Locker Room Lottery

My son - Firstborn took me swimming on Wednesday lunchtime this week. I haven't been swimming since he was about 5 years old (he's now 21!).

But I know I need to do more exercise - especially since my heart attack last year - so off we jolly well went.

Well the local leisure Centre has all been tarted up since the last time I went there - with men and women's changing rooms separated by just a corridor and a diagram (of men v women). I just followed my Firstborn's instructions diligently to make sure I didn't wander into the wrong changing area - it looked a bit like I was going to when I tried to find the swimming pool!

But with Firstborn's help I found the women's changing area. He had told me beforehand that I would need a £1 for the locker - so I made sure I had at least one (pound coin)

Well - of all the lockers in all the changing rooms of all the women's rooms in the world - guess who picked the one locker that didn't have a key init, and who inserted her £1 coin in that locker!!!!

Yep! You guessed it - it was me. So - it was like - err - I went to turn the key - and errr - there wasn't one. so £1 bites the dust!

So I then moved my bag of clothes into the locker next door ( it did have a key) and inserted my £1 coin, shut the door, turned the key and it jammed! I couldn't (initially) turn the key right, left or anything - let alone pull it out.

Eventually I turned it - so I opened the door (great sigh of relief) - but decided I wouldn't do these lockers any more. I had already spent £2 -I wasn't going to throw any more money away.

So- I left the locker door ajar, but pulled it to as much as I could. Sorry - but I really wasn't going to put another £1 in these horrid slot machines where you only lose money - can't even bet on winning any!!!

When I dove into the swimming pool like an Olympic Champion, swum 10,000 metres in 2 minutes and then told Firstborn that I'd left my stuff in a locker where I'd left the door open and the key in the lock - he was completely gobsmacked.

Why? Unless you're a desperate charity shop with no scruples - why on earth would you want anything from my locker? Which is precisely what I told Firstborn - and I was right.

But I must admit - and to paraphrase the gorgeous Oscar - to lose £1 is unfortunate - to lose £2 is carelessness......