Letter to the Editor | Open letter to the President of Sports Bureau: Rules for using Cheoc Van swimming pool

Dear Mr Pun,

There is much to love and admire about Macao, and the wish to continually improve services is admirable and to be encouraged.
The recent change of Government Department and apparent change of rules for users of Government Outdoor Swimming Pools appear contradictory and short-sighted simultaneously, and moreover potentially harmful to the health of swimmers.

1. Installation of parking meters at Cheoc Van Beach
This is sensible as many cars had been left there in the past for weeks on end.  Sadly only a few meters allow longer than 2 hours’ parking.  This will negatively impact on trade for the café and for the restaurant, not to mention the swimming pool, as well as the new rule this season that one has to buy a ticket for each entry to the Pool complex during a day’s visit. Maybe this is to encourage an increase in the purchase of season tickets, but this is not suitable for visitors to Macao and other local users.

2. No glasses to be worn in the swimming pool
Those whose head never goes underwater whilst swimming could be subject to Macular Degeneration through not being able to wear protective sunglasses – most glasses are made of plastic these days –  whilst swimming, and subject to skin cancer through not being able to wear a perspex vizor whilst swimming.
The fear of glass, plastic or even perspex in the pool is understandable, but phones appear to be tolerated in the pool to take ‘selfies’, and phones could easily shatter if dropped on the hard surface.

3. No cooked foods to be consumed poolside
Again this is reasonable, but healthy ‘tiffin’ is to be encouraged after an energetic swim e.g. fruit, yogurt, nuts, dried fruit.
Sadly the convenience food available in the swimming pool’s vending machines – chocolate sweets, biscuits etc, most containing considerably over recommended limits of sugar and salt, do not match the Sports Bureau’s healthy lifestyle image.
Also some of the pool’s staff seem to be misguided about what is cooked food, believing a yogurt to be in this category.
These changes in the rules were patiently explained to me by the very helpful and friendly pool staff. One can only conjecture the responses they must have experienced from regular users when trying to implement the new rules this season.
Indeed, whilst enjoying a peaceful swim last weekend, there was a most unpleasant  incident where a user spoiled the calm environment of other users by shouting very loudly and angrily at the staff, arguing with them for quite some time, and refusing to comply with the rules, despite very polite explanations and entreaties to comply.
Given that lifeguards wear sunglasses, material facial masks and clothes under their uniforms, this could spark swimmers’ anger further by denying their ability to be able to protect themselves similarly.  One also wonders if the lifeguards would be able to denude themselves of their protective layers in time to effect their role saving a swimmer in difficulty.
It would be good if the Sports Bureau could consider this kindly meant, constructive feedback to ensure full usage of its charming facilities, otherwise regular swimmers will consider using other more comfortable facilities.

Yours faithfully
Patricia Thompson