BZ editor Stefan Peter comments on the way the head of the Berlin baths company deals with the violence in the outdoor pool. The picture shows the entrance to the summer pool in Wilmersdorf Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Paul Zinken
By Stephen Peter
Either the boss of the Berlin baths is particularly courageous or just dumb. A week and a half ago, the Governing Mayor and the Senator for the Interior announced new admission rules for the outdoor pools – but in many places there was not even the slightest attempt to implement them.
Means: Pool boss Johannes Kleinsorg rebels against the Senate guidelines or he simply didn’t understand them. The reason given for not implementing the rules was “goodwill” in the first few days.
A clumsy excuse: one day after the Senate announcement, the bathing establishments themselves announced that the rules would apply immediately. Not a word of “goodwill” for the following days.
And: Contrary to the demands of the government, you can still buy online tickets without giving your address!
Don’t get me wrong: The pool boss can’t do anything about the violence in the outdoor pools – politicians have to fight the causes of this. But the bathing establishments are doing too little against the mob.
Why is there a Senate directive that requires ID checks? Why didn’t the bathing establishments come up with this months or last year themselves? How can it be that (according to statements from employees) not all incidents in the bathrooms are displayed and the statistics are embellished?
According to the annual report, the pool manager earns 259,000 euros a year, i.e. over a quarter of a million. A good manager costs so much. But that is not Herr Kleinsorg.
Why should the taxpayer continue to fund the salary of someone who is clearly unable or unwilling to guarantee a carefree summer at the outdoor pool?