(Photo: Sasha Von Oldeshausen)

“No urinating or defecating in the pools,” states the NYC Parks Department’s official “Pool Rules.”

Not so at McCarren Park Pool, where swimmers were once made to evacuate the pool when a “brown cloud” dispersed within its waters. And that wasn’t the only cloud hanging over the pool last summer.

Instances of lewd behavior sprang up multiple times alongside more sobering reports of assault and theft, which included a cop getting socked in the face, and lifeguards who were attacked by a bunch of rowdy, backflipping kids.

But that wasn’t enough to deter swimmers when the pool reopened today. By 10:30 a.m., a sizable line had already formed outside its gates.
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