Poolside Etiquette?

[declansdad]

No one has really responded to what I asked...Would anyone use those towels on the table?

I would throw them in the used towel bin and wonder why people don't pick up after themselves.

 

[grimley1968]

I'm in the "OP did nothing wrong" camp. If people really want to reserve their tables while completely leaving the pool area for 1/4 hour, which I find a little ridiculous personally, they should definitely leave something personal, like shoes, a book, shirts, etc. A) It tells people there is actually a person around and B) It serves as something of "collateral" for reserving the space.

The white resort towels could have been left there, could be unused, used, whatever. We can't be expected to assume by the presence of the white towels alone that anyone is sitting there.

If you want to go to Captain Cook's, fine. But please sit in one of the many tables they provide outside CC's, rather than using up a pool table which is useless while at CC's. We never had a problem doing this in the two times we've stayed at the Poly. If we got food at CC's, we ate it at one of those tables, then came back to the pool and hoped to find a table there somewhere. We would never expect to "reserve" a pool table for ourselves all that time when no one was actually there.

 

[themilesfamily]

I read a post on DISboards a while back where someone said that their family gets up early in the morning, leaves their stuff at a poolside table, heads out for breakfast and the parks, and then when they return in the afternoon to swim and the pool is busy VOILA -- their table is waiting for them!

Needless to say, they got flamed.

I think this idea that you are marking a table or saving a table for yourself is getting a little out of control. It is not YOUR table -- and if you leave it and someone else takes it, c'est la vie, life will go on. Just find something else and don't ruin another family's day over it.

 

[taylor1293]

She left the pool to get something to eat. Therefore, she has no claim to that table. It amazes me how people feel they can claim a chair/table all day long while coming and going as they please. If you leave the pool, you leave your spot. She was the rude and selfish one.

I would have tossed the towles into the used towel bin and taken the table. If she confronted me, I would have said, "what towels? There were no towels here when we sat down".

 

[jmkrat]

I am not sure what I would have done. I probably would have looked around to see if anyone was in the swimming area and was going to re-take the table. But if they left the area, I don't think that they should be able to keep the table. We stayed at the Poly and had a room by the pool. We observed time after time people getting there early in the morning and staking a spot out with towels. I have personally seen people leave towels on lounges and such still dressed in street clothes, then walk away. While I believe saving a table or a lounge if you are actively swimming is ok, I don't believe it is ok to pick a spot to return to later in the day. Poly pool is way too crowded for that. We really have no idea when the lady actually placed her towels on the table and I believe you were in the right to claim it.

 

[minechuchie]

OP, I would have done exactly as you did....wouldn't have given' it a second thought. Just wondering did the lady and kids bring back food with her to sit at the "reserved" table. My other thought was that she was probably sitting somewhere else in the pool area with her personal stuff and just wanted to eat her lunch at the "reserved" table.....which makes her all the more greedy. Just an assumption on my part because I have also seen this happen. Terri

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

I read a post on DISboards a while back where someone said that their family gets up early in the morning, leaves their stuff at a poolside table, heads out for breakfast and the parks, and then when they return in the afternoon to swim and the pool is busy VOILA -- their table is waiting for them!

Needless to say, they got flamed.

I think this idea that you are marking a table or saving a table for yourself is getting a little out of control. It is not YOUR table -- and if you leave it and someone else takes it, c'est la vie, life will go on. Just find something else and don't ruin another family's day over it.

While I can respect what you are saying, we have no reason to believe that this is what the lady in question did. Maybe you shouldn't be able to save seats but if there's no rules clearly stated then you can't really fault the woman.

 

[lustergirl]

"move your feet lose your seat"

 

[THERESA522]

I can see both families' points. The problem is that there's no "REAL" saving tables, but we all do it. If you're just running to the food court, I don't think saving a table's a big deal.

Also, when staying on site, I also noticed that people had their towels thrown everywhere - new and used. So, I can also understand how you're not sure if someone is actually trying to save a table or if someone just didn't put their towels away when finished.

Just let this be a lesson: THROW YOUR DARN TOWELS BACK IN THE USED BIN!!!!!

