Swimming at YMCA on Dec. 24 & 31, 2006

This YMCA is on Allston way in downtown Berkeley.

On Christmas Eve, the 24th of 2006 at noon, Bao and I went to Family Swim at the Y. There were 12 families: moms, dads, and kiddies. Bao and I were the only Asians in the pool. There were an African lady and her daughter. The rest were white families. The pool on this (supposedly) quiet Christmas Eve was really crowded with 12 families, toys, kickboards and noodles. The Y posts signs everywhere that says according to the state law, you have to take a soap shower before entering the pool. Bao and I always do that. But most people usually do not (they get in the pool dry as a desert). On this Sunday, only one white lady and her four year old son rinsed themselves, and the rest did not. Ninety percent of the white people did not take the shower before they got in.

I asked Bao: Why do you think that is? Because they are "Whites", they are above the law? They think they are cleaner than everyone else? They're lazy? They don't have the patience to wait for the shower water to get warm? They are going to get wet anyway, so what's the point? I really want to know the reason or reasons behind their decisions. I don't think it is fair for them not to clean themselves before they get into the public pool. What good is the law if the Y doesn't enforce it? Why bother to post signs everywhere in the first place? There is a line on one of the signs that says: "If you look dry the guard may remind you to shower." We have been swimming at the Y for almost two years, and the guards never asked any dried person to shower.



This sign is in the hall way leading to the pools.



This one is in front of the door of the shallow pool. They should post it higher so the parents can read it, not at the child's eye level.



This sign is on the shower wall.



Right after you leave the shower and before you enter the pools, you will see these two signs on the wall.



And again on the door to the pool another neon-sign greets you. So how can anyone miss these signs? I think people see them but they just ignore them.

Again on New Year's Eve, Bao and I went to swim. There were 13 families this time -- including us -- one Asian family(us) and the rest were white. We took a soap shower like always. One white family did rinse out, but the remainders did not. The guard (who was also white) didn't say a thing. But when an Indian family came in and the mother wanted her two kids (they were about 8-10 years old) to swim without her in the pool the guard turned them away. She used another pool rule that says: "No children under 13 will be allowed in the pool without a parent." That was outright discrimination. Why apply one rule to one group, but ignore the another rule for the other? I pointed this discrepancy out to the manager of the Y and he said that he will talk to the director of aquatic department about it. In the mean time I will continue to observe and will see if there any changes.

When you make the rule, you have to be consistent and apply it; if not: why bother?