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Thread: FishHawk Mermaid BANNED from Local Pool In Tail.

  1. #1

    Thumbs up FishHawk Mermaid BANNED from Local Pool In Tail.

    Hey,
    I Live in FishHawk.
    Jenna Conti a Fellow Mermaid in Fishhawk was banned from swimming in our local pool that WE pay with taxes.
    In our local pool we are not allowed ANY form of toys. Just yourself and a towel.
    she was Slammed by our neighborhood Facebook page. Like for an example do you have a white van (Like kidnapping) This is just too much.

    She is one of us we should support her.
    Our Community board voted her banned from the pool with her tail.

    Please write words of support.
    if you are reading this Jenna, Don't give up and know you have all of our support.
    Last edited by mermaidgirl7; 07-20-2013 at 03:35 PM.

  2. #2
    That's too bad. Is there an article anywhere on this?

  3. #3
    Senior Member Euro Pod Echidna's Avatar
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    Another mermaid banned? (Not the same as already mentioned, right?)

    What's up in Florida?
    I mean, there are strict pools everywhere, but FB harrassing?
    Hardly appropriate.

  4. #4
    Kuda De La Mer
    Yes there is Fox News even did a report on it.
    If you type in fishhawk pool bans Mermaid
    you should get a lot of articles.

    Caltuna i agree. Even little kids would come up to her and she would say she is a mermaid. She wasnt causing any harm.
    People should have supported her and used as a way to let kids wear their tails and bring toys to the pool.
    But instead they trashed her.

  5. #5
    It's the same one the other thread was about.

    Florida deals with a lot of tourists drowning, I think that might have to do with why we're so paranoid and strict about our pools. I can only swim with my monofin doing laps at the Y. That's the typical rule but there is a public pool here who will let me without laps and we have a timeshare to a hotel that lets me use it as well.

  6. #6

    Re: FishHawk Mermaid BANNED from Local Pool In Tail.

    My only agreement on the fact that she was banned is that she knew if the pool didn't allow any toys in the water (I'm assuming no fins either) I can understand why they banned her.
    Lots of pools have rules and lifeguards are responsible to uphold those rules to protect the people swimming. She should have ask before bringing her tail to the pool and make sure she wouldn't get in trouble.
    I always check that fins are Ok before going to any public pool. It's just the smart thing to do.
    I do feel bad for her though, but again, it was kinda rash of her.


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  7. #7
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  8. #8
    Senior Member Undisclosed Pod lynsea's Avatar
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    While I don't agree with the public comments on her personal facebook page, as lifeguard at a public pool, I understand. These places have insurance and the safety of their patrons to worry about and they establish rules to protect both their patrons and themselves. The lifeguards have no way of knowing how good this person is at swimming in this apparently restrictive device. People need to understand that public pools have rules and in joining them, you are agreeing to follow them.
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  9. #9
    Senior Member Euro Pod Echidna's Avatar
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    funny thing is; I've never endangered anyone including myself when tailswimming. I didn't even touch someone with the fluke, not even when it was thronged (I just drive home again when it's too thronged to swim).

    however, I've been hit on the head countless times by other, deviceless swimmers.
    especially those that consider themselves to be pro, those guys flail and splash the entire pool, and when they punch you in the head from the next lane, they'll just stare at you like "how dare you swim in the lane next to my awesomeness".

    so, no-device-or-fins policy isn't worth much when it comes to safety.
    it's worth even less when people who come running and jump in from the sides are not immediately thrown out (never happens here).
    the most common injuries in pools happen when someone jumps on another person.

    pools would be much safer if only tailswimmers were allowed, because tailswimmers don't run around and leap in where they please (and most of the time, they take only little space because they dolphinkick instead of arm- and leg-flail).

  10. #10
    Senior Member Pod of The South Aziara's Avatar
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    ^This. I've been hit by flailing heels more times than I can count. I've never been struck by a person in a fin or flippers. So what's the real danger? lol
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  11. #11
    Moderator Pod of Cali Mermaid Wesley's Avatar
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    It boils down to the fact that there are rules. Breaking the rules has consequences. It doesn't matter if the rules are dumb, you have to be prepared for what happens if you break them. Tails are dangerous. If not to others, than to yourself. You may know that you can handle it but lifeguards don't. And as far as swimmers bumping into each other, yeah it happens. If a bunch of mermaids were swimming laps, they would hit each other too. Again, I don't agree with the harassment, but the pool has a right to ban someone who breaks the rules.


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  12. #12
    Senior Member Undisclosed Pod
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    I pay insurance and I don't get refused. But just because you've never wacked someone doesn't mean you won't. Stick 50 ppl in a tiny pool with a mermaid like I did yesterday and I bumped a few kids. My pools make exception for me because our insurance covers hurting someone or something

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    Senior Member Pod of the Great Lakes Theta's Avatar
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    Plus, you know how to swim in your fins, but they can be drowning hazards for people who aren't used to them, and if a pool allows a monofin or tail for one person they have to allow them for all. Can you imagine if some little kid had a tail and drowned in it because they didn't know what they were doing? It'd be the end for all of us. We'd get raked through the Nancy Grace coals as an entire community if something like that happened.

    As much as I don't like it, I can totally see where the pools are coming from, and if I were on their boards I'd probably err on the side of caution, too, and I say that as a mer.

    Facebook comments were totally bullshit though. That's just awful.

