Is this normal for a communal shower?
Posted by Legitimate-Leg-4720@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 88 comments
I visited a different swimming pool to my usual one and it turns out they only had communal showers. I've somehow managed to avoid ever using communal showers to date, but I didn't really mind using them if need be.
Well I walked into the men's showers and it was just several noisy, boisterous kids with no adults (around 7-10yo?) showering. I was confused and went outside to check the sign on the shower - definitely men's shower! (I usually swim at 6am weekdays so I rarely see kids)
I felt very awkward about the idea of stripping off and showering in there as a 20-something year old guy so just had a rinse at the shared showers by the pool instead.
Is this just normal for a swimming pool changing / shower room at the weekend? Would you fellow redditors use the communal shower in this case? Not sure if I'm just being a needlessly cautious prude.
lungbong@reddit
If they were boys, this is normal, it's a male changing room so expect males of all ages not just 18+.
Past-Educator-6561@reddit
Girls would be normal too if their dad has taken them to the pool
No_Coyote_557@reddit
Lol, don't think so. Girls in a shower with strange grown men with their bollocks out?
Designer-Historian40@reddit
Yeah, just send little 5 year old susie into the ladies on her own, that will end well.
No_Coyote_557@reddit
Little Suzie doesn't need to shower.
Designer-Historian40@reddit
She does need to rinse the chlorine off (and preferably wash it out of her hair)/
I'm going to be honest, I've never been to a pool with communal showers where people strip off nude.
Also, bodies are just bodies. Stop being a puritan.
742963@reddit
I think they mean say a father takes his 2 daughters swimming under 8years old the children don't go to the womens they father changes them in the men's changing room, I've seen this a few times over the years
PantherEverSoPink@reddit
Yes but he wouldn't shower them naked with the other men, they'd have a rinse with their swimsuits on then go home to shower. I've never showered naked in the communal showers and wouldn't expect my kids to.
742963@reddit
None of the places I use have communal showers. But when growing up and over the years I have seen men already in the changing room men drying their hair stark bollocks naked, father and his daughter have come in the father and his daughter are getting dried off etc whilst this is happening the daughter is running around the changing room not wearing anything. Whilst other men are also naked. The comment I replied to was referring to mens changing room not communal
Still-Reference138@reddit
This was clearly happening in your dreams.
-Hi-Reddit@reddit
Granted it has been a few years but I used to go swimming a lot and to a local waterpark a lot, and it was a common occurance to see young children running around naked in the showers.
You can't just not do things with your daughter because you can't go into the womans shower area with her; you just have to assume that most people are normal humans not monsters. Some people are quite carefree about letting their kids run around in the nude under 8 years old when they're in a very public place full of nudity, and don't want to start teaching their daughter about covering up yet, trying to shield her from that side of the world etc.
deleted_by_reddit@reddit
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DebunkedTheory@reddit
Why not though?
Still-Reference138@reddit
100% agree with you, don't get the downvotes, then again I do this is reddit, half of users have 0 social awareness. And I'm pretty sure a lot of incel phedos are on reddit, too. A bunch of virgins who are still in their mothers' basement, typing away, never seen a women's fanny but think it's ok to see a girls fanny.
Go on downvote me. It's as close to women you'll get.
Temperbell@reddit
I don't know why you have so many downvotes, I can't imagine this either. As a young girl I saw plenty of other girls and women, but NEVER men... that would have been... odd, at least where I'm from
Still-Reference138@reddit
100% agree I'm British female and I don't think it's normal for a girl to be around naked grown men. But then again this is reddit, so I'd take what people say with a pinch of salt đ
Temperbell@reddit
Yes I'm British too! Cannot imagine this happening here đ
Past-Educator-6561@reddit
What is a single dad supposed to do if only communal showers are available? I'd like to think others would keep their trunks on but there's not a lot you can do.
No_Coyote_557@reddit
Dunno, but yeah. They should certainly warn you then, as I wouldn't normally keep my trunks on in a male changing room.
Past-Educator-6561@reddit
Do you normally see kids there though? And tbf. You do you. I'd just like to think people would be discrete on noticing kids around.
Most pools have family time and adult only time anyway, I usually avoid the family time (for my own peace and sanity) so I imagine it's mostly other parents around with their own kids to worry about.
