Lane Etiquette
S222SGR
Member
This saturday morning I went to my local pool and I suffered, again, the dreaded breaststrokers in the fast lane. As we all know, one breastroker leads to another as new arrivals come along and think it is okay to join the fast lane and drift up & down the pool like a fart in a space suit!
Being terribly British, I just put up with this nonsense but I would dearly like to say something to these individuals without sounding like a pedantic show off who is only out to prove how fast I am (I am not - I do around 1:45 per 100m). So what do others say to 'persuade' these lane hoggers to consider the medium speed lane?
Many thanks
Simon
Being terribly British, I just put up with this nonsense but I would dearly like to say something to these individuals without sounding like a pedantic show off who is only out to prove how fast I am (I am not - I do around 1:45 per 100m). So what do others say to 'persuade' these lane hoggers to consider the medium speed lane?
Many thanks
Simon
Comments
Now, that situation rarely happens to me, so I'm willing to play nice once every other week. If it were daily and I basically couldn't do threshold or interval sets I would kindly tell the lifeguard on duty to do his job before getting in the pool.
Sisu: a Finnish term meaning strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity.
Although, saying that I have watched many people enter a fast front crawl lane only to start doing breast stroke.
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams
1. Determine, first, if I actually belong in the fast lane. Avoid hypocrisy.
2. Decide if this is a disruption worth making a fuss about, weighing it against how often I work out at this pool, how often I get disrupted, etc.
3. Approach the lifeguard and politely explain that the person is disrupting my workout, and I would appreciate if the lifeguard would suggest he/she to a more appropriate lane. As @Sully says, this is part of a pool lifeguard's job.
4. If the lifeguard is non-responsive, talk to their boss -- usually the pool manager.
5. If all else fails, strike up a friendly conversation with the other swimmer. Explain the situation as you see it. Keep it friendly. You may find they're perfectly happy to move over.
Note: If you are super-confident in your charm and social skills, you might insert this tactic at #3 and avoid the pool staff altogether.
Main thing is to avoid unpleasant confrontations if possible. It may feel good temporarily to rant and yell, and the person may "deserve" it, but it never ends well for anyone.
Sisu: a Finnish term meaning strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity.
I used to be a 'stroker and thought I was reasonably fast. I finally got my free together last Spring and now realize what a pain in the azz I must have been!
The annoying thing is that the "water walking" lane is next to the zero entry ramp. On the rare occasions that is the only lane open I'll have to share a lane with someone either doing water walking or using the aqua dumbbells and making all kinds of waves. The positive I take away from these workouts is I get to practice OW swimming in a lane pool with all the "chop".
By then, they don't want to swim with me. Or at least they duck when I'm coming . :-))
As ever, this is something that winds you up at the time but ceases to be so important even half an hour later. I will try and have a friendly conversation next time...
...now for the swimmers who stand at the end of the lane chatting like old washer women!!
Cheers all
Simon
Now I'm actually saying: "Excuse me, do you realize what you just did? Because for me, it does not make sense. If you had pushed off a second later you wouldn't have stopped me midway through a fast 100m and you wouldn't have gotten the inconvenience of being passed and squeezed to the side of the lane. So, what was the thinking behind this?"
I've actually only asked one person so far because I've been mostly swimming with a club in recent times. The answer: "Errrr, I think this was more a case of not thinking at all, sorry".
I'll keep on investigating.
Sylle - EC Fly 2013 [Video]
As you can imagine, I am a barrel of laughs to share a lane with.
But going straight to pool staff can just wound sensitive egos, upset those who meant well but just didn't know, and can provoke aggression rather than diffusing it. Asking someone to leave a lane is a pretty nuclear option, I think, in a public swim where there may not be many lanes anyway and gradations of speed are hard to maintain. Sometimes a polite conversation can do the job.
Thankfully, about 500m in, the lane next to us cleared out and he moved over. I tried folks. I really did.
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams
Experience indicates lifeguards are next to useless in this regards.
My last resort is back crawl. You can be excused for ploughing straight into someone. You are swimming backwards after all and can't see them. Full body length nail scrapes are legit. You can flick water at offenders with a well timed and directed kick.
Plus it's a lot easier than fly :-)
She: "I was here first, you need to wait for another lane to open up."
Me: "What?"
She: "You need to leave. This is my lane."
Me: "I don't understand. Can't we share?"
She: "No, there's no room. And you'll make waves."
Me: "There's plenty of room. We can just split the lane, you stay on that side and I'll stay over here."
She: [very angrily] "No. You have to get out. Now."
Me: "I'm sorry ma'am, I don't really know what to say. I'm going to swim. In this lane. Right now. You can either share or take up your complaint with the lifeguard but I'm done with this whole ridiculous conversation." And then I swam off. She got out and I could see her yelling at the lifeguard and pointing at me. The lifeguard was looking at her like the crazy person she was. She huffed out of the pool area.
I see her in the gym from time to time and she still gives me the stink eye 15 years later.
"Lights go out and I can't be saved
Tides that I tried to swim against
Have brought be down upon my knees
Oh I beg, I beg and plead..."