  14. #14
    Senior Member Undisclosed Pod
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    Incorrect, its not OUR fault if a child puts on a tail and can't swim in it its the parents. if the child drowns then its the parents fault not anyone elses. Everyone is each to their own and its the child, parent or persons responsibility to look after themselves. other people should not be held liable if ANYTHING HAPPENS to someone that puts on a tail that is inexperienced in swimming in it they simply shouldn't get into one. so this rules it out. It really pisses me off when it's the PEOPLE's responsibly to look or mentor a child. its not, its the parents. You'll be surprised on how many parents will blame something else or someone if their child gets injured or hurt, but in fact it's the parents fault for not reprimanding or simply saying NO. They don't want to take responsibly for their own actions. but instead blame someone else as its far more easier. ive seen it all to many times. as far as rules go. there are pool that have rules and regulations they should have given her a warning.
    She wasnt saying it's *our* responsibility or fault. -_- it's a factor in the liability of the pools. It's why pools don't allow a *lot* of things, not just mermaid tails. (and ps I find it super obnoxious when people respond to a comment with "incorrect". It's not an answer on a test, and her point of view isn't wrong)

    And honestly, as a professional mermaid who has been trail blazing for years? We have a collective responsibility to set the standard for safety in mermaiding. Because you can bet your ass the second someone gets seriously injured or dies we will all feel it and it will create complications for anyone who wants to wear a mermaid tail. The Weeki mermaids know this, and it's why all of them past and present insist that mermaids who intend to do any kind of deep swimming/ breathing underwater in short bursts get training. They require training of all their mermaids and one of the past mers was very vocal about the liability at merfest. And as we've seen from this forum lots of mers think they can just free dive, breath hold, or share oxygen deep down without any experience or training. So yeah. It IS a collective responsibility here, just like all performers. (circus, fire etc) the problem is because we are so new, there are no standards yet. Which is why some of us long time mers are trying to get new mers to think about them.

    Every single person who puts a tail on for the first time is inexperienced. Every single one of us started out that way. Really absurd to suggest someone with no experience just never use one.

    Kindly, accept the fact that some pools do not want people doing it (among other things) for liability reasons. Put on some big girl panties and buy some liability insurance, or go somewhere else. That's all it comes down to. It is there right, and they don't owe us anything.

  15. #15
    This is what worries me, now that I'll be joining my local Y. I'm hoping they'll be cool with the monofin, and maaaaaaybe later on when I make my practicing fabric tail, I will ask them first about it and only go to the pool very early (5 am) to avoid other people. It bites but the rules are there for a reason...even if we dont like them, we have to abide by them, especially for insurance reasons.

  16. #16
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    I agree very much with the stuff about following rules and as annoying as some of them are, showing pools that you have a high regard for rules and safety might be a way to one day even change their minds.

    The current ONLY pool in my area who so far lets me use my tail is one where myself and a friend have got an agreement with the manager which includes some rules. We only swim in our tails/fins in a lane if one is free, not in the more "open" part of the pool (though I've got to say, most folks just make their own imaginary lanes which is annoying for a separate reason) and usually if both of us are there they'll put up a sign saying that lane is private for lessons, while at any other time if someone else gets in, we get out. Rarely has this actually happened. When a lifeguard came to let me know that a swimmer had got in my lane while training the other day, the swimmer overheard and was kind enough to actually get into a different lane just so I could keep swimming. He was lovely and very curious about my tail. We've only ever had a problem with one woman last week who had an unfortunately entitled attitude and was kind of rude demanding to know why she couldn't use her short flippers but we were allowed to swim in tails. I'm gonna save that for a whole different story, it was such a pain, but the lifeguards knew what the deal was and were on our side, bless them. We do everything we can to stay on the good side of that pool, especially since the sea in our area is normally far too cold to swim in. Definitely getting insurance as soon as possible as well!

    On a side note, Echidna I know what you mean about getting hit by others. I don't tend to use it much in debate against the rules put on mermaids for reasons stated above, but it doesn't stop it being annoying . In my tail if I steer off course and my fin sticks into the next lane, I immediately move away and apologise even if the other swimmer is nowhere near me. But when I was OUT of my tail just swimming with some friends, as I said there's a lot of older folks who swim at this one pool and they sort of just claim their own space in the open pool area and make invisible lanes. So when myself and two friends were NOT swimming that way and two of us were happily treading water at around mid depth trying to teach our less confident friend how to do it, this middle aged man bumped into us several times. Apparently we were in his "territory". He scratched me quite hard by accident with his fingernails once or twice but said nothing and when he clipped my guy friend who muttered an annoyed "Excuse you" he gave him the most disgusted glare as if we'd just splashed him in the face. I've been hit by several people while just swimming and it's ridiculous how many of them will immediately place the blame on you with just a look like they own the pool.

  17. #17
    Senior Member Pod of Cali Merman Storm's Avatar
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    The local pool near me does not allow any pool toys during open swim, including monofins. During lane swimming, fins are allowed, and I convinced them to allow monofins.

    We have had a couple of meets at a pool in Long Beach. There the rule is no monofins during lane swimming, but they are OK during open swimming.

    When pool managers say rules are based on safety, or insurance, and then come up with two sets of rules that are totally opposite each other, I sort of wonder what's going on.
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  18. #18
    Member Pod of Cali Mermaid Bree's Avatar
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    I was fortunate. I contacted the head poobah at a local community pool and asked. I offered to show up and let him examine / inspect it. He was a little concerned about it's width (24" - I have a SunTails) but I also offered to demonstrate the quick-release feature (no heel straps) and basically showed the inherent safety OF it, even offered to do a swim test too if needed. We talked momentarily in person, he simply said, go check it out! And my first visit to the pool was even gratis... I did make sure to demonstrate I wasn't an idiot with it in the lanes, either. Diplomacy goes a LONG ways... However, NO tail itself, which I can understand, and is reasonable given that it's a community pool.

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