Legitimate-Leg-4720@reddit (OP)
Yeah fair enough I'll just go about my day next time then. I think because I have only ever been swimming at 6am until today, and so have never seen kids in the communal shower rooms, it surprised me and I wasn't sure if it was appropriate to use the showers at the same time.Â
Delicious-Cut-7911@reddit
fathers would take their little daughters. You're all in swimsuits. This was never a problem until all this paedo witch hunts made everyone scared to be in the presence of a child
No_Coyote_557@reddit
Who showers in their swimsuits?
Sidebottle@reddit
If it's after swimming, yeah? You're washing the Chlorine off, not cleaning yourself.
crash_aku@reddit
Wait, why not clean yourself?
pockets3d@reddit
You've just been chlorinated, how much cleaner do you want to be .
crash_aku@reddit
Then why do people shower when they get home?
alice_op@reddit
It's just always been standard practice from what I've seen to keep your swimming gear on, have a rinse, and shower properly at home.
Unless there's cubicles
Still-Reference138@reddit
Yes, it is! 100% the norm in the UK.
LahmiaTheVampire@reddit
Legally speaking, you sometimes have to. My local pool has no nudity signs at the communal shower bit.
PantherEverSoPink@reddit
I do. I have a shower at home after swimming
Legitimate-Leg-4720@reddit (OP)
It makes sense if you're going home anyway, but swimming before work in the morning I kind of expect a pool where I can have a proper shower, which means being able to take those jammers off.Â
PantherEverSoPink@reddit
I hear you. It annoys me that there aren't more private showers or even changing cubicles, but I've been informed in the past that I'm a prude. Prudes are people too though.
Delicious-Cut-7911@reddit
I do. I'm a 68 year old English lady and keep my swimsuit on. Germans however, do not
youcameinme@reddit
almost 69
FridayGeneral@reddit
Um... you aren't supposed to get your dick out in the communal showers, dude. They are just for rinsing off.
I can't believe I have to say this but please don't start lathering up your balls in front of children.
Legitimate-Leg-4720@reddit (OP)
Really? Do you actually go swimming early morning at all? Pretty much every guy in the men's changing rooms is showering nude in the Men's communal showers.
Honestly after more thought and reading other reddit posts on the topic, it's pretty obvious to expect naked adults in the gendered showers. If that's a problem they should go to the communal mixed gender showers at the poolside.
FridayGeneral@reddit
I do. I am not sure how my personal exercise routine is relevant here but I am getting the impression you aren't the most logical person.
In front of children?
snarkycrumpet@reddit
Why can't you just shower with your trunks on, since it's not private? You can rinse all the chlorine off, shampoo your hair and whatnot, but not have to worry about any weirdness. Communal showers are only suitable for full nudity if it's over 18s only, in my opinion.
elohir@reddit
Personally I'd just shower with my trunks on but when I was a kid, the baths were always communal and blokes would always shower naked.
I always thought it was kind of ugly/gross, but it didn't harm anyone.
Legitimate-Leg-4720@reddit (OP)
Well it seems odd but I seem to really sweat when swimming especially after hard timed intervals, I really didn't feel clean after just a rinse + shampoo today. đÂ
Rekyht@reddit
Confused as to why trunks would stop you washing normally?
Legitimate-Leg-4720@reddit (OP)
I wear a tight pair of jammers, they'd probably rip open if I start trying to stick my hand down there
snarkycrumpet@reddit
I'd just open those bad boys up the sky and do a rinse/swill from the top, like you're reaching into a bag to agitate marinated meats.
Sensitive_Ad_9195@reddit
This is relatively common at leisure centres but people normally keep their swimwear on in these communal showers where there could be children.
Legitimate-Leg-4720@reddit (OP)
It does seem odd though, I'm not sure why the kids wouldn't go to the mixed gender communal showers at the poolside instead, rather than the more private mens / women's showers if they/their parents don't want them around nude adults
They were showering nude anyway so perhaps they had no issue with it, they would surely expect adults to be showering in there too.
throwaway18754322@reddit
It's less of an adjustment for you to just wear trunks. If that's a concern for you as it seems to be, then the problem is that you go to a place with communal showers where this is typically the common practice. It's less embarrassing for children to be together in the private showers and if everyone wears trunks there's no problem. If being naked as you shower is a real issue of yours, then you need to find a place with private showers...the only alternatives are to expect all children to accommodate or society to change to allow you to be naked around children, which is all a little strange when you can just wear trunks/go somewhere else as an adult with autonomy.
