I mentioned to a few colleagues today that I was going swimming this evening after work. I can't quite remember how (it was probably my doing) but the conversation quickly turned to peeing in public pools. As I swam tonight I contemplated the amount of urine in the water I was now swimming through. It wasn't a pleasant thought.Up and down my lane I swam, thinking that only kids would do such a thing. I couldn't see anyone near me younger than 20 and surely no adult would urinate in Cardiff International Pool, would they? Furthermore, if they did, don't they use a chemical that turns the water red when it comes into contact with urine, thereby pinpointing and shaming the perpetrator?
When I got home from the pool, I decided to see what information I could find online. In a US study, when questioned, one in five adult Americans admitted to peeing in public pools. I dread to think what the percentage is for kids. There's even a Peeing in Swimming Pools Facebook Page. As for chemicals that dye the water red or dark blue when urine is detected; it's an urban myth - no such chemical exists.
I then read a US website about pool hygiene which started by asking people not to swim if they have diarrhea. At that point I stopped reading. I can't help thinking that front crawl may not be such an attractive stroke...
Did you look into vomiting in pools? I only ask as it was only yesterday that this happened to me. Well, I say me, it was actually my friends' 9 month old baby - the poor lad had supped a few too many gulps of pool water and did a little bit of projectile! It was probably the amount of pee my son had widdled in it! So as my mate left the hotel pool, it was left to me to usher the vomit into the filtration hole out of fellow swimmers' way! You get used to worse when you've had a child of your own!!!
ReplyDeletewww.musingsfromavalleyboy.wordpress.com
After urine, I stopped at diarrhea and didn't quite make it to researching vomiting in pools. Thanks for your insight on this. ;-)
ReplyDelete