侯康德 給 臺北市政府體育局李再立局長的投書

Li Tsai Li, Commissioner 李再立局長
Department of Sports
Taipei City Government 台北市政府體育局

January 25, 2019

I was denied the opportunity to swim at SongShen Sports Center for two reasons, both absurd.  The staff at SongShen Sports Center told me that these rules could not be changed, and thus I am appealing to a higher authority. These rules should both be changed to bring Taiwan’s regulations up to world standards.

First, I wore a loose type of swimsuit that is widely used in the rest of the world – the US, Europe, and elsewhere. Even one of the staff members at SongShen Sports Center admitted that he wears this type of swimsuit when swimming outside of Taiwan because it is more comfortable. However, at SongShen Sports Center I was told that I could not swim wearing this type of swimsuit because some people jog in this type of swimsuit. Apparently, SongShen Sports Center equates cleanliness with a certain style of swimming suit. To be consistent, SongShen Sports Center would need to ban all swimsuits and all jogging shorts and in fact any type of clothing whatsoever. However, bathing in the nude would be unsanitary.

Second, I purchased flip flops specifically for wear in changing rooms and around swimming pools to protect my feet from infection. I carefully changed out of the shoes that I wear in the street into these flip flops dedicated to swimming areas. The staff at SongShen Sports Center refused to let me wear these flip flops and told me that I was only permitted to use their facilities in bare feet. However, when asked they could not provide or even conceive of an alternate way to protect my feet. This rule puts in jeopardy the health of all the people who use the facilities at SongShen Sports Center. Everybody who uses the facilities should be required to use some sort of foot protection. Particularly in the humid climate in Taiwan, fungus and bacteria can grow on the mats surrounding swimming pools, in the changing rooms, in the showers, and elsewhere in a sports facility. SongShen Sports Center is endangering public health by not requiring the users of their facilities to use foot protection.

I urge that both these rules be changed – the first because it does nothing to protect public health, and the second because it actively endangers public health.

Best wishes,

Kenneth Howell

Apt 6-3, No. 16, Lane 49, Alley 4, Jungxiao East Street, Taipei, Taiwan

Kenneth.Howell333@gmail.com

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Luchia Meihua Lee FB post

Dr. Ken Howell先生今天氣炸了，台北市松山運動中心的游泳池竟然不承認他 Adidas(愛迪達)的游泳褲是游泳褲！硬說是慢跑褲；還有不能穿夾脚拖走入泳池邊。他好不容易很高興的找到靠近住處的泳池，竟然一股鳥氣敗興囘來。重點是：他穿著這泳褲及夾脚拖在台大室内泳池，紐約奧運規格的 Corona Park swimming pool， 愛爾蘭，葡萄牙，法國，德國的各地室内游泳池都可以進去游泳甚至或要求穿拖鞋才可。這個稱台北市政府委外的社區運動中心，不需考慮脚部的衛生問題？到底臺北的松山運動中心是標榜什麽？請問台灣的運動管理部門？誰能給Ken Howell 一個有説服性的説法？而不是回答 "這裏是臺灣-台北的松山運動中心-我們有我們的規則！！！！"

Ken Howell FB post: "Songshan Sports Center does not allow loose swim suits because some people jog in them. Not because I used it to jog. To be consistent, they would need to ban all clothing since it might be used in jogging. But nude bathing would be unsanitary.
Songshan Sports Center also prohibited me from protecting my feet from infection by wearing flip-flops, and could not suggest an alternative. This regulation endangers public health. Everybody should be required to wear foot protection in locker rooms, showers, and around the swimming pool."

1/25
剛發現這家敦化北路-松山運動中心管理單位是匯陽百貨事業股份有限公司https://trade.1111.com.tw/Comp_Info.aspx?vNo=237544 然後其他大安中山等其他運動中心經營管理單位-由青年救國團經營管理https://sc.cyc.org.tw/ 明天打算再去瞭解看看不同管理單位有沒不同原則？ 但全部歸台北市政府體育局主管監督。
1/26
今天去勘察了兩所離家較遠的游泳池-臺北教育大學的游泳池，另一個是大安運動中心游泳池-大安區和松山區同屬臺北市政府體育局監督但不同管理公司的，大安運動中心和台大及北教育大學都可接受Ken Howell 的Adidas泳褲及拖鞋。到底是因爲對臺北市失望至極，今天聽到這回答感覺真是高興。奇怪的不同的管理單位竟然真的原則不同， 那個在敦化北路TTV前門的台北市松山運動中心可否從善如流呢？？？ 還是認爲他們的運動中心是為奧運選手不是為全民蓋的？？
另外是Adidas游泳褲(Swim shots https://www.adidas.co.uk/men-swimwear-clothing ) 他們硬説不是泳褲而是跑步褲。

1/27
Ken Howell今天就衹好搭MRT再去台大泳池，因爲大安的在修整。主要是希望可以去使用離住處比較近-走路可到的松山運動中心，也期許松山的能從善如流。

1/29

今天-1月29日，為表示回應溝通，Howell （侯康德）先生再次前往松山運動中心，工作人員表示他們經過開會然而決定維持原有不合理規則，且另外要再等市政府的回答，所以還是不能進去游泳。另外他寫給臺北市體育局李再立的投書也沒回音，對台灣的這種無感狀態非常無助，嘆！