Accurate_Prompt_8800@reddit
I mean itâs communal, where do you expect the children to change?? Just keep eyes up and go about your business as usual, no one is really taking notice of each other in a changing room
Legitimate-Leg-4720@reddit (OP)
Yeah I'm not sure, I think because I've been swimming for so long at 6am and never seen a single kid in the pool at that time, this kind of surprised me! I thought I wasn't meant to be there.
I just imagined a nightmare scenario where I started showering minding my own business and they ran out shouting about some peado in the showers!
Cheapntacky@reddit
If it's making you feel awkward swimwear on may help.
Legitimate-Leg-4720@reddit (OP)
I felt awkward but i'm wondering if there was actually any reason to feel that way - i don't mind showering nude, I just thought other people would consider it inappropriate for me to shower naked in that setting especially with no other adults around, I had a crisis in my understanding of communal shower etiquette it seems đŽÂ
fwapfwapfwap@reddit
If my kids came out of the changing rooms and told me there was some geezer showering with them who was bollock naked then I wouldn't be too impressed.
Like a few others have said I think you should probably keep you shorts or trunks on and wash yourself that way - no one wants to get tarred with the diddler brush. You're leaving yourself exposed here (no pun intended).
Legitimate-Leg-4720@reddit (OP)
In fairness, there's a communal, mixed gender shower by the poolside which they could have used rather than the more private Men's shower room so part of me thinks the parents should have made them shower there instead, if they were concerned about nude adults being there (and FWIW they were showering nude anyway)
subhumanrobot42@reddit
At the pools I've been to, they have separate communal showering for men and women. They have signs up telling people to keep their costume on because there could be kids around. It's not a big deal. I tend to just rinse off and shower properly in my house since I live 10 mins walk away, but no one seems to have an issue with this.
Legitimate-Leg-4720@reddit (OP)
fair enough, i usually swim before work though and a proper shower after a hard workout seems essential. I'd be pretty annoyed if they had no cubicles in that case
KaleyedoscopeVision@reddit
âThe children were naked firstâ Is probably not the best stance for this situation
cyberllama@reddit
A nice pair of Spaedos?
Zelda_Olivia@reddit
Oi clean shirt!
prustage@reddit
I see no problem with males of different ages showering in the same place. What is your problem? I didn't mean that as an insult, I actually mean what is it about this that you find difficult or uncomfortable? Did you never shower with your parents?
Educational_Test4119@reddit
Thanks to the paedo witch hunt men are now scared to be around children.
PantherEverSoPink@reddit
I don't know about being naked around naked children, to be fair. It wouldn't make OP a paedophile, but it would be a lack of boundaries for the kids. They might not be comfortable with a naked man, even if the man is.
Still-Reference138@reddit
Jesus, a lot of downvotes, says a lot about those downvoting.
PantherEverSoPink@reddit
I think they think I'm saying that nudity is inherently sexual, which I'm not. I do feel that for most people it is private though, and child hasn't decided yet whether or not they're a nudity.
My kids are a bit older now so I'm seeing it through that perspective. There's a big difference between a four year old and a six year old.
And also, the kids could be in the shower doing their business, before a man came to join them, so it's not like they've opted in.
Not mainly I think I'm being seen as a prude, which maybe I am, I don't care.
BoopingBurrito@reddit
I'd say that if they're not comfortable around a naked man, they probably shouldn't be in a communal shower attached to the men's changing area of a public swimming pool. That is a place where it is entirely legal, and is also entirely morally acceptable, for a man to be naked - anyone not comfortable with that nudity is the person who needs to act to avoid it, the nude man shouldn't be blamed for the other person being uncomfortable.
PantherEverSoPink@reddit
I dunno. No-one's been showering naked in the communal showers in the pools that I've used so.... I've never had to consider it before tbh.
BoopingBurrito@reddit
I'm surprised that you've never seen it, it makes me think that either you've just not noticed, or that you don't frequent pools with communal showers very often.
I've seen it plenty, at my local council run gym just now, at fancy gyms and cheap gyms all over the country in the past. I saw it my school showers back in the 00s, I saw it in the communal showers at my uni gym, I've seen it changing rooms at resorts and hotels.
It really is very common.
PantherEverSoPink@reddit
I have used....three of the local pools with communal showers but to be fair usually during the kid's swimming lessons and during my swimming lessons there are only a few people there who maybe don't like to shower publicly. It's not been a thing when I've taken the kids to family swim, but again, maybe because it's family swim.
