Dublin City Council Swimming Pools: The Staff

I was in Dublin yesterday and decided to go for a swim in the Markievicz centre on Townsend St.
As I was only up for a few days and had not planned on swimming I hadn't my goggles or cap with me.
I had seen people swimming there before without caps so I didn't think it would be that big of a deal.

When I got into the pool and started to swim toward the deep end one of the lifegaurds started to scream at me. She had a think Dublin accent and looked about eigtheen.
She roared at me "wheres yer cap, gerroutta da poo-il".
I was fairly shocked and simply told her that I didn't have one with me.
She went over to the bench picked up a spare hat and flung it at me missing my face by a few inches and said "Il burst your head open if ya forget it again".
She was trying to impress the two other lifeguards who were sitting beside her.

As you can probably tell I was absolutely appalled by this behaviour and I called the manager today who said he would "look into it.

It is absolutely disgraceful behaviour and I want to report it to a higher authority.
Any suggestions?

This isn't the first time a member of staff at a pool in Dublin behaved in such a manner. One member of staff in Crumlin, a large girl with blond hair is shockingly rude to the people who swim in the pool.

Guy:Incognito

Deleted User wrote: »

Any suggestions?.

Make sure you bring a hat next time? Or borrow one from the pool?

Gillo

Deleted User wrote: »

She went over to the bench picked up a spare hat and flung it at me missing my face by a few inches and said "Il burst your head open if ya forget it again".

Sounds like she was taking the pi$$ and you took it the wrong way (which in fairness is easy to do if you don't get the Dublin sense of humor.

Next time obey the rules and wear a cap- what I find hard to comprehend is you made the decision to bring (to Dublin) a pair of tog's / swimming shorts yet you didn't bring a hat

EKRIUQ

She went over to the bench picked up a spare hat and flung it at me missing my face by a few inches :eek:

Jebus, that was lucky, we all know how dangerous those caps can be!

rubadub

Gillo wrote: »

Sounds like she was taking the pi$$ and you took it the wrong way

+1, scumbags often joke like this, and they often do not have sarcastic tones or laugh or seem to give any inclination it was a joke.

tallaghtoutlaws

Wow you guys are a bit harsh on the OP.

Firstly whether it was a feather a hat or a brick the staff member should not have thrown it. Her attitude was a tad stupid. Whatever happened manners. If they were that concerned about their own rules they would never have let the OP in the pool. I swim regularly in 2 different pools one public and one private and neither will let you near the water without a hat.

Now maybe she was only taking the piss but at the end of the day you are a customer and at the end of it they have to treat you with the same level of respect as they would be expect if they walked into your place of work.

Yes we can see the funny side of it all after all i did smile with these last comments dont get me wrong I love banter and the odd smart ass joke as the next but if you ask me she was out of order.

Gillo

tallaghtoutlaws wrote: »

Wow you guys are a bit harsh on the OP.

Not really, I haven't been to the particular pool in years, but and pool I have ever been to has a great big sign (normally a few) telling you to wear a hat, thats what the OP should have done.

Tannylan

Shave your head bald is you will never need 1 again

tallaghtoutlaws

Gillo wrote: »

Not really, I haven't been to the particular pool in years, but and pool I have ever been to has a great big sign (normally a few) telling you to wear a hat, thats what the OP should have done.

No one is debating the fact he shouldnt have worn the hat ffs :rolleyes: The fact of the matter is the staff member should have not taken the piss and thrown the hat. Some would have laughed it off as a joke I probably would have laughed it off but not everyone is the same and at the end of it her behaviour was beyond that expected in any business place.

luckat

She sounds wuff and wulgaw. You're quite right to be outwaged.

Hitchhiker's Guide to...

tbh, don't think it is something to take to a higher authority - maybe just don't go back there again?

the_syco

I HATE someone else's hair on my face.

Like, the rules state "wear a cap". And someone always think they're the exception. That they can not wear the cap.

