool. Oh, how I long to find a place that employs ellis guards year round locally.