# Swimming pools - why don't people swim in them? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 7, 2002, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-pools-why-dont-people-swim-in-them/117809 "2002-07-07T19:42:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-pools-why-dont-people-swim-in-them/117809/1 "2002-07-07T19:42:05Z")
I moved into a nice apartment complex in May that had something I’ve always wanted - a swimming pool. It’s a fairly large complex (more than 200 units), and not a very large pool. I thought I might have trouble finding time/room to swim. But, Happy Happy Joy Joy, I never have this problem. I go out there virtually every evening after work, and I am the inly person there. I go out on the weekend, and there are quite a few people around the pool, but _no one_ in it. Except for two or three occasions, I’ve had it entirely to myself. I’m paying a fairly hefty premium to live in this place, and so are they. So what’s the deal? Most of these people could just as well be sitting on a lawn chair in a yard rather than at poolside. To judge by their coiffed hair, they don’t even dip themselves in to cool off. I figure some people “need” the pool as a psychological crutch; they want to put on a swimsuit to work on their tan, but feel uncomfortable doing so unless there is an actual pool around to justify wearing the suit. Does it just boil down to this? ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-pools-why-dont-people-swim-in-them/117809/2 "2002-07-07T19:49:36Z")
Because people pee in pools. And who wants to swim in pee? ---
**Author:** ![\_ceQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/b9bd4f/32.png) [@\_ceQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_ceQueen)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-pools-why-dont-people-swim-in-them/117809/3 "2002-07-07T19:52:44Z")
I have the same living situation with you. Nice apt complex, not very big pool. However, in my case, there are a lot of people in the pool on weekends, and whoever happens to be there after work on weekdays. Maybe there are less children and young people living in your building? Because in my case, people in the pool are children & their grandparents, teens and young adults (20s). ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-pools-why-dont-people-swim-in-them/117809/4 "2002-07-07T19:53:02Z")
My experience with pools for apartments/condos is limited, but when our tales to go program visited kids that lived in a complex that had a pool, there were people swimming in it every time we were there (except during thunderstorms) heck, the last visit _we_ were invited in by the manager. However, there were women who just sat out by the pool side, chatting with friends, while their kids swam, as well. ---
**Author:** ![\_ceQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/b9bd4f/32.png) [@\_ceQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_ceQueen)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-pools-why-dont-people-swim-in-them/117809/5 "2002-07-07T19:55:43Z")
I have the same living situation as you. Nice apt complex, not very big pool. However, in my case, there are a lot of people in the pool on weekends, and whoever happens to be there after work on weekdays. Maybe there are less children and young people living in your building? Because in my case, people in the pool are children & their grandparents, teens and young adults (20s). ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2002, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-pools-why-dont-people-swim-in-them/117809/6 "2002-07-08T01:48:21Z")
Consider yourself very, very lucky. I lived in three apartment buildings with pools and you couldn’t get the people OUT. The worse was the last apartment that was near the pool and jacuzzi…drunks and idiots jumping in at all hours of the night, screaming, throwing bottles, playing boom boxes…the neighbors were calling the police almost weekly to get some rest. I now have a house with my own pool and I am in it almost every night, and all weekend. The silence is wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2002, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-pools-why-dont-people-swim-in-them/117809/7 "2002-07-08T13:45:13Z")
I have my own in-ground pool in my own yard and I use it 2-3 per week. HOWEVER, any neighbors I know with pools use them rarely, like parties only. So, there is an overall aversion to jumping in a pool because we have become WAY too vain. It’s vanity. People have gotten used to A/C and primped hair and don’t crave the relief or enjoyment from a pool. On some hot days, despite having central A/C, I’ll turn it off and hang out at my pool all day. In APT. complexes, alll thos units have A/C running, and it doesn’t make your crave the pool. When I have friends over, they linger in my house, so I learned to make them sweat by turning off the A/C and forcing people outside. I think A/C in apt. complexes, and private residences, keeps pool use down. That and vanity.