I agree with others: don't go back. Or, if you do, wear a cap. It's unhygienic not to.

h, and it's _EXTREMELY_ easy to wear a cap...:rolleyes:

LolaDub

I don't think the op is complaining about having to wear a cap?

I'm pretty sure the issue here is the treatment by the staff. It wouldn't have been too hard to say -excuse me but you have to wear a cap in the pool would you please put this on? There was no need to shout, be abusive or throw anything at the op who was their customer.

How many times in stores do you see signs saying please take a basket? If we don't i doubt anyone is going to throw it at us.

eth0_

Gillo wrote: »

Sounds like she was taking the pi$$ and you took it the wrong way (which in fairness is easy to do if you don't get the Dublin sense of humor.

What? Hardly taking the p*ss, and besides, she's WORKING, she shouldn't be taking the p*ss out of customers and she certainly shouldn't say things like "I'll burst your head open" to a customer.

Nor should she be throwing a used swimming cap at someone...that's disgusting in itself!

She sounds like a skanger and should be sacked, plain and simple. If i'd been the OP I would have gotten straight out of the pool and demanded to speak to the manager.

parsi

I would imagine that in Townsend St if she didn't talk like dat she wouldn't be understood by her regular customers.

Then again if OP had abided by the rules the "incident" wouldn't have happened. Of course yer wan could be writing in her equivalent of Boards all about some cooolchie who wouldn't wear a blooody ha' . *

*brutal attempt at DublinSpeak

Gone Drinking

Then again if OP had abided by the rules the "incident" wouldn't have happened.

Yea, because its clearly stated in the rules that if you don't wear a hat you'll be abused, threatened and maybe maimed by the local towny life guard.

No one deserves to be spoken to like this, joke or not.

This'll never get anywhere OP. Just vote with your feet and hope the manager gives her a bollocking (doubt it).

dahamsta

Namesco wrote: »

Jebus, that was lucky, we all know how dangerous those caps can be!

ROFL

The issue here is the behaviour of the staff.........
I know I should have worn a cap, as I said I was in Dublin for the day and I borrowed a pair of shorts off my mate, he didnt happen have a cap.
You are right, everyone should have to wear the appropriate clothes and there should be not exceptions, but the girl's behaviour was ridiculous.
She could have simply told me before I got into the pool, I walked right by her before I got in.

I find it interesting how low people's standards and expectations are.
A number of replies seem to imply that this is simply the way some people are in Dublin and that their behaviour should be tolerated.
In all fairness, she is in a job where she is dealing with the public and it is not alright to act like that.

I went in and complained to the manager who took it very seriously and called me back today to apologise and said that he has given the member of staff in question a warning and that it would'nt happen again.

Hopefully, it wont.

Guy:Incognito

eth0_ wrote: »

Nor should she be throwing a used swimming cap at someone...that's disgusting in itself!
.

If you think using someone elses cap is digusting you should try swimming around in a big bath of their dirty water and piss.


I assume you have been swimming before?

Gone Drinking wrote: »

Yea, because its clearly stated in the rules that if you don't wear a hat you'll be abused, threatened and maybe maimed by the local towny life guard.
.

Wouldnt matter if it did because the OP admits to either not reading the rules or not caring enough to follow them so tough.

Boo hoo the scary lady shouted at me.

ChickCool

Deleted User wrote: »

The issue here is the behaviour of the staff.........
I know I should have worn a cap, as I said I was in Dublin for the day and I borrowed a pair of shorts off my mate, he didnt happen have a cap.
You are right, everyone should have to wear the appropriate clothes and there should be not exceptions, but the girl's behaviour was ridiculous.
She could have simply told me before I got into the pool, I walked right by her before I got in.

I find it interesting how low people's standards and expectations are.
A number of replies seem to imply that this is simply the way some people are in Dublin and that their behaviour should be tolerated.
In all fairness, she is in a job where she is dealing with the public and it is not alright to act like that.

I went in and complained to the manager who took it very seriously and called me back today to apologise and said that he has given the member of staff in question a warning and that it would'nt happen again.