The lifeguard went and talked to him, kicked him out, then spoke to the aerobics instructor.
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams
@sarmar, thanks for that. I kind of "collect" collectives. I'm a nut for them ("an insignificance of corporals" being one of my favorites). I'll add "a bother of breaststrokers" to my list!
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams
I don't know why I didn't think of this earlier, but my daughter is a great swimmer, and she clears her lane by passing people under water just for fun. Try that once- It disturbs people and they will definitely move if you do it enough. I am not good at it or I would do this. I've watched her do it and it is very amusing. This stress in the lanes makes us all appreciate the open water more.
Sisu: a Finnish term meaning strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity.
In one instance, one of the patrons looked at me and said, "Do you really need this lane, there's only, like, six of you?" Uh, yes. We need both lanes sir, please move over. Then the cursing started. "G-d dammit, they shouldn't give you two lanes at this prime time of night," said the guy who gets in for free because he's a resident of DC. He got completely out of the pool and decided to go talk to the lifeguards. I said, "Sir, all these swimmers you see pay to use this lane for an hour." "Well I pay too," was his response, which turned out to be not true.
It was with great pleasure that several weeks later, due to crowding (24 swimmers in two LCM lanes), that we paid for a third lane. So not only did I get to kick him out of our lane, but it was the third lane, so he thought he was safe. (tehe) Boy did the F-bombs fly (yes, a family pool, and I asked him to watch his language as there were kids around, and he didn't like that).
So now he just shows up at 8pm and makes sure to get in our lane at exactly 8, which is fine.
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams
http://marathonswimmers.org/blogs/ironmike/2013/07/03/crap-week/
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams
-LBJ
“Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess.” - Oscar Wilde
Please do not, pretty much push your 10 year old daughter into the lane as Im coming in for a turn. I kid you not, she just missed me.
Then, follow her into the lane and proceed to literally yell at her to swim faster up and down the lane for the next 30 minutes.
Im not sure who was more terrified, her or me? I know I PB'ed my 1000 yds free thou. So thank you overbearing Mom ... not!
you mean there's pools out there with more than one lap lane???
I tried to convince myself, but, orange flavour electrolyte, mixed with hot chocolate,
tastes nothing like Terry's Chocolate Orange ....
-LBJ
“Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess.” - Oscar Wilde
We have large lap swim courtesy rules signs posted.
Lanes are clearly designated by speed, along with smaller rules tags on each sign that are most applicable to the specific lane, like "wait at the wall for faster swimmers to pass" and "do not push off ahead of faster swimmers" on the fast/very fast lane signs.
We enforce circle swimming at all times in the lap lanes.
Our staff are trained on the finer points of lap swimming rules and safety enforcement, so they can identify potential problems and take action before anything bad happens.
We try to keep our comments to swimmers positive, like "you will enjoy your swim more in the medium lane" and "please circle swim, for everyone's safety" or "please leave the center stripe open for people who are turning, you could get kicked in the [body part] if you stand there". Some of our teenaged staff are reluctant to referee a fight between two adults. We ask guards to call for backup from a supervisor if the conflict is more than they can safely manage while scanning the pool. I've had to threaten a few uncooperative folks with being excluded from the facility if they won't listen to the guards.
We encourage our staff to get to know the regulars by name and greet them politely every day. Building relationships with the community aids us in minimizing conflicts.
We encourage swimmers to have a friendly conversation to work out issues with others before they get angry, which can lead to something worse.
Even so, swimmers will still have conflicts with other swimmers. Most of the time, it's because someone doesn't understand the rules or is "off in their own little world", although there are always a few jerks anywhere you go.
Ask your pool management to define and enforce rules, if they don't already. Who can argue with safety and courtesy?
It's always a bad hair day when you work at a pool.
Where are you??
This year I'm offering a special surprise for anyone who swims to the pool from Alki Beach.
It's always a bad hair day when you work at a pool.
Unrelated: here's a fun sign I saw in Vancouver, BC last week.
I don't wear a wetsuit; it gives the ocean a sporting chance.
It's bad enough when an unknowing recreational/open swim individual walks/swims or otherwise crosses a lane right in front of you as you are coming into or out of a turn. It's worse when a lifeguard does it.
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams
From my experience as a lifeguard, the quickest way to deal with this is usually on your own - by making it obvious that this lane is not for newbies. Make a bit of a scene with extra splashing in your kick. If you can do butterfly, even better. I wouldn't recommend actually touching the other swimmers in the process. Let them know that it's not convenient to stick around though.
If that doesn't work, just go to the lifeguard. I ask people to switch all the time. Though I'd rather not, unless you make it clear that there are other, faster swimmers in the lane. If you ask them to switch lanes before they see this, that's when you get the less than cooperative responses.
Haha, this is from VAC as well.
CDSC trains there (olympians came from CDSC)
It's always a bad hair day when you work at a pool.
I'm open to creative suggestions. I've considered having a couple pre-workout breakfast burritos and letting the chips fall where they may.
Did that last week. I moved, he moved.
"Lights go out and I can't be saved
Tides that I tried to swim against
Have brought be down upon my knees
Oh I beg, I beg and plead..."