Many people think that in Russia we still have some kind of a Post Soviet Times system all around, but I would like to doubt these assuptions, at least concerning the swimming pools. 19eu illimited pass for three months..isn't it a Soviet approach??! Moreover, with this pass you are allowed to visit any of the 35 swimming pools of Paris.
So, of course, now I have the pass..so here we gooo....
First surprise - no differentiation between men's and women's change rooms. Hopefully, there are at least the changing cabins. Then showers - also all together, everyone staying in their swimming suits and pretending to have a shower.
Next step - swimmin itself. As always in public pools, people there could be divided into 2 main categories: lazily and sloooowly swimming ones and active-playing a role "I'm taking part in theWorld Champonship" ones.
Of course, I understand the sporty ones that if you came to do sports you want to Do Sports, but on the other hand I can't agree with the position of those who boldly and disrespectfully break the rules of the traffic regulations.
Example: there was some guy who was trying to overswim some slooow woman by using the opposite route, where I was swimming towards him. And what do you think - he didn't even try to take less space of my side!! Just continued coming on me!
Another situation, somebody trying to overswim a person already overswimming somebody else. No, guys, you really have to teach people to Behave themselves on the swimming route!
Apogee of this visit was the shower (the common one). In the shower room - some guy (I had a strong feeling that it was the disrespectful one) and me. He - showering and starring at me( by the way, another french-man-habit, but about this later). I ignore and continue to wash my head with eyes closed...Next thing that happens when I open my eyes - he taking off his swimming panties as if it's something normal to do in a Common shower. I turn around shocked and panicing that maybe the showers were actually separate for Women and Men. I go out asap, having a glance whether the guy is still there..and guess what - yes, he was and even didn't try to turn with his back!
When going out of the changing rooms space I looked on purpose at the signs around to make sure that it wasn't me that was not normal there. But looks like I was Ok - it was a common sphere.
As a result I have a question...better a couple of them:
- Is it a French approach not to worry about being naked in a public place in front of another gender? I could maybe even believe in that as the French symbol is: Liberty, Equality,Fraternity..but still
- ..or is it just me so lucky to get into such weird situations? or maybe am I too conservative and outdated?
