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Only women in swimming pools? Oh, we can't be having that!

I've recently been looking a lot at what happens around Bristol and the South West, for personal reasons. During my searches, I came across this story... according to (I apologise in advance) the Daily Mail;

"Women-only swimming sessions have been scrapped by a council after a man complained they were sexist. The man, who has not been named, complained about not being able to take part in the popular sessions at the pool in Portishead, north Somerset. As a result, North Somerset Council has been forced to cancel the sessions at four of its pools."

The story? Click here for it - if you dare...

Well, there's no doubt the Daily Mail will see this as political correctness gone utterly mad. But what do you think? I reckon a bit of common sense could have easily sorted this situation. In the article;

"Swimmer Sue Marshall, 41, from Nailsea, said some women felt more comfortable with no men in the pool. She told the Bristol Evening Post: "The women's swim session on Wednesday evening was always very popular. I think some women do feel self-conscious in their swimsuits and just feel more comfortable when they know it's just other women in the pool. I would hate anyone to feel discriminated against, so why not have men-only sessions to even it up?"

Well, indeed. I readily admit I would not be very comfortable being in a swimming pool full of women, I'm pretty self-conscious about my body. I think the council has reacted the wrong way to this one.
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Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Women only swimming pools? Stupid idea.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    stargalaxy wrote:
    I've recently been looking a lot at what happens around Bristol and the South West, for personal reasons. During my searches, I came across this story... according to (I apologise in advance) the Daily Mail;

    "Women-only swimming sessions have been scrapped by a council after a man complained they were sexist. The man, who has not been named, complained about not being able to take part in the popular sessions at the pool in Portishead, north Somerset. As a result, North Somerset Council has been forced to cancel the sessions at four of its pools."

    The story? Click here for it - if you dare...

    Well, there's no doubt the Daily Mail will see this as political correctness gone utterly mad. But what do you think? I reckon a bit of common sense could have easily sorted this situation. In the article;

    "Swimmer Sue Marshall, 41, from Nailsea, said some women felt more comfortable with no men in the pool. She told the Bristol Evening Post: "The women's swim session on Wednesday evening was always very popular. I think some women do feel self-conscious in their swimsuits and just feel more comfortable when they know it's just other women in the pool. I would hate anyone to feel discriminated against, so why not have men-only sessions to even it up?"

    Well, indeed. I readily admit I would not be very comfortable being in a swimming pool full of women, I'm pretty self-conscious about my body. I think the council has reacted the wrong way to this one.


    the argument for women only swimming pools is crap, theres no reason to keep them, other than for sexist arguments
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Every swimming pool I've been to (with the exception of the ones with loads of slides etc like Wet n Wild) has had one or two evenings a week where there are three hours or so of Women's swimming. They're the evenings my Mum goes and I don't know how comfortable she'd feel at other times, maybe because she's become accustomed to it.

    Basically it's an opportunity for women to have a relaxing and/or quiet swim, without (some, not all) men hurtling up and down as if it's some kind of race or kids bombing and splashing. I don't think it's unreasonable, at all.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    They should do morons-only session instead for people like that...

    On top of that, he is ruinning for all of us that do not mind at all having
    women at the swimming pool... :naughty::naughty:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
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  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    briggi wrote:
    Basically it's an opportunity for women to have a relaxing and/or quiet swim, without (some, not all) men hurtling up and down as if it's some kind of race or kids bombing and splashing. I don't think it's unreasonable, at all.

    So women never hurtle up and down?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
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  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    never seen a pool with womens only sessions... nudists maybe, but not womens.

    suppose it'd rid the other sessions of veeeeeeeery slow mum swimmers hehe
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    and there it is.

    Oh come on, me I was joking, never go there anyway...

    but it's true there is some like that tho...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    turlough wrote:
    So women never hurtle up and down?

    Er, yeah.

    A LOT of the women who go to these sessions (at least the ones I've been to over the last few years) go at this time (early evening) because they want to have a relaxing swim. I didn't say no women at these sessions hurtle up and down, but in my experience they generally don't.

    If this man is so indignant about it then it might have been more constructive for him to campaign for "men only" swimming sessions, but then I think a lot of men wouldn't be keen on going to them.....
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    briggi wrote:
    Er, yeah.

    A LOT of the women who go to these sessions (at least the ones I've been to over the last few years) go at this time (early evening) because they want to have a relaxing swim. I didn't say no women at these sessions hurtle up and down, but in my experience they generally don't.

    If this man is so indignant about it then it might have been more constructive for him to campaign for "men only" swimming sessions, but then I think a lot of men wouldn't be keen on going to them.....

