 
Detalum
Member
Username: Detalum
Post Number: 12
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 10:54 pm: |    |
Jjaba
Your pool inspection comment from another post took me back to the early 60's in Burroughs Jr. High School. Before entering the pool in swim class, every student had to pass though 3 inspection stations, manned by assigned students (a dreaded job). At the first station, the checker would rub the palm side wrist of each hand to see if any skin came off. If it did, the student was sent back to the showers. The same process was made at the 2nd station, with the checker in the pool rubbing ankles. At the last and worst station, the student had to walk out on the diving board, and with his back to the checker, bend over and "spread em". Since everyone was in the buff, the process was simple yet disgusting. I don't think anyone was ever sent to the showers from here because no checker ever wanted to look close enough for any shower worthy signs.
Few people have ever believed me when I've told this story, yet it is absolutely true. Did anyone have similarly strange school experiences, or was this unique to our school? |
Jjaba
Member
Username: Jjaba
Post Number: 6118
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 12:26 am: | |
jjaba swam just like that in the buff at Tappan Intermediate School, 1955 era. Detalum, welcome to The Forum. You tell it exactly how it tis.
jjaba was a locker room attendant at Brennan Pools, Rouge Park in the summers in the 1960s, home from college. He worked at Kemeny Pool, on West Fort St. also.
Cetainly the wrist inspections were done.
You other invasives are a matter for somebody else. No recollection of that one. But repression and sublimation are powerful forces as we age, eh.
jjaba, Westside Pool Inspector and Towel Swatter. |
Eriedearie
Member
Username: Eriedearie
Post Number: 765
Registered: 08-2007
| | Posted on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 12:28 am: | |
Detalum - What years did you attend Burroughs? I was there from 1959 - 1962. What neighborhood did you live in?
I never heard any of the boys mention anything about having to go through such an inspection. The girls certainly never had to. We wore what was referred to as a "tank suit." I hated the locker room - there were roaches in there. The girls were always shaking out their clothes and screaming if one flew out. Eeeeck! |
Hardhat
Member
Username: Hardhat
Post Number: 221
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 9:22 am: | |
At the Patton Park pool in the early 70s, I recall a mandatory pre-swim shower and then an "inspector" rubbing our arms to check for dirt. That was about as invasive an inspection as I recall. We were able to keep our dignity in SW Detroit. |
Papermoon
Member
Username: Papermoon
Post Number: 30
Registered: 08-2007
| | Posted on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 11:01 am: | |
Papermoon and two sisters, one older, one younger swam at Brennan Pools in the early 60s. Coming out of the girls' locker room, you'd step on a metal grate kind of thing that would spritz your feet with disinfectant. Then the matron would inspect hands and feet, looking for anything contagious.
The real challenge was getting all our very long hair tucked up under the required rubber swim cap. That long ponytail won older sister a ribbon at the State Fair. |
Jjaba
Member
Username: Jjaba
Post Number: 6123
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 12:22 pm: | |
It wasn't the length of boys' hair, it was the grease. Man oh man, Cody HS was the worst. jjaba returned many of them to the shower for a second go-around. Brennan Pools was a big operation.
jjaba loved the p.a. system,
"Pincus Fladerman, your mother is here to pick you up." "Jackie Polackschick, your swimming suit is in the girls' locker room. We found it wrapped around a tree." "Mrs. O'Malley, Lucy is at the front gate." "Mr. Lipschitz, little Saully is still looking for his underpants, be right out."
"Attention swimmers, the Jewish Community Center bus will be leaving in 5 minutes, move your tuchas or you'll be left behind."
jjaba, Locker Room memories. |
Johns
Member
Username: Johns
Post Number: 6
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 12:23 pm: | |
Detalum - station #3 most definitely at Cody in 1969. Seems it was only one teacher who was that interested, but my luck to have him. I can hardly imagine what would happen if that was going on now. |
Chuckjav
Member
Username: Chuckjav
Post Number: 355
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 1:05 pm: | |
Yes.....the inspection stations were in place at Spain Junior High and (I've been told) at Mackenzie High School, through the mid-1960s.
By the time I attended Mackenzie & life guarded for Detroit Parks and Recreation, (early to mid 1970s) we were still running the wrist & ankle operation.
Difficult to imagine the rationale for nude male swimming at Mackenzie - with the ladies swimming (at the same time) on the north end of the pool, divided by large metal doors.
Why the guys swam naked - while the ladies wore tank suits - we'll never know.
No fair peeking? |
Focusonthed
Member
Username: Focusonthed
Post Number: 1675
Registered: 02-2006
| | Posted on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 1:15 pm: | |
And people say that the homosexuals are trying to take over our country NOW? rofl
;) |
Ragtoplover59
Member
Username: Ragtoplover59
Post Number: 198
Registered: 09-2006
| | Posted on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 5:46 pm: | |
Hardhat
Another early 70's Patton park swimmer here, Same Inspection routine, Always brought the little motel soap (I had collected on vacations ) so I wouldn't need to worry about bringing it back home.
Also had Inspection at Wilson Jr High after P.E., but it only amounted to telling the teacher your number on your way past the cage coming out of the shower, you just had to be wet or you were sent back in. |
Detalum
Member
Username: Detalum
Post Number: 13
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 11:13 pm: | |
Eriedearie - My Burroughs years were from 1961- 1964 while I lived down Marcus in the Mt. Elliott neighborhood. I remember those Tank suits. In all honesty, to young boys at that time, they didn't look that bad. However, those rubber swim caps were really amusing.
And yes, we did take the risk of incurring the gym teachers wrath by trying to peek through the girls locker room door if it was ajar. They did not hesitate in applying a holed-paddle to bare, wet bottoms for such indiscretions.
Johns - Since the inspections extended to Cody, I have to believe that the practice, in varying forms, was city wide. I'm surprised that it still existed in 1969, given the rapidly changing culture during that period. Based on the other posts, it appears that inspections were being reduced in the 70's. |
Lefty2
Member
Username: Lefty2
Post Number: 1101
Registered: 07-2007
| | Posted on Saturday, February 09, 2008 - 12:07 am: | |
Jjaba - how i wish those days could return, stevie wonder.
YMCA - my swimming naked as a small kid, no parents thought about perverts.
my how things have changed. |
Goblue
Member
Username: Goblue
Post Number: 1140
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, February 10, 2008 - 9:12 pm: | |
Those pool inspections were city wide...Denby included. I'm certain that our parents had no idea what was going on...the "skin back" was a dreaded command to naked boys headed for the pool. And they worry about perverts TODAY!! |
Broken_main
Member
Username: Broken_main
Post Number: 1436
Registered: 06-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, February 10, 2008 - 11:05 pm: | |
Somebody just recently told me this story and I thought they were pulling my leg. I am really wondering why the boys swam naked. That is crazy.
Update: It was my son's nurse that said that this too was the requirement in the Dearborn Public Schools as well
(Message edited by broken_main on February 10, 2008) |
Lefty2
Member
Username: Lefty2
Post Number: 1125
Registered: 07-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, February 10, 2008 - 11:09 pm: | |
Because our parents didn't have mini speedo's for 3 year olds and the parents didn't think that there were pervert freak adults out there. No longer true. |