Swimming of Lengths Banned
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The latest attack on swimming in the name of 'elf'n'safety is a ban on swimming lengths, as reported on "Nanny Knows Best".
It appears that one local council has deemed that that the swimming of lengths in the local council pool (kind of useful for those training for sporting success, or just wanting to keep fit) has been banned. Swimmers at Dagenham Swimming Pool in Essex (run by Barking and Dagenham Council) have been banned from lengths, primarily to make the job of the life guards easier (in the event they have to pluck someone from that water).
The pool is 33.3M by 25M (hardly ginormous!), and has been open for donkey's years. Seemingly the council are balking at the idea of having to keep an extra lifeguard on duty for lengthwise swimming. The council claim that it's not just about health and safety, but also because "most people" don't want to swim 33.3M. However, the Ken Marriott Leisure Centre pool, here in Rugby, is 33 and a third metres long, and I have no problem swimming lengths in it, nor do many other swimmers, including a great number of OAPs; and I am not talking about 1 or 2 lengths, but a substantial number being swum by these swimmers. Indeed at certain times there are lane ropes provided to allow the 'serious' swimmers to do their lengths without having to worry about other users of the pool. Yet all this only requires 2 lifeguards, so cannot understand why Dagenham requires 3, unless it is to do with the width, as the pool in Rugby is only 13m wide. Perhaps the council at Dagenham are using 'elf'n' safety as an excuse not to employ sufficient lifeguards? Either way, it raises the question as to where our future Olympic hopefuls are to practice, bearing in mind that swimming in rivers and lakes is as bad as paedophilia according to our illustrious authorities.
