Public Pools in the USA:
1. Must wear proper attire (no jeans, belts, shoes, and men must have a liner inside the shorts so body parts don't fall out)
2. No flotation devices (makes it hard for lifeguards to see drowned dead bodies at the bottom of a pool)
3. Unsafe behavior will ensure lifeguards activate their sound alarms (whistle blowing for back flips into pool, playing chicken, pushing others into the pool, etc.)
4. Bringing alcohol is strictly prohibited, let alone the pool selling alcohol. Most who patronize a public pool in the USA are under 21 or mothers with their young children. Can you imagine a group of mothers with margaritas in their hands watching their toddlers?
Public Pools in Mexico (or at least the one that I went to in Reynosa)
1. Wearing bathing suits is optional. In fact, many do not use this option. Many were wearing jeans, belts, t-shirts, or every day clothes. Some of the women were wearing camisoles that when wet you don't need any imagination to see what is underneath. One woman was wearing a bra, underwear and fishnet stockings. Yes, I said fishnet stockings. I wish I had taken a photo cuz I don't think anyone will believe me. I went to the pool with my friend Amanda and she's the one who spotted the woman in her swimming attire so I am the witness to the truth!
2. They sell flotation devices.... cheap. And blow them up for you.
3. Lifeguards? What lifeguards? Swim at your own risk. I saw teenager playing chicken, people pushed into the pool fully clothed and below is a photo of a young man flipping backwards into the crowded pool. Everyone better get out of his way.
4. Not only can you bring your own food, snacks or meat to grill, you can bring your own beverages. And if you didn't, there is a full bar for your drinking pleasure. I had 2 beers. Next time, I'll have a margarita.
Basically I am saying the public pools in Mexico are not as safe as pools in the USA, but a lot more fun. However, the pool was so crowded (it was a Sunday) and I rarely saw anyone go into the restrooms so I assume the pool was being used consistently as a giant toilet. My legs were the only body part I allowed into the water. It still was refreshing, along with the beer.Left: This young man was pushed into the pool, shoes and all.
Right: Back flip into the pool.
Below: The entire crowded pool
What an experience though! I had alot of fun....Next time...I shall bring a bottle of tequilla or Buchana and set up shop! I had fun! Great pictures by the way!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this. Very interesting. As a lifeguard in my previous life I can not imagine this environment
ReplyDeleteSounds like a lot more fun to me!
ReplyDelete*Note: I went to a hotel a few years ago and they had huge discounts for locals... so the pool would fill up with people from Merida on weekends. A few weeks before I went, everyone staying at that hotel got very very VERY sick. Everyone agrees it was probably from the... em... unsanitary pool conditions.
To be fair, there were NO bathrooms near ANY of the hotel's pools. I had to walk 10 minutes from the adult pool to a restroom, so I can totally understand.
One thing that I noticed about the Mexican pools that I have visited was that I could not see the bottom. The pool was painted the traditional light blue but the water was so hazy (foggy) that I could not see the bottom. My rule of thumb is that if I can see the bottom, I don't go in the water. Call me crazy!
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