Post by amoeba15 on Jul 25, 2011 8:16:44 GMT -5
For the past few years I have been doing water aerobics and NEVER once have I encountered any negative conduct due to my current disability resulting from the March 2, 2011 surgery.
I arrived at the swimming pool .15 seconds before the pool opened at 8:00 AM on Sunday, July 24, 2011.
In the olympic size swimming pool, there are two lanes that are roped off for lap swimmers and the disabled who do their walking, stretching and water aerobics. In addition, there are 10 lanes for lap swimmers and an area in which people can do anything that they want.
As many as 4 people can use the two ropes off lanes for lap swimming and walking/water aerobics. Since one of these two lanes had 3 people, I entered the 1 lane which only had 1 person.. a lap swimmer.
The lap swimmer immediately RAGED at me for using 'his' lane, told me that I WAS NOT invited by him to use the lane and normally an invitation is required, that either I leave the lane or he leave the lane, BUT SINCE HE WAS THERE FIRST I SHOULD LEAVE. I stayed and the lap swimmer left and swam in the open area of the pool. Of course, the lap swimmer could have used one of the ten lap swimmer lanes in the deep end of the pool, but chose to use one of these two roped off lanes.
At 8:30 AM, the lap swimmer returned to the side of the pool (in front of my lane) to pick up his gear and shouted 'NOBODY CAN USE THIS LANE EXCEPT THE HANDICAPPED' and did so repeatedly. Doing so was very, very insulting and upsetting to me and I KNEW that I HAD to report the incident.
Shortly thereafter, a retired vet who had been doing his walking exercises in the other roped off lane told me 'you were right and the other guy was wrong. NOBODY likes to even try to use the lane that he swims in because he always seems to believe that he owns the lane.' I thanked him for his support and told him that I was a member of the Disability Services Board for Prince William County and it is my duty to make certain that people with disabilities ARE NOT discriminated against and that I will report the incident to the appropriate authorites.
In fact, several witnesses reported the lap swimmer who insulted me for being handicapped to the authorities.
It turns out that the other guy is a retired Naval Aviator which makes my complaint against him more difficult, but IF you would have seen how PISSED and READY TO FIGHT this lap swimmer was..you would TOTALLY agree that the actions of this person needs to addressed by the authorities.
Also, I DO NOT want any disabled people condemned or attacked by such people and their unwanted conduct.
I arrived at the swimming pool .15 seconds before the pool opened at 8:00 AM on Sunday, July 24, 2011.
In the olympic size swimming pool, there are two lanes that are roped off for lap swimmers and the disabled who do their walking, stretching and water aerobics. In addition, there are 10 lanes for lap swimmers and an area in which people can do anything that they want.
As many as 4 people can use the two ropes off lanes for lap swimming and walking/water aerobics. Since one of these two lanes had 3 people, I entered the 1 lane which only had 1 person.. a lap swimmer.
The lap swimmer immediately RAGED at me for using 'his' lane, told me that I WAS NOT invited by him to use the lane and normally an invitation is required, that either I leave the lane or he leave the lane, BUT SINCE HE WAS THERE FIRST I SHOULD LEAVE. I stayed and the lap swimmer left and swam in the open area of the pool. Of course, the lap swimmer could have used one of the ten lap swimmer lanes in the deep end of the pool, but chose to use one of these two roped off lanes.
At 8:30 AM, the lap swimmer returned to the side of the pool (in front of my lane) to pick up his gear and shouted 'NOBODY CAN USE THIS LANE EXCEPT THE HANDICAPPED' and did so repeatedly. Doing so was very, very insulting and upsetting to me and I KNEW that I HAD to report the incident.
Shortly thereafter, a retired vet who had been doing his walking exercises in the other roped off lane told me 'you were right and the other guy was wrong. NOBODY likes to even try to use the lane that he swims in because he always seems to believe that he owns the lane.' I thanked him for his support and told him that I was a member of the Disability Services Board for Prince William County and it is my duty to make certain that people with disabilities ARE NOT discriminated against and that I will report the incident to the appropriate authorites.
In fact, several witnesses reported the lap swimmer who insulted me for being handicapped to the authorities.
It turns out that the other guy is a retired Naval Aviator which makes my complaint against him more difficult, but IF you would have seen how PISSED and READY TO FIGHT this lap swimmer was..you would TOTALLY agree that the actions of this person needs to addressed by the authorities.
Also, I DO NOT want any disabled people condemned or attacked by such people and their unwanted conduct.