Or, leave your shoes, or a book, or at lease some other article with the pool towels if you have to leave for a little bit and are coming right back.

 

[Robert P]

She left the pool to get something to eat. Therefore, she has no claim to that table. It amazes me how people feel they can claim a chair/table all day long while coming and going as they please. If you leave the pool, you leave your spot. She was the rude and selfish one.

Well said!

Say she did put the towels there. She then left the pool area, and not for just a split second (it appears). She left nothing personal there to 'denote' that this was a taken table (i.e. book, shirt, visor, etc...). It sounds like she didn't even unfold a towel and hang it over one of the chairs there. The complaining guest made no effort to show that the table was being used.

As others have mentioned (like grimley1969), even when we are swimming nearby, we leave something (besides a perfectly folded up unused pool towel) on our chairs.

I have to agree that the OP did nothing wrong.

 

[grimley1968]

As others have mentioned (like grimley1969), even when we are swimming nearby, we leave something (besides a perfectly folded up unused pool towel) on our chairs.

Oh, now I'm offended! How dare you get the year wrong! I was born during the year of the Tet Offensive, the Chicago riots, the Watts riots, and one day after Richard Milhous Nixon was elected. None of this "summer of love" year for me. Just kidding, and I agree with what you said.

"move your feet lose your seat"

Very succinctly put, and I agree with this, too.

 

[Robert P]

Oh, now I'm offended! How dare you get the year wrong! I was born during the year of the Tet Offensive, the Chicago riots, the Watts riots, and one day after Richard Milhous Nixon was elected. None of this "summer of love" year for me. Just kidding, and I agree with what you said.

Mea Culpa grimley, my bad.

 

[10_Kyle_10]

Let me guess, you're the selfish type of person who thinks you can put your towel down on a chair and save it all day long. Mine mine mine, you think the world is all about you!!! Or maybe you've had your poor delicate feelings hurt because someone has moved your towel before?

No I actually don't use the pool tables, I use the lounge chairs. I just think its crazy that you would have no problem taking something that wasn't yours and then blatantly lie to a person when asked about it in this case their towels. You went to get food just like they did and your trying to tell me because you brought more personal items to the pool its your table??? What if she moved your stuff and said "what stuff? I didn't see any stuff here...all that was here was my towels" What would you do then? If anyones being selfish here its you because you admit seeing someone else's towels on the table and still sat down without asking the proper authority (my suggestion is the life guards, let them tell you to move the towels cause people leave them all over the place).

 

[goofy4tink]

Perhaps it's time that WDW put signage at the pools stating that there is no saving chaises/tables. If you aren't in the pool or otherwise active in the pool area, you don't have a seat.
There have been many situations where people have headed down to the pool, very early, placed some towels and even a book, on a bunch of chaises or tables that are poolside, and then gone on about their business, planning on returning to the pool later on. Sorry, but that's just not right. So...what should the lady who claimed it was her table done? Perhaps she should have left someone at the table while she went off to get food. But, I think that she, and her family, may have arrived at the pool, staked out a prime table with their unused pool towels, then gone and eaten their lunch at a nice leisurely pace, expecting that no one would be so bold as to encroach upon their previously staked out table. Sorry....wrong expectation. You go to the pool when you are ready to swim, or whatever. You stake out your spot, with towels or whatever. Then, if for some reason you need to leave the area, just leave some personal effects that will show that you have been using these seats and will be returning. There are times when you may be at the pool and then want to get a bite to eat..sometimes even bringing it back to the pool with you. That's fine. But to stake out a table then leave for an undetermined time and expect the table to be free is not right.
The Disney ships all have signage that states chaises/tables may not be saved. If you are not actively using them, then anyone is entitled to it. Should be the same at WDW.

