Patricia Palombi

Review of Brooks Family YMCA of the Firs...

I have been using Brooks Y swimming pool for almos...

I have been using Brooks Y swimming pool for almost 10 years in the winter months. I use it for water aerobics (not a class) 3-4 times per week. When I first started attending, the pool area was quiet (no music piped in) and it was relaxing physically and mentally. After a couple years, they started piping what they call "music" into the pool area. When I inquired about it, they stated that it was to "help the life guards keep awake"! If a life guard can't stay awake for 20 minutes before they change stations, they shouldn't be life guarding.
I have about 50% hearing loss in both ears, so when I say the music is too loud, take my word for it - it is loud. Last winter I began wearing two sets of gun range level ear plugs - one pair in the ears and the other as ear phones. Most days the bass was still booming. On days when it is really blasting, I will ask them to turn it down. Sometimes they do, but usually not or not enough to make a difference. October is here and soon I will have to move inside with my water workout. I simply dread the time when I have to go back to the Y, but they are the closest public place with an indoor pool. If I can get there right after they have finished the aerobics class around 11:30 a.m., the music is not so loud; however, depending on which life guards are on duty, it is soon jacked up again.

Swimmers probably don't hear the music because their head is usually in or under water; however, for those who do water aerobics, they usually don't have their head under water and the music is too loud, distracting and usually only what the millennial life guards want to listen to. You might ask me why I don't go into the warmer, smaller therapy pool. One, it's too warm and two, I use the lanes for part of my workout. Not looking forward to another 6 months inside at Brooks Y pool. What a nice surprise it would be to have someone in management actually read this and do something about the loud music. Don't get me wrong - it's not that I don't like music. I was a music major and music teacher years ago. I just have difficulty with loud.