The first world problems of middle aged fit people.

[Chris Hobson]

My wife and I, both being triathletes, are regular visitors to the pools at two of our local leisure centres. We both have a membership card that gives us access to several of our local centres which works out cheaper if you are swimming three times a week. Council run pools do have one or two downsides. Public swim times are restricted when kids' swimming lessons or aquarobic classes are on, early sessions aren't early enough for me to attend them and still make it to work on time, and often you can't get in a decent swim because the pool is too busy. So we have decided to go private. By going private I mean that we have joined a local health club. This is about double the price, but the pool is always available when we want it, and only used by people who actually want to swim. The changing rooms are segregated so that you don't have to shower with your trunks still on or get changed inside a little box.

I'm sure that anyone who has attended their local council run leisure centre will be familiar with those coin deposit lockers. You put in your stuff, put a coin in the slot and go off to do your activity with a key on a numbered wristband. once you have finished exercising you unlock your locker leaving the key behind for the next user and you get your coin back. At the private club the lockers just have a hasp on them and you are expected to take along your own lock. newbies can pick up a lock with a key on a wristband from the reception and then hand it in when they leave. While changing after my swim I noticed that a lot of the locks on the lockers were combination locks which struck me as a sensible choice as there is no need for a key on a wristband. So we get home and order two combination padlocks from the interweb, different colours so that we don't get them mixed up, yellow for me, blue for her. The locks duly arrive and I set them up with numbers that we will be able to remember. At this point we realise that we have a problem. Neither of us can see the numbers without our reading glasses.

 

[SB2015]

I can't even read the numbers on the lockers without my glasses!! That why I love my Libre for a swim session as the numbers are so much bigger. I then have to ask someone if they can tell me the numbers on the lockers when I go to gather my stuff.

 

[Copepod]

As a contact lens wearer, who removes lenses for swimming, I note location of my locker, but double check with nose virtually touching door. Public swimming pools only, except occasionally when I got a free pass to try a gym club.

 

[KookyCat]

Ah I have a similar problem I could see the combination lock without my specs if only they'd given me a locker that was above knee level. I had to make sure when it's locked I dialled the number back to zero (I don't know if all padlocks allow that thought) then I count the clicks. It's a fun activity especially when having a hypo and the jelly babies are trapped in it....had to get a youngster to come and open it that time, which then prompted them to give me a locker higher up and a jelly baby nook at the side of the pool

Actually I saw a bloke last week speaking to his locker, thought he'd gone a bit daft until I got closer "Hey Siri, what's my locker combination", I have no idea if Siri answered but it didn't half and tickle me 🙂

 

[Chris Hobson]

Update. Mrs. H is now using an ordinary padlock with a key tied to a scrunchy on her wrist. I have managed to find a combination padlock at Wilko's that has nice big numbers on it so that I can open it without my glasses on.