Imagine if you were asked to check and bag your own purchases at the shops. Oh! Wait! Well, anyway, something similar in the way of service erosion has just happened to the residents of Dagenham, where the local swimming pool has just rearranged its lanes width-wise to make it easier for lifeguards to do their job, it seems. The changes affect morning and lunchtime swimming sessions. Users of the pool are not impressed. Calls of 'insanity', 'lazyness', 'nanny state' and 'health and safety gone mad' have been echoing from the depths of the locker rooms. The council explains the change as a way to help less confident swimmers and free more space in the shallow end but admits that staffing (and possible savings) are also involved. Apparently, if the feedback is not good the lanes can be changed back to lengths. Sounds like they will be. By Nicolas Chinardet. IMage by CdL Creative in the Londonist Flickr pool.
