To think that adult only swimming, should be for swimming and if your main intention is to socialise you should perhaps meet for coffee instead?

[D0oinMeCleanin]

I don't normally go to the morning session, I have children who need walking to school, so go to the evening session or just in the middle of the day (free swim, rather than adult only swimming, but most people with littlies stay in the small pool, leaving the main pool fairly quiet). I went to the morning session today and was irked to find groups of elderly folk, standing around in circles in the middle of the pool chatting, meaning I and others were forced to swim around then and into each others lanes. They were taking up just over two lanes, with their little social group.

What they seemed to be doing was swimming half way up the pool and then stopping to chat, in semi circle across the first two lanes, they'd chat for about 10 minutes before completing their lap, upon which they would spread out across the back of the pool, again across tow or three lanes, meaning that I felt I either had swim around them, again heading into other lanes or had to end my lap before the end of the pool and turn back without reaching the wall, otherwise I'd have ended up smack bang in the middle of their little social gathering. They'd then swim back to the middle of the pool about 10 minutes later and start all over again.

Now, I appreciate that some people are not fit enough to complete a whole lap in one go and may need to rest, but it is polite to move against the side of the pool to do this, instead of taking up a quarter of the pool, no? I have no problem with people who want to improve their fitness and need to do this, in fact I applaud their efforts. It was not that long ago that I could barely do one whole lap, without resting.

These people when they were swimming were swimming 6 a breast, very slowly, while nattering away, taking up 5 out of 8 lanes between them. Again it was difficult to swim past them because of how close they were to each other. I have no issue with needing to overtake people who are slower than me normally, I am not the fastest swimmer in the world myself. But this, imo, was taking the piss.

When a second group of elderly folk got in and started doing the same, I got out early as I felt I was no longer able to enjoy my swim, I was spending 60% of my time avoiding interrupting their social gathering.

I appreciate that elderly folk have a right to a social life and should be encouraged to be more active, but AIBU to think that this particular group pf people would have been better suited to meeting somewhere for breakfast, or going to actually swim and then go for breakfast to socialise afterwards?

[UtterflyButterfly]

Oh yes, this is a pet hate of mine. I call them 'the biddies' and they drive me berserk. My heart sinks if I see them in the pool , but I think I've worked out the optimum time to go to miss them.

They wander about the changing room gossiping too, getting in the way and spending hours monopolising the hairdriers.

[Helltotheno]

I'd be pissed about this. There needs to actually be room for people to do uninterrupted lengths, especially if lanes are cordoned off. I'd have said something to the lifeguard on duty or someone in charge.

In my pool, there are maybe two lanes cordoned off for people doing lengths and the rest of the pool is mixed use but is used a lot for lengths too. You get your people chatting but at least they usually have the decency to do it at the wall!

[Sirzy]

As annoying as it is YABU. They have as much right to use the pool as they wish as you do to use it your way.

[cheerfulweather]

If it's free swim, it's supposed to be slightly more informal I think. I remember experiencing impatience from the lane swimmers whilst teaching, my non-lane swimmer at that stage, DC how to swim (no dedicated child pool available). Though we had every right to be there.

Irritating for you perhaps. But the adult swim session is best for uninterrupted lane swimming.

[IvanaCake]

Yanbu at all. I've recently given up on swimming because its impossible to actually swim!

[EvieanneVolvic]

Is this thread kind of a retaliation on the part of young (ish) yummy mummies who get crticised for monopolising Costbucks with their buggies?

[D0oinMeCleanin]

There were two lanes cordoned off but these seemed to be for very serious swimmers and I don't feel like a very serious swimmer yet, but the lanes are marked on the bottom of the pool and most people were trying to stick to just one lane, of course there was more than one person in each lane, sometimes with different abilities, so there was the need to over take or be over taken but as there was only one person to overtake at a time, this was quite simple to do.

[EvieanneVolvic]

They wander about the changing room gossiping too, getting in the way and spending hours monopolising the hairdriers.


My goodness: asbo time! Seriously Butterfly just how impatient/intolerant can you get?

[Helltotheno]

But if lanes are cordoned off, lanes are for swimming! Otherwise they shouldn't have them. That's why I mentioned my pool having two lanes and the rest free swimming. A whole pool taken up with groups of people (old or young, immaterial) chatting in the middle of it?? Ridic imo. What's the point, why doesn't the pool just throw that session open only to that group of people and be done?

[cheerfulweather]

If there were lanes cordoned off for lane swimming then I'm afraid yabu. Don't begrudge the pensioners their swimming/socialising time.

[MrsRajeshKoothrappali]

There's people at my pool who come to the lane swimming sessions, do about 6 lengths and then stand around chatting for the rest of the hour.

Why?

Why pay to get into the pool, get into your kit and get wet just so you can chat? Is madness!

I've also started noticing the women who swim breast stroke with their head up so their hair and make-up stays immaculate. They stop when others swim past them so the don't get splashed..!

[D0oinMeCleanin]

This is the adult only swimming session, cheerfulweather. The free swim starts straight after it at 9am.

[EvieanneVolvic]

Apologies Butterfly...it just occurs to me that you were possibly being ironic/satirical....doh!

[level3at6months]

YANBU, it irritates me too, but then my DP always says I should ask for another lane to be put on, and he's probably right. Don't be worried about going in a lane. It isn't always super swimmers who