Swimming the Potomac

[theBruiser500]

I was just in Washington D.C. with some friends and we were walking from the Lincoln Memorial to the Jefferson Memorial. Somehow my friend challenged me to swim across the Potomac (or more precisely the Tidal Basin). At the time it looked far, but not too far and I am in shape and I could always float if I got tired. Question 1, was this foolhardy? He said he would give me $200 to do it. Oh and also, to get in the water I had to lower myself off of a wall, and if that same wall was on the other side I could have a hard time getting back up.

Question 2... At the time I briefly considered if the water was too dirty to swim in. I just asked my friend if it was cleaner than the Charles River and he said no, and he said people fished there and that was good enough for me. When I got to the other end I received comments along the lines of, "dude, you better shower soon," and "you do know you just swam in the potomac, right?" So, this is my main question, how polluted is that water I swam in? And what are the possible ramifications?

[NotMitch]

I didnt see anything that speaks directly to what you are looking for but http://www.potomacriver.org should be a good start.

[ThaSaltCracka]

as long as you shower you should be fine. Tell me you didn't drink any of it?

[Ulysses]

Yummy. (http://www.potomacriverkeeper.org/briefing/pollutionsources.html)

Hundreds of industrial facilities and municipal wastewater treatments plants discharge waste into the Potomac.

[theBruiser500]

I made a concious effort not to drink any of it, but I must have had some accidentally.

Thanks Diablo for that reassuring information.

[The once and future king]

I used to surf a local break into which a stage 2 sewage was discharged.

Stage 2 means you could see lumps of turd floating around and used sanitory towels.. Yummy.

Never got ill once, and whilst one made a massive conscious effort not to drink any water, this is hard after you have just wiped out and are being put through the rinse cycle by a 6 foot wave.

However the mitigating circumstance is that I am as hard an nails.

[theBruiser500]

I am also v. tough Once and Future King.

[ThaSaltCracka]

hey man, I have swam in Lake Washington plenty of times, even down by the Boeing plant, where there is a public beach, and never gotten sick. Any of the Seattlelites on here can tell you how gross that lake is.

[NotMitch]

[ QUOTE ]
I am also v. tough Once and Future King.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is my favorite thread ever.

[Wahoo91]

I live about 7 miles from the Potomac river and where you crossed fish mostly swim upside down (if you know what I mean).

They pretty frequently have the National Park Service net all of the dead fish washing up on the shores around there. I have heard that the pollution takes about a month or two to send them to their maker.

I hope you last longer then they do. Of course they can not shower like you can. Maybe you will be ok.

[cardcounter0]

Hopefully, the fish will not have to suffer for months before dying. Bush is doing all he can to eliminate those 'pesky' environmental controls. Get some really profitable heavy industrial pollution going and kill those fish instantly!

[nothumb]

I think a lot of people are missing out on the fact that Bruiser made $200 for what could not possibly have been more than a half hour's work. All you Commerce high limit players may not care, but that's not bad!

I seriously doubt you will die or get really ill. If you do get ill, it will most likely be of the short-term toxic variety and not the long-term, malignant tumor variety. So good job! Keep us posted.

NT

[kerssens]

[ QUOTE ]
I have swam in Lake Washington plenty of times

[/ QUOTE ]

The very same lake where parts are closed from time to time due to excessively high duck/goose [censored] content

[NotMitch]

[ QUOTE ]
I think a lot of people are missing out on the fact that Bruiser made $200 for what could not possibly have been more than a half hour's work. All you Commerce high limit players may not care, but that's not bad!

I seriously doubt you will die or get really ill. If you do get ill, it will most likely be of the short-term toxic variety and not the long-term, malignant tumor variety. So good job! Keep us posted.

NT

[/ QUOTE ]

A half hours work winning a bet: $200
Not swimming in [censored]: priceless.

[Ulysses]

I think it will be hilarious if bruiser swallowed some sort of parasitic tapeworm or something.

[turnipmonster]

LOL! that was coffee on the monitor.

--turnipmonster

[theBruiser500]

That is extremely gross and is not funny. I will laugh at a lot of things, but that simply is not funny.

So far I feel fine everyone! The water was nice and warm and it was a nice swim after it being so hot all day. As I swam on my back (to conserve energy) I could look at the stars which was nice also. Really though, it wasn't the $200 that I enjoyed so much but the satisfaction of winning that $200 from my friend.

[Malarky]

hehe you swam in poo

[vulturesrow]

[ QUOTE ]
I am also v. tough Once and Future King.

[/ QUOTE ]

Should anyone doubt this, please click here (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=plnlpoker&Number=861607&Fo rum=,,,,,,,,,All_Forums,,,,,,,,,&Words=&Searchpage =8&Limit=25&Main=859627&Search=true&where=&Name=57 90&daterange=&newerval=&newertype=&olderval=&older type=&bodyprev=#Post861607) and scroll to the beginning of the thread.

[Ulysses]

[ QUOTE ]
That is extremely gross and is not funny. I will laugh at a lot of things, but that simply is not funny.

So far I feel fine everyone!

[/ QUOTE ]

Gross, yes. Also funny. Anyway, even if you did swallow a parasitic tapeworm, you will feel fine and it'll quite possibly be weeks before it becomes apparent.

Been hungry lately?

[slamdunkpro]

With all the rain we just had here in the DC area the Tidal Basin should be fairly clean, so you should not have any worries there. Your biggest worry IS in fact parasites or worms.

One point - (I know I sound like a mother hen) If your buddy challenges you to swim across the Potomac (DC to Virginia or Vise Versa) DON'T DO IT. The currents can run up to 5 knots and your a** will be half way to Alexandria before you know it.