Hopefully, it wont.

fair play to you for following through on this op! People dont stick up enought to get decent customer service, sounds like you stayed calm about it which is great.People who shout and rant only end up making the bad service look justified

todolist

I found it interesting that the OP mentioned a strong Dublin accent and then went on to write in that accent.Nobody commented on that.If the rude person was from Poland/eastern Europe would the OP mention that and copy that accent?Think not!

ChickCool

todolist wrote: »

I found it interesting that the OP mentioned a strong Dublin accent and then went on to write in that accent.Nobody commented on that.If the rude person was from Poland/eastern Europe would the OP mention that and copy that accent?Think not!

its harder to spell a polish accent

todolist

ChickCool wrote: »

its harder to spell a polish accent

Yeah, right.

tallaghtoutlaws

todolist wrote: »

I found it interesting that the OP mentioned a strong Dublin accent and then went on to write in that accent.Nobody commented on that.If the rude person was from Poland/eastern Europe would the OP mention that and copy that accent?Think not!

Getting his point across Im a Dub with a storng accent and I actually smiled as I could imagine your one saying the things she said. The OP simply painted the picture who cares anyway. The OP complained and the manager did something and he was right to. Fair Play OP.

eth0_

todolist wrote: »

Yeah, right.

Try it?

For the record, I wasnt trying to insult people from Dublin.
I simply wrote it like that just to illustrate my point.

LolaDub

Deleted User wrote: »

For the record, I wasnt trying to insult people from Dublin.
I simply wrote it like that just to illustrate my point.

Thats pretty obvious, some people just pick up on anything to try to create an argument.

Gillo

Deleted User wrote: »

I went in and complained to the manager who took it very seriously and called me back today to apologise and said that he has given the member of staff in question a warning and that it would'nt happen again.

Hopefully, it wont.

Lovely, break the rules and complain about, get someone doing their job disciplined.

tallaghtoutlaws

Gillo wrote: »

Lovely, break the rules and complain about, get someone doing their job disciplined.

Tell ye what Gillo you come into my work place and I will throw something at you and laugh and see how you like it. Fact of the matter is the life guard could have asked him nicely or professionaly to please put on a hat. Just because the OP forgot it does not give the lifeguard permission to throw something at them and take the piss.

Guy:Incognito

tallaghtoutlaws wrote: »

Just because the OP forgot it does not give the lifeguard permission to throw something at them and take the piss.

He didnt forget, he decided that instead of going and buying one or tryign to borrow one, he'd just get in the pool without one, despite knowign the rules

Red Alert

If the OP can't read the rules which say you need a hat then why shouldn't they rip it out of him...

tallaghtoutlaws

Stekelly wrote: »

He didnt forget, he decided that instead of going and buying one or tryign to borrow one, he'd just get in the pool without one, despite knowign the rules

So that still gives a staff member the right to be down right rude to him?? Instead of doing her job professionally she decided to be stupid and try to be funny to impress colleagues and forget her manners.

tallaghtoutlaws

Red Alert wrote: »

If the OP can't read the rules which say you need a hat then why shouldn't they rip it out of him...

Because they are employees of a public service and not his friends. No matter where you work you have to treat every customer with respect. not everyone has the same sense of humour as you, so you got to be respectful and have manners whether you like it or not. You are not paid to make jokes at the expense of others unless you are a clown or a comedien in fairness.

Red Alert

Red Alert wrote: »

If the OP can't read the rules which say you need a hat then why shouldn't they rip it out of him...

Do you really think an employee of a public building like a swimming pool (or any other type of state employee) should be allowed to "rip it out of" anyone?
Do you not feel that when dealing with a member of the public, an employee should have to act in a mature and reasonable manner?

A number of you have missed the point of this thread..... a discussion of the behaviour of a certain member of staff.
I already have indicated (twice) that it was wrong of me to go into the pool without a cap and have explained my reasons why I didnt have a cap or goggles with me that day..............

