What associations do you personally have with the phrase “Green Pool”? If you live in the Bay Area and are also interested in basketball, you'll probably remember last year's Draymond Green-Jordan Poole feud, but otherwise, you'll probably think of an unkempt pool that hasn't been cleaned in a while.
But what if green is also your favorite color? And in the end, there is no such law on this planet that swimming pools should be painted only blue (although, you see, it’s beautiful). So the author of the story that we’ll tell you today also decided to paint their pool green - after a conflict with some overly nosy neighbors. However, let's talk about everything in order...
The author of the post has a big pool on their plot - as well as some overly nosy neighbors
Image credits: Aeryn B (not the actual photo)
Recently, the neighbors reported the author to the council for the poor state of their pool
Image credits: u/[deleted]
It turned out that the fiberglass was badly damaged, so the author decided to carry out substantial repairs on the pool
Image credits: XSusanStoHelitX
Image credits: u/[deleted]
The neighbors weren't happy and claimed that even the bare concrete looked better than a green pool...
Image credits: XSusanStoHelitX
Image credits: u/[deleted]
So the author decided to paint their pool green - at least it was their favorite color
Image credits: XSusanStoHelitX
Image credits: u/[deleted]
The neighbors literally lost it but all they could do was just threats and talks
Image credits: XSusanStoHelitX
Image credits: u/[deleted]
Even the lawyer claimed that he could definitely help the author make a cease and desist letter if he'd be allowed to swim in the green pool
It all started with what the Original Poster (OP) tells us, that the neighbors, seeing the poor state of their pool after the winter, reported them to the council. The inspector came, saw that the author was just in the middle of getting the required chemicals - and left. However, a week later, she returned again - the neighbors had once more complained about the poor condition of the pool.
By that time, the OP had already found out that the fiberglass in the pool was badly damaged so they just decided to rip it out and start again. This time, the picky neighbors were not satisfied with the look of the concrete, although, according to the inspector, they said that “concrete is better than green.” And at that moment, it dawned on the author - after all, green is their favorite color!
No sooner said than done. The original poster went to the local tradies and chose the most wonderful shade of green. A few days later, the painting work began. The neighbors, convinced that in the near future they would have to personally contemplate fifty shades of green in front of their windows, began a new batch of complaints - but this time the council took a position friendly towards the OP.
Neighbors tried to argue that painting pools green was illegal - but were unable to cite such a law. They threatened that they would invade the OP’s plot to 'fix' the pool - the author drew their attention to recently installed CCTV cameras. It even got to the point of threatening to invite some friends to “talk” - but then the original poster with a pure heart turned to the police.
Along the way, the author spoke with a lawyer they knew, who assured them of two things. First, there is absolutely no law prohibiting painting pools green. Second - he would send a cease and desist letter if he could come and swim in the green pool. After all, there are a lot of blue pools in the world, but green seems to be something unique.
Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio (not the actual photo)
In fact, of course, there is no law prohibiting painting pools green, but historically, green water suggests that the pool is blooming and, accordingly, it’s unkempt. On the other hand, it's the original poster's pool and they have the right to do whatever they want with it.
As for the blue color, the shades of which are traditionally used to paint swimming pools almost all over the world, the question here is not only that we are accustomed to perceiving bright blue water as an example of a perfectly clean lagoon. Just elementary optics.
"Water has the ability to absorb red, yellow and orange tones more easily than blue tones. Understanding that the color of the water of the swimming pool is determined by the sky, then certainly its appearance will always tend towards a range of blues", Agustina Iñiguez writes on the Arch Daily platform.
"As the depth of the pool increases, the blue tone will become darker, compared to if the depth does not exceed 50cm, then the water will seem transparent. Nowadays, there is a plethora of designs and a range of colors that go, to name a few examples, from green, brown, blue or white tones to grey, black, and more, responding to different needs and conditions." As you can see, green can also look beautiful and impressive.
As for the comments to the original post, people were simply outraged by such behavior on the part of the author’s neighbors, and were only surprised at the OP’s patience - after all, in their place, most of the commenters would have taken legal action way earlier. And commenters also sincerely believe that this story is an excellent example of petty revenge towards overly nosy neighbors.
“Maybe the neighbors could, idk, stop looking into your yard if it annoys them that much,” one of the folks aptly wrote in the comments, and one cannot help but agree with this. By the way, have you ever encountered... no, not similar neighbors, but swimming pools painted in colors other than blue? Anyway, we’re looking forward to your own comments and stories as well.
Most people in the comments just cracked up at this story, at the same time heavily criticizing these intrusive neighbors
