A woman arrived with her children and chose a lounge chair directly next to the OP. This woman then scolded the OP for having her bikini top untied in front of her children, leading to a brief, hostile exchange where the OP suggested she move. The OP is now questioning whether she was wrong for her choice of attire arrangement in a public, albeit shared, amenity space.

I (22F) live at a pretty nice apartment complex and regularly use the pool to tan and swim. Today I came to lay out and do some homework and to my surprise nobody was here (this was around 10am).
For context this pool is pretty big and if I had to guess there’s around 50 reclining pool chairs surrounding the pool. Well about 15 minutes ago (11:30ish) a lady came with her kids and out of every open spot chose the seats literally right next to me (Annoying but fine).
Well I’m on my stomach laying out in my bikini minding my own business and have my bikini top untied so I don’t get tan lines on my back. (Keep in mind my upper parts are NOT showing I’m completely on my stomach and any side boob would be showing whether the straps are tied or not.
Anyways turn my head and smile at this lady as she’s sitting down with her kids and she gives me a disgusted look and starts scolding me for having my top untied infront of her kids.
I was pretty taken aback and said “well you could go sit somewhere else if you don’t like it” and she called me an asshole. So am I the asshole for having my top untied in front of her kids?
Conclusion
The core conflict involves a clash between the OP’s expectation of privacy and personal comfort in using a shared amenity space and the visiting mother’s expectation that public behavior, especially near children, must adhere to stricter, more conservative standards of dress.
The central question remains whether the OP violated a social norm regarding modesty in a shared community pool area, or if the visiting mother overstepped by imposing her standards on another adult who was not intentionally exposing herself, thus leaving the OP to decide if she should alter her behavior for the comfort of others.
Here’s how people reacted:
I am 1000% kidding, but please, OP, wear sunscreen! Especially if you live in the Northern Hemisphere and it’s warm enough to be at a pool in March. That sun is no joke that far south (or visa versa in the Southern Hemisphere? I’ll be real, I don’t know where March is in the scheme of summer down there 😳). No one looks good with skin cancer. Plus, tanning ages you, the sun steals our youth. Protecting your skin is so important!
But for real, fuck that lady, you did nothing wrong. Your bare backside isn’t going to scar her kids. And you need to report her for taking pictures of you. I would absolutely go to Property Management for that.
NTA
NTA – Some people are disgusted whatever you do, you did nothing wrong
Nothing wrong with getting a tan without lines, but you will have to redo it at some point and most bikini tops are hard to latch in the back
NTA, I’d put it on the lady for sitting right next to you.
That woman is majorly prudish and a busybody.
NTA
Seems like she just felt like picking a fight. If it really bothered her, she could’ve sat literally anywhere else
Pools around here we don’t harass anyone
Try harder.