Gillo

Yes, but you seem to be missing the point that you didn't bother respecting the other swimmers by keeping with the standard hygiene rules yet you still demand respect from other people. It's a bit hypocritical if you ask me.

SerialComplaint

Deleted User wrote: »

This isn't the first time a member of staff at a pool in Dublin behaved in such a manner. One member of staff in Crumlin, a large girl with blond hair is shockingly rude to the people who swim in the pool.

The pool in Crumlin shopping centre isn't managed by the council afaik. It is privately operated.

I think the OP was right to raise the issue with management. It could have been even more effective if he had calmly and firmly raised the issue with the girl herself, along the lines of 'please don't speak to me or any customer like that'.

tvnutz

It's completely irrelevant that the OP did not follow the rules,an employee cannot act that way to a customer. End of story. The lifeguard would have been right to go to the OP,say that a hat must be worn at all times,these are the rules and I might have a spare one if you want it. You simply cannot shout abuse and throw something at a customer.

I used to work in Xtra-Vision. The manager had a rule that there was no food or drink to be consumed in the shop by customers as people were leaving rubbish around the place. If I saw someone eating,I'd kindly ask them could they refrain from doing so,as it was a rule,and there was a sign on the wall outling this rule. The customer's reaction might differ,some would accept it and apologise as they hadn't seen the sign,others would have seen the sign but didn't care,they might get annoyed about it. At the end of the day,their reaction is their reaction but I enforced the rules by kindly informing them of the rules.

Now can you imagine I saw someone eating in the store,marched over to them,started shouting at them very loudly that there was no eating in the store,then picked up something,like maybe some rubbish they dropped,and threw it at them.I'm fairly certain I would have been fired the next day. The OP was wrong,she did know the rules and still ignored them which is annoying for an employee,but regardless of that there is just no way you can act like this lifeguard did with a customer. You just can't.

eth0_

I can't believe the idiots commenting on this thread!
NOBODY DESERVES TO BE SPOKEN TO LIKE THAT!!!

Let's call a spade a spade - the girl sounds like a skanger. Fair enough she should have called the OP on not wearing a hat BUT - he said others were not wearing swimming caps and yet he was the only one singled out and threatened with violence.


OP did you get a response to your complaint?

rubadub

eth0_ wrote: »

What? Hardly taking the p*ss, and besides, she's WORKING, she shouldn't be taking the p*ss out of customers and she certainly shouldn't say things like "I'll burst your head open" to a customer.

I don't think anybody disagrees that she shouldn't have said it.

eth0_ wrote: »

I can't believe the idiots commenting on this thread!
NOBODY DESERVES TO BE SPOKEN TO LIKE THAT!!!

Let's call a spade a spade - the girl sounds like a skanger. Fair enough she should have called the OP on not wearing a hat BUT - he said others were not wearing swimming caps and yet he was the only one singled out and threatened with violence.

I presume I am one of the idiots since I agreed with the poster saying she was probably taking the piss (don't think anybody said this was OK, just what she was doing). I think anybody who actually believed she was truly threatening violence, and really would have "burst the OPs head open" if they forgot the cap the next time, is an idiot.

I have worked with and encountered many skangers, and this is very common TBH, sure it is not acceptable behaviour, but I accept it does happen and certainly do not worry about such "threats".

parsi

eth0_ wrote: »

I can't believe the idiots commenting on this thread!

Attack the posts and not the posters please.

I'd love to hear the Pool Attendant's side of the story just to add a bit of balance.

rubadub

rubadub wrote: »

I don't think anybody disagrees that she shouldn't have said it.


I presume I am one of the idiots since I agreed with the poster saying she was probably taking the piss (don't think anybody said this was OK, just what she was doing). I think anybody who actually believed she was truly threatening violence, and really would have "burst the OPs head open" if they forgot the cap the next time, is an idiot.

I have worked with and encountered many skangers, and this is very common TBH, sure it is not acceptable behaviour, but I accept it does happen and certainly do not worry about such "threats".

