Why Russians don't use their swimming pool

It has nothing to do with the pool itself. It was great. Clean, lane lines, starting blocks, the works. There was just one small problem- getting in the door. Here is the story...
Finished work early, worked on my paper for a few hours decided I could fit in a quick hour of swimming... Walked to the sports complex. Then up to the cashier to pay for my hour. She explains that the next session starts in 20 minutes and I have just enough time to get ready. Hmmm... curious. She doesn't even make me pay, says that first I need to go to the coat room and give the lady my coat. Okay. Walk over to the Coat room and give the lady my coat. Then the coat lady says, "you need to put your boots in a plastic bag and put on your slippers". Great, what slippers? What plastic bag? Can I rent them? Can I buy them somewhere close by? She says I can get some at the shop across the street, Of course I have already checked in my coat with her. But I'm a little frustrated and little amused so I turn on my heel and walk out the front door.
Meanwhile 2 minutes down the road the cashier lady comes running after me, "Girl Girl, where are you going all naked like that?" I respond. She says, "Come back, it's cold. You can't walk around all naked like that". Okay.
So I trudge back behind her into the lobby again. The Cashier says, "it's clean here. You can take off your boots and walk in your socks. Uhuhh okay. SO I take off my boot and the Coat lady says, "no, not here over there on the bench. Here is dirty". Okay... Logically I know that whether I take them off here or there I am going to eventually have to walk through the dirt to give them to her. But I go sit on the bench. The cashier says, "Go sit and wait for the nurse to come check your permission slip."
Now, luckily the bit about "permission slip" was the one thing that my Russian friends had told me about ahead of time and I got one from a doctor that I work with. It says that I don't have any diseases that can be spread in the pool.
While I'm waiting for the nurse to come the lady who is called Administrator comes up to me with an extra pair of slipers. How thoughtful! I thank her, dump my swimming stuff out of its plastic bag and into my purse, and hand off my boots to the Coat lady. Finally the nurse comes, looks at my slip and writes it in her book. She then escorts me into the dressing room. By now I have caused such a stir that everyone knows how clueless I am about this process. The cashier lady has gone ahead and warned everyone down the line that I need special care....
So the nurse hands me off to the locker room attendant and she explains the procedure. "here is a locker. You put your stuff in it. I will watch out for it. Get undressed. Take your suit, cap, and towel into the shower room and wash with soap. Then put your suit and cap on and the nurse will come back around to check you." Okay...
I of course have no soap with me. I did have my make-up wipes. After I got undressed the locker room attendant escorted me to the shower area and asked where my soap was. I showed her my make-up wipe and explain that it has soap already in it. There was a pause... I let her smell it, and she nodded...phew. I took off my make-up, rinsed off, and then the nurse came in. She gave me the okay. Big surprise.
Then the locker room attendant came in to help me with the next step. Yup. Another obstacle on my way to the pool. I had to take off my slippers at the entry to the pool and walk through a little foot pool, leaving my slippers on the other side for when I got out.
At least now I know...