Funny story about Barton Springs

My friend Scott M. just posted one of the funniest recaps of his week at Barton Springs I've ever read. I recommend you read it, so you know what this is all about You can read that post here.

I find it absolutely hysterical that "speedo wearing swimmers" and "old crazy ladies" (who probably have nothing else to do, but complain about something everywhere they go) are giving him a hard time.

Scott is right, millions of gallons of water are flowing through Barton Springs every day, to the tune of 1,869 liters PER SECOND.

I'm planning my comebacks for the day when "Asian Speedo Man" and Crazy Old Lady come after me as Scott and I cross paths very often at the springs. Hopefully they'll attack me this Tuesday!

Here's a link to details on Barton Springs which has additional links at the bottom so you can help come up with some comebacks.

Here are some I've come up with based on facts:

- 31 Million Gallons of water flow through Barton Springs everyday.
- The water flows at an average 1,869 Liters PER SECOND
- On average, the flow is 40 Cubic Feet per second(cfs):
- 40 cfs per second => 2,400 cfs per minute => 144,000 cfs per hour.
- 1 cfs = 450 Gallons per minute. which means 40cfs => 18,000 gallons per MINUTE => a little over 1 million gallons per HOUR.
- You want me to shower before hand to wash off a little sweat? Let's talk SWEAT. Sweat is composed of probably about 99% water, and the other 1% is mostly sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and iron. Hardly anything to worry about affecting your health.

There's also the strategy of instilling FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt):
- Barton Springs often has a sign out front about potentially high level of coliform due to run offs from civilization upstream. Why is that not a bigger worry?

- Go to SOS Alliance's website to read about all the really bad stuff that could be in this water. They list: Road Expansions, Major Employers, Sewage, Construction and Proposed Subdivisions, LCRA and Water Infrastructure , Over-Pumping of Aquifer
Quarries and Rock Crushers, Regulatory Exemptions and Grandfathering as the major threats. No sign of human sweat as a threat.

We runners can also "project" the issue to the triathletes!: (sorry Mark, Dionn, Glenda, Erin! ha!)

- All these triathletes in the pool swimming for over an hour at a time. I promise you they are well hydrated athletes, and working out for 60 minutes, they're either sweating more than i am in here, OR, heaven forbid, they're urinating in the water.
- How often do you think they clean their wet suits? How are their wetsuits, and trisuits any cleaner than my running shorts, socks, and yes, shoes?

We can talk about dry "normal people":
- All these other people, they have dead skin on their bodies which leaves them when they enter the pool. I'll start showering, when you start showering.
- How dirty is your hair? Do you or your friends use hair spray, hair gel, hair mousse, face make-up? That's much worse then SWEAT, which again, is 99% water, and traces of potassium, sodium, calcium etc.

Or we can do like Scott, and simply state the current rules:
- With all due respect ma'am, I have contacted the Aquatics office, and there is no rule of showering before entering the pool, and no rule against shoes in the pool. In fact, they told me shoes ARE allowed in Barton Springs.

Scott, if you're reading this, I can promise you that I am NOT going to change my ways. I'll gladly speak up with you if I'm around.