Now, if you want to get really picky, let's discuss those people that take up about 6-8 chaises, then spread all their stuff all over the place. We were at BWV in August..it was brutally hot so we spent a fair amount of time at the pool. Well, almost every day, we had to head to the nether regions of chaises since those closer to the pool were taken. Not a big deal for us. But, because we had to take a second tier of chaises (all of two for the three of us), we had to wind our way through the belongings of those in front of us. We chose our chaises on the very end of the row, so it should have been easy to access them. There was basically only foliage next to us to our immediate right and the row of chaises to our left. But, those in front of us had their drinks, snacks, shoes, etc. all over the area that we had to go through to get to our chaises. At one point, when they had evidently had enough swimming for awhile and were stretched out on their chaises, we returned to ours, dripping wet (had just gotten out of the pool). Well, as we tried to carefully navigate through their belongings, my dd dripped on a book of theirs...you should have seen the look she got from the woman lying next to the passage area...my poor dd felt awful. Yes, I was a bit miffed as I said to my dd...'Try to be careful and not drip on other's belongings as you try to get back here....I know it's hard since the space for you is non-existent!!!'
If people would just stop and consider how their actions are going to impact others life sure would be nicer.
That towel leaving woman should have realized that just leaving a few towels does not 'mark' that table as hers. Sure, most people would see the towel and pass by. But the OP was perfectly within her rights to use the table. There was no way of knowing if those were towels that belonged to someone or had just been left there.

 

[GEM]

If anyones being selfish here its you because you admit seeing someone else's towels on the table and still sat down without asking the proper authority (my suggestion is the life guards, let them tell you to move the towels cause people leave them all over the place).

You do realize that the lifeguard's job is actually to keep people from drowning - not to settle ridiculous table disputes among adults? If I was a lifeguard at a busy pool and someone came to me with something like this, I'd think they were insane. Seriously.

They're lifeguards. Not tableguards or towelguards. And, contrary to what some on these boards would have you believe, poolside tables are NOT a matter of life or death.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

But the point is that Disney doesn't have signage, so it's not up to us to decide that people can't reserve tables and move their stuff. Why not just ask a CM or life guard if you can move the towels? Then it wouldn't be your problem any more.

 

[taylor1293]

Uhm…actually, I used the word chair. And who is saying anything about taking something that is not mine? I am simply returning the towels to the place they belong, in the towel return bin. Lifeguards don’t monitor the chairs, they monitor the pools. I would NEVER ask a lifeguard to take their eyes off of the pool do deal with such a trivial issue. I sincerely hope you would never do such a thing either.

As for lying, common sense indicates that saying you didn’t see the two hotel pool towels would defuse the situation. The chair hogger would not realize you moved them, and therefore, no confrontation!

Also, if a table appears empty and two hotel pool towels are placed on it with no personal possessions, then it is NOT occupied. Why should I stand around for 20 minutes and wait to see if someone strolls in from their room or lunch to claim the two generic pool towels? That makes no sense at all. And if someone did that to me because I LEFT THE POOL to get lunch then 1) I deserved my two hotel pool towels to be removed and 2) I’d go over and grab two more pool towels. No big deal!

No I actually don't use the pool tables, I use the lounge chairs. I just think its crazy that you would have no problem taking something that wasn't yours and then blatantly lie to a person when asked about it in this case their towels. You went to get food just like they did and your trying to tell me because you brought more personal items to the pool its your table??? What if she moved your stuff and said "what stuff? I didn't see any stuff here...all that was here was my towels" What would you do then? If anyones being selfish here its you because you admit seeing someone else's towels on the table and still sat down without asking the proper authority (my suggestion is the life guards, let them tell you to move the towels cause people leave them all over the place).

 

[Jillpie]

I just want to hear about the food you bought, cuz I'm really hungry right now.

 

[10_Kyle_10]

But the point is that Disney doesn't have signage, so it's not up to us to decide that people can't reserve tables and move their stuff. Why not just ask a CM or life guard if you can move the towels? Then it wouldn't be your problem any more.

This is my point, thank you Mr./Mrs. Smith...And YES I would go up to a life guard and ask if I they felt it was Ok to remove towels from a table that had no other belonging. Their answer would probably be "I don't see it being a problem as long as no other items are on the table because people leave towels around all the time"... The guard could (and will talk to you...Ive had conversations with Disney life guards) do this without taking his/her eyes off the pool. Like Mr/Mrs Smith said its not up to US to decide if we can touch other people belonging or not.

 

[10_Kyle_10]

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