Yeah, I know. Im sure that it was an empty threat alright, I never implied that she was actuallly going to punch me:D.......... She was just trying to look tough and impress her mates.

The manager got back to me and apologised, he said he had a few words with that member of staff. He was very nice about it.

SerialComplaint

SerialComplaint wrote: »

The pool in Crumlin shopping centre isn't managed by the council afaik. It is privately operated.

I think the OP was right to raise the issue with management. It could have been even more effective if he had calmly and firmly raised the issue with the girl herself, along the lines of 'please don't speak to me or any customer like that'.

I meant the pool on Windmill Road in Crumlin.
TBH, I think you should always deal with management.

BenjAii

For the record, I'm a regular user of the Markievicz centre, swim there a few times a week and have always found the staff friendly & helpful.

So despite the OP's incident it's actually quite a decent place for what it is.

Zynks

I don't get this cap rule. In several other European countries these caps are not required.

How is it that in private (posh) Dublin pools caps are not required?

If the reason is hygiene, I can think of a few dirtier bits than hair that are released into the water...

And about the event that started this thread, the OP is a customer and he/she should be entitled to expect an ethical and professional attitude from the staff. If it was a joke that went wrong, then such jokes should be avoided.

eth0_

Zynks wrote: »

I don't get this cap rule. In several other European countries these caps are not required.

How is it that in private (posh) Dublin pools caps are not required?

It's disgusting to swim without a cap! No one likes getting a mouthful of someones hair when they're having a swim, and the hair clogs the filters in the pools. Chlorine kills off any bugs and germs in the water.

I don't know what you mean about posh gyms not requiring caps...Crunch Fitness and David Lloyd both require caps to be worn..

Gillo

BenjAii wrote: »

For the record, I'm a regular user of the Markievicz centre, swim there a few times a week and have always found the staff friendly & helpful.

So despite the OP's incident it's actually quite a decent place for what it is.

Totally agree with that, any time I have swam there it's always been very well managed and staffed.

Zynks

eth0_ wrote: »

It's disgusting to swim without a cap! No one likes getting a mouthful of someones hair when they're having a swim, and the hair clogs the filters in the pools. Chlorine kills off any bugs and germs in the water.

I don't know what you mean about posh gyms not requiring caps...Crunch Fitness and David Lloyd both require caps to be worn..

I don't know about Crunch Fitness, but David Lloyd doesn't require caps.

The filters are exactly for that...holding unwanted c#*p, but they are supposed to be cleared periodically.

As for the mouthful of hair, yuk!.....maybe you should keep it closed :P ...when swimming, of course!

Gillo

Crunch do require you to wear a hat, but it's not policed.

As for keeping your mouth closed, it's not really an option to be fair.

Zynks

Gillo wrote: »

Crunch do require you to wear a hat, but it's not policed.

As for keeping your mouth closed, it's not really an option to be fair.

You mean you guys let the water get into your mouth when swimming? :eek:

If that is a common practice, then maybe the caps are a good idea, also everyone should be forced to have a proper shower before getting into the pool (as in soap and scrub).

But seriously, I was was brought swimming regularly in pools where nobody wore caps and I remember seeing hair a single time, years ago. On the other hand, I've seen much more disgusting things in far more occasions.

Dudess

Deleted User wrote: »

I had seen people swimming there before without caps so I didn't think it would be that big of a deal.

Fair mistake.

When I got into the pool and started to swim toward the deep end one of the lifegaurds started to scream at me. She had a think Dublin accent and looked about eigtheen.
She roared at me "wheres yer cap, gerroutta da poo-il".
I was fairly shocked and simply told her that I didn't have one with me.
She went over to the bench picked up a spare hat and flung it at me missing my face by a few inches and said "Il burst your head open if ya forget it again".

Very humiliating. What a rude person.

This isn't the first time a member of staff at a pool in Dublin behaved in such a manner. One member of staff in Crumlin, a large girl with blond hair is shockingly rude to the people who swim in the pool.

