What We’re Reading: The World’s Scariest Pool

The aquatic rankings are in: This week, we’ve uncovered the best lake in the U.S., as well as the scariest swimming pool in the world. Plus, find out about a cruise line’s new pilot plan to deal with greedy deck chair hogs, which may or may not involve blindfolds and a plank.

Chair Hogs Get Their Due

Our sister site Cruise Critic reports that Carnival Cruise Lines is taking aggressive steps to stop an almost criminal problem on the high seas: deck chair hogging. You know, people leave their stuff on deck chairs to save a seat, and by 10 a.m. every chair on the ship is propping up nothing but a towel and a pair of cheap sunglasses.

On some ships, crew will monitor sun loungers and place a sticker on those containing personal items and no human beings. After 40 minutes, if no person has yet to show face, the items will be removed and the chair liberated from its sorrowful bondage. 

It’s a bit sad that a system needs to be put into place to supervise full-grown adults who can’t control themselves from calling “savesies.”

The Best Lake in the U.S.

Which American body of water out-shines them all? Tahoe takes the lake cake, based on a USA Today reader survey.  We’re not surprised. Lake Tahoe ‘s pure aquamarine water—plus those majestic surrounding snow-capped mountains—is divine.

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But there’s another good reason to visit the scenic lake. According to the same story, crayfish, an invasive species in the lake, is fogging up the limpid water. The delicious, buttery solution? Crayfish for everyone!

Fred Jackson, owner of Tahoe Lobster Co., told the newspaper, “Our motto is ‘clarity by cuisine. The more you eat, the clearer the lake will get.”

The World’s Scariest Pool

We’re familiar with hair-raising pools: This Dallas pool extends eight feet over the air, dangling dangerously above the street below. And this one features a waterslide plunge through a shark tank.

But the pool at the Holiday Inn Shanghai Pudong Kangqiao is arguably the most terrifying. According to Budget Travel, the pool “hovers 320 feet above Shanghai’s traffic,” over a 24-story drop.

Would you swim in this pool? Reveal your courage (or lack thereof) in the comments.