"Backyard bauble loses its sparkle; In-ground pools have long been a suburban dream. But toddler drownings, close calls, and concerns about costs have begun to dim their appeal" by Peter Schworm, Globe Staff | August 7, 2010
The backyard swimming pool has long ranked among suburbia’s sweetest perks — a status symbol and centerpiece of cocktail parties and family barbecues. But increasingly, it is seen in a more ominous light.
I don't have one, nor do many other people around here.
Oh, right, Globe isn't writing the paper for us and never did.
Empty-nesters often don’t want the upkeep. And many parents now see them less as amenities than as potential hazards to their children.
I'm afraid to go in the water now.
With the federal government this year waging a campaign highlighting the dangers of pools, a Massachusetts lawmaker pushing stricter safety measures and, most recently, four young children who drowned in backyard pools, a number of owners are installing alarms and safety fences or going even further, paying thousands of dollars to remove their pools altogether.
And who make$ that $tuff, huh?
Most young parents these days, real estate brokers say, won’t even consider homes with built-in pools.
“They don’t even want to look,’’ said Bill Gassett, a realtor in Hopkinton. “They don’t want the responsibility, and they worry about what could happen.’’
Backyard swimming pools, once enjoyed only by the affluent, have exploded in popularity since the 1980s, dotting middle-class suburbs as prices dropped and a flourishing economy put them in reach of people with moderate incomes.There are now well over 9 million in-ground and above-ground pools in the United States, according to the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals....
I'm sure there are a few in town, up on the hill and out in the meadows, but to imply that in-ground pools are average America... sigh.
If that is true, why are people flocking to beaches and local watering holes?
I mean, Globe loves telling you how many people are at the beach!
Sales have slowed in recent years, pool builders say, particularly sales of in-ground pools. They attribute the drop to the stalled housing market and tepid economy. But fears about the dangers to children have also clearly grown; the federal government says that, on average, one child a day drowns in a pool somewhere in the United States....
Then FILL 'EM IN, America!!
Tear up your pools and fill 'em in!!!
Fears have been fueled by deaths like those of 2-year-old twin sisters in Lynnfield, who apparently got past the gate to their backyard swimming pool last month and opened a retractable cover.
Yeah, that seems to be a THEME of the paper in EVERYTHING they PUBLISH!
And HOW COULD 2-year-olds DO ALL THAT?
Two weeks later, 4-year-old twin sisters in Brockton drowned after apparently crawling through a hole in a fence around their family’s pool....
Related: 2d twin sister who fell in pool dies
Mothers campaign for greater pool safety
Also see: Brockton’s Water Bills
Yeah, that is a steep price.
“More and more, backyard pools are a problem,’’ said Kathleen Reilly, a spokeswoman for the public service campaign, which grew out of US legislation mandating safer pool drains. “It’s easier and cheaper than ever to have pools, and people never think this can happen to them.’’
Time to OUTLAW IN-GROUND POOLS!
Despite changes in attitudes, child-safety advocates say they are frustrated by a lack of vigilance about pool safety.
No pool, no worry, no waste of valuable water.
Under Massachusetts law, residential pools must be surrounded by a fence at least four feet tall. But fences that surround the entire property also meet the requirement, and the enclosure can include the home itself if doors are alarmed. That potentially gives quick-moving and curious children unfettered access to the eye-catching water.
“All you need is a fence around the perimeter of the property,’’ said Farrell. “The rules are good at keeping other children out, but leave your own children at risk.’’
“It’s extremely scary,’’ said John Meleedy, president of South East Fence Co., a Lakeville company that installs pool fences. Parents say “nothing’s ever going to go wrong in my pool. They’re concerned, but not overly concerned.’’
At this point I am wondering WhereTF were the parents?
You NEVER LET INFANTS and TODDLERS out of your site!
“Most accidents can be traced back to human error, but unfortunately, a lot of people think of aesthetics and convenience instead of safety,’’ said Kristine Uhlman, sales director at Aquaknot Pools in Weymouth. “When you look at beautiful pools online, you don’t see a fence. You see a big, open backyard.’’
Yeah, it is ALWAYS YOUR FAULT, readers!!
Do not ever forget it.
--more--"
I'm never going swimming again.