Not really relevant though. I'm sure it's not the first time a member of staff anywhere has been rude. I disagree with the thread title too - "Dublin City Council swimming pools"? What about any other swimming pools in any other place? So you've dealt with two rude staff members, doesn't mean there's a pattern of rudeness among Dublin City Council swmming pool staff.

Stekelly wrote: »

Make sure you bring a hat next time? Or borrow one from the pool?

... but until then, abuse is ok.

Gillo wrote: »

Sounds like she was taking the pi$$ and you took it the wrong way (which in fairness is easy to do if you don't get the Dublin sense of humor.

Wow. Can people dealing with the public anywhere say stuff like that so, provided it's within a humorous context? E.g. in Dunnes Stephen's Green? Debenhams Henry Street?
So if I bring an item back to Clerys and I forget the receipt and the sales assistant says "You're holding up the queue and you forgot your receipt? I'll bust yer head if you do that again!" it would be ok because it's just her sense of humour? Very same thing - a paying customer is a paying customer. If they break rules, make mistakes, they can be advised of this in a firm but polite manner. The girl was not in the wrong to advise him he was in breach of health and safety rules, she WAS in the wrong to go about it in the way she did - including throwing something at him. I love how that's considered ok by some people on this thread...

Stekelly wrote: »

Boo hoo the scary lady shouted at me.

Comments like this are so ignorant. Yes she shouted at him - and? Would you like a waitress to shout at you, even if you were in the wrong? No. You'd like a waitress to address the matter in a polite way and a firm way if you're really out of order.
I think the attendant's behaviour is so accepted by some people here because an inner city Dublin swimming pool is a "grittier" environment than a plush restaurant. Not of any relevance though. If dealing with paying members of the public is part of what you're paid to do, then you behave accordingly no matter where you are.

todolist wrote: »

I found it interesting that the OP mentioned a strong Dublin accent and then went on to write in that accent.Nobody commented on that.If the rude person was from Poland/eastern Europe would the OP mention that and copy that accent?Think not!

Yeah the OP "wrote" in the Dublin accent. And? He was illustrating the scene, adding a bit of colour - what a weird thing to take issue with.
And I can't see why a person wouldn't type the way an Eastern European person speaks...

Gillo wrote: »

Lovely, break the rules and complain about, get someone doing their job disciplined.

:rolleyes:
Maybe consider the fact that the person WASN'T doing their job actually...
I find it bizarre you think it's ok for the OP to have been shouted at like that (even if it was in jest) and have something thrown at him. Yeah he broke the rules so she should have pointed it out to him... just minus the aggression and rudeness.

Red Alert wrote: »

If the OP can't read the rules which say you need a hat then why shouldn't they rip it out of him...

Because he's a paying customer and the staff are paid to deal with the public. Would you expect to have it ripped out of you if you skipped the queue in Tesco? No. You'd expect "Please sir, wait at the start of the queue, the others were here before you."

Gillo wrote: »

Yes, but you seem to be missing the point that you didn't bother respecting the other swimmers by keeping with the standard hygiene rules yet you still demand respect from other people. It's a bit hypocritical if you ask me.

Hypocritical or not, the attendant is breaking the rules of her contract by behaving like that to a customer.

rubadub wrote: »

I don't think anybody disagrees that she shouldn't have said it.

Oh no, it seems there are a few of them all right.

I have worked with and encountered many skangers, and this is very common TBH, sure it is not acceptable behaviour, but I accept it does happen and certainly do not worry about such "threats".

I agree. But the manner was unacceptably rude, therefore I think the OP was right to complain. And I agree some of the comments here are idiotic the way they neglect the very simple fact that the girl was doing her job badly.

BanzaiBk

I've been to this pool on quite a few occasions (sister lives nearby) and have always found the staff to be very nice and polite. Yes, several staff members are youngish (early twenties I'd guess) but I've never had or witnessed a problem. At best I'd say this was a joke gone wrong.