Also, I guess, in two of the pools I've been to the communal showers are mixed gender, just open and close to the pool, one mixed gender with cubicles, and one separate gender but not.....very nice showers and quite exposed.
So I guess the pools I've been to is a reason I've not seen it.
atlan7291@reddit
You don't have to get naked to shower, you can just pull the swimwear out and use on Hand to wash.
Legitimate-Leg-4720@reddit (OP)
With jammers? They're skin tight, I can't really get down there without lowering them.Â
atlan7291@reddit
Ahh okay shower what you can sort your privates out when you're somewhere private.
Individual-Titty780@reddit
Just make sure the S is still showing on your budgie smugglers
No-Advertising1002@reddit
Definitely not OK to strip off in a leisure centre communal pool showers. Most say that you must not strip.
Legitimate-Leg-4720@reddit (OP)
Why not, in the mens communal shower? How else to clean a sweaty crotch after a hard hour of training?
The council pool I use in the weekday mornings, most people use the communal shower naked.Â
No-Advertising1002@reddit
Gym showers I'd say are fine but not pool showers. But our local pool the showers are by the pool so it's a bit different I guess
Legitimate-Leg-4720@reddit (OP)
Oh yeah, there's communal showers right besides the pool here too, most people use yhose to just rinse themselves before getting in the pool.Â
There's also showers hidden away in the changing rooms, one for men, one for women, which are for proper showeringÂ
No-Advertising1002@reddit
Oh, in that case I'm with you. Totally legit to strip off.
Dazzling-Landscape41@reddit
In communal showers, I just take the opportunity to give my swimming costume a good rinse. Unless it's all grown-ups, then I don't care.
Foxtrot7888@reddit
Communal showers are very common in my experience. Itâs normal to shower wearing what you wore for swimming. One pool I go to the showers arenât in the changing room and are used by both men and women (wearing their swimming stuff still).
adamMatthews@reddit
Centre Parcs showers are the same, shared by everyone.
I have a memory of going there as a kid, and a mum was stripping her son off to clean him saying âstop worrying, everyoneâs seen a willy beforeâ. The look in his eyes as he peered around realising that everyone except his mum and dad still had their swimwear on.
Legitimate-Leg-4720@reddit (OP)
I find that interesting because at my London pool, many blokes shower naked in the communal (mens) showers. I always just take a cubicle since they are available, but most men don't seem too fussed about being naked while showeringÂ
adamMatthews@reddit
Thereâs a pool near me that has unisex changing cubicles down the side of it, you can see the pool over the door while changing. There are two communal shower rooms at the end split by gender, they donât even have doors just an archway followed by a 90° turn behind the wall.
Itâs perfectly normal for everyone to share it. I honestly couldnât tell you what the age of other people Iâve seen in the showers were. When youâre doing your own thing and want to be efficient, you donât really notice anyone else other than looking for which shower head is free.
Nw5gooner@reddit
Kinda unrelated but I joined a David Lloyd gym a year ago and I still find it quite surreal on a Saturday the number of guys who will bring their kids into the men's changing room to change and there's naked blokes all over the place. Toddlers fair enough, but we're talking boys and girls up to maybe 6/7.
There's a family changing room right nextdoor, but presumably some guys would rather just bring their kids into the mens and expose them to random naked strangers than use it.
My wife says I'm being a prude but I find it weird.
Legitimate-Leg-4720@reddit (OP)
Well, I did hear that David Lloyd gyms are basically a rather extra expensive supervised creches! I tried to sign up once but they wanted to sell me a combined membership for my non-existent kids too - why they thought a 20 year old guy would have kids who want a gym membership, I've no idea...
Nw5gooner@reddit
Yeah on the weekend it's basically a kids club with a gym attached!
The one I go to is also massively oversubscribed. As I left this morning at 9.30am there were people fighting over my parking space and the queue to get into the car park was halfway down the road.
I go super early on Saturdays now to beat the crowd.
Legitimate-Leg-4720@reddit (OP)
Oh geez. I thought the benefit of these more expensive places would be less competition for equipment / slots!Â
Sidebottle@reddit
People have different attitudes to nudity. Some see it as inherently sexual, some don't. A child seeing a bunch of naked blokes getting changed isn't going to emotionally scar them unless you push that fear on to them. Kids will take the lead from their parents, if their parent is chill about it, they will be chill about it.
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