    Yes and men generally don't either.

    and what's this all about "but I think a lot of men wouldn't be keen on going to them" Are you saying men go to the swimming pool to look at women or something. I'm not liking your tone.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    On top of that, he is ruinning for all of us that do not mind at all having
    women at the swimming pool... :naughty::naughty:

    I think its attitudes like this that lead to women only sessions in the first place.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    briggi wrote:
    If this man is so indignant about it then it might have been more constructive for him to campaign for "men only" swimming sessions, but then I think a lot of men wouldn't be keen on going to them.....
    Probably because men are just as bitchy as women when it comes to pointing out "shortcomings" in other men's physiques.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    They coul have just created men only swimming sessions in equal numbers to make it fair if soooo many people are soooo bothered about it.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i dont see the problem with having women only swimming, but it seems a bit silly. What if some of the women were lesbians and were only there to leer?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The swimming pools I go to offer women only sessions quite a lot but I have never seen a men only session.

    Women only sessions are in fact so common that they clog up quite a large chunk of the timetable, leaving little for simple mixed swimming.

    Would the same people support this if there was fast swimmers only session, men only session, fast men only sessions, slow men only sessions etc that clogged up the timetable so that the slow women didn't get a look in?

    It would be best to have the majority of the timetable free and people can do what they want, and try and learn not to be so ashamed of themselves.......
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    turlough wrote:
    Yes and men generally don't either.

    and what's this all about "but I think a lot of men wouldn't be keen on going to them" Are you saying men go to the swimming pool to look at women or something. I'm not liking your tone.

    No. My point was that instead of requesting similar sessions for men to equal things out, he went the other way to deprive the female pool-goers of something that probably encouraged a lot of them to visit the pool

    I didn't insinuate at all that men go to the swimming pool to look at women.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    briggi wrote:
    No. My point was that instead of requesting similar sessions for men to equal things out, he went the other way to deprive the female pool-goers of something that probably encouraged a lot of them to visit the pool

    I didn't insinuate at all that men go to the swimming pool to look at women.

    Yes he took the right course of action.

    Men only swimming sessions is sexist as women only sessions. End of discussion.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Toadborg wrote:
    It would be best to have the majority of the timetable free and people can do what they want, and try and learn not to be so ashamed of themselves.......

    I don't think "shame" has anything to do with it.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Why would you not want men to see you unless you were ashamed?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Toadborg wrote:
    The swimming pools I go to offer women only sessions quite a lot but I have never seen a men only session.

    Women only sessions are in fact so common that they clog up quite a large chunk of the timetable, leaving little for simple mixed swimming.

    Would the same people support this if there was fast swimmers only session, men only session, fast men only sessions, slow men only sessions etc that clogged up the timetable so that the slow women didn't get a look in?

    It would be best to have the majority of the timetable free and people can do what they want, and try and learn not to be so ashamed of themselves.......
    absolutely.
    I went to the swimming pool once and it turned out to be a specialised swimming time for something or another that wasnt me, so i had to go home.
    Public swimming baths should be for everyone.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Blagsta wrote:
    I think its attitudes like this that lead to women only sessions in the first place.

    Yeah right, and no women make jokes of bad looking men in there either or check them out or anything... All nice, shy and just here to swim...

    Like it's different in a swimming pool than in real life anyway...

    Might as well have everything separate that way women don't even have to see men ever... that way we are sure they don't get offended...

    The way I see it this is discremination...

    I'm sorry, but for a man it was an obvious joke to make...

    Sorry if you were offended, but at least it gave you a good example to quote :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Toadborg wrote:
    Why would you not want men to see you unless you were ashamed?

    Who says it's got anything to do with not wanting men to see you? My original point was that a lot of women see it as a period in the pool timetable when they will be swimming in a relaxed environment, as opposed to during the day etc when there are kids splashing etc. I am not saying kids splashing is a bad thing; but I also don't think it's a bad thing to allow women (who, if I can generalise here, at these sessions are often 40s or 50s +) to have a time when they are guaranteed not to have said splashing, bombing etc.

    Obviously I'm in the minority here, but in no way do I think my view is "sexist".
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    What about old men?

    Public swimming pools should be for everyone.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yeah right, and no women make jokes of bad looking men in there either or check them out or anything... All nice, shy and just here to swim...

    Like it's different in a swimming pool than in real life anyway...

    Might as well have everything separate that way women don't even have to see men ever... that way we are sure they don't get offended...

    The way I see it this is discremination...

    I'm sorry, but for a man it was an obvious joke to make...

    Sorry if you were offended, but at least it gave you a good example to quote :)

    Way to miss the point. Never mind eh?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    turlough wrote:
    What about old men?

    Fair point.

    I don't know what the solution is then, I just never really thought it was a problem for anyone...it never seemed to be at our local pools, especially since the sessions are always at 9pm. Not really worth arguing over... :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well after if it is to have a women session only, there should be one for men as well, after all some of us might find that uncofortable when women keep staring...It can be annoying in both way...

    I also agree that in some case, like periods, pregnancy or other female related issue, women have here more reasons or should i say proper reasons to have such session...

    Because men look at you or talk to you weird, should not be the reason, it's life...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    turlough wrote:

    Public swimming pools should be for everyone.

    Is anyone suggesting otherwise?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Blagsta wrote:
    Is anyone suggesting otherwise?

    For everyone to use at anytime they want then.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    turlough wrote:
    For everyone to use at anytime they want then.

    Anytime? Last time I wanted a swim at 3am, my local pool was shut. :(
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