Pool lane switch shows folly of one-size-fits-all thinking

Published: 24th June, 2011

• A RECENT experiment at Highbury Pool, planned for one month, has upset early-morning swimmers. Without notice or explanation, the previous four lanes became six, leaving too little space for swimming and no room for slowing down or for passing others. 

This over-regimentation prevented swimmers from going at their own pace. Numbers began to dwindle – probably the opposite of the desired effect – and those remaining got angry and got active. 

People registered their dissatisfaction by giving daily feedback to the office and in addition to writing to the management also contacted the press.

The disgruntled swimmers made their views known and organised themselves to write to the press or give interviews. Some assembled for a photocall at the request of the Tribune.    

Whether the press involvement was the trigger, or the fact that the swimmers were getting organised, is unknown, but we learned this week – two weeks into the experiment – that it had been discontinued, with the lanes now back to their original formula: a wide lane each for slow and medium-pace swimmers and two lanes for fast swimmers.

Why is this small event of importance? There are two very good reasons. First, the outcome demonstrates the benefit of people working together and enlisting the help of the local newspaper, which has the interests of the community at heart, to right perceived wrongs. 

Second, the experiment at Highbury Pool was a perfect metaphor for what is happening everywhere: what seems, in theory, to be a very good idea is often found to be impractical in practice.  

The idea that one-size-fits-all would be very convenient if it were true, whether in healthcare, education, justice, housing or, yes, the swimming pool. But in practice, when such a system is found to be crassly inappropriate, the cost of unforeseen consequences can outweigh any savings or economies anticipated by the standardisation.   

And most of all, the swimmers – customers, consumers, voters, call us what you will – really don’t like it. Congratulations to swimmers for their success and to the management for listening and taking people’s views into account and thanks to the Tribune.
Wally Morgan
Beacon Hill, N7

• A PAT on the back is due to Glenn Branch, manager of Highbury Pool, for coming clean and admitting he had made a mistake in changing the swimming lanes. 

On Tuesday, he sent all the morning-lane swimmers an apology in writing and conceded that there was an overwhelming majority of us in favour of keeping things as they were. 

He promptly reinstated the system of three lanes, fast, medium and slow, which meant we were no longer crashing into each other when we were half asleep.

Too often public officials dig in their heels at times like this and hate to admit they got it wrong.

So take a bow, Mr Branch.
Keith McDowall
Malvern Terrace, N1