My daughter and I recently started going to our apartment pool with a few other moms and their kids. The funny thing is, our pool was always completely empty before. For months, nobody used it.
Now that the weather has been nice and a few moms have started bringing their kids, there’s suddenly an older man who is there every single day, all day. He sits alone in the same corner wearing sunglasses and a big sun hat, so you can barely even see his face. I’ll check the pool, see him there, come back two or three hours later, and he’s still sitting in the exact same spot. It happens every day.
My partner keeps telling me, “Just go. Who cares if he’s there?” But I don’t think he understands the pattern. It’s not that someone happens to be using the pool at the same time. It’s that the pool sat empty for months, and now that moms and little kids have started using it, this man is suddenly there from morning until evening every single day.
Maybe it’s completely innocent, but as a mom, I’m just not comfortable taking my baby to the pool alone while a man sits in the corner watching the pool for hours. It really sucks because I want to enjoy the pool with my daughter, but instead I find myself avoiding it.
The views expressed in community are solely the opinions of participants, and do not reflect those of Peanut.
Learn more about our guidelines.
I’m ballsy lol. I would make conversation with him and make him uncomfortable. “Hi, how are you? What brings you here today? Are you married? Do you have kids?”. Etc. Almost like you’re trying to be friendly but also nosey.

I would try to chat with him, my assumption would be that he's using the pool more now either because 1) as you said the weather is nice and/or 2) he didn't want to be the only one at the pool. I do think it's very weird if he's only started showing up now and won't speak to you at all when you try to talk to him if that's what's happening? In that instance I would probably avoid him too, but I'm hoping maybe he just doesn't want to be the only one at the pool but also isn't wanting to be social or possibly doesn't speak the same language?

What do your neighbours say? Surely someone knows him
Really I just wanna know if it would matter to talk to the office about it.

As someone who experienced something similar to this as a CHILD and now being a parent myself if you are that bothered by him being there I would at least bring it to the offices attention. Sometimes they will have conversations with people who might just be shy or socially awkward. But personally I wouldn't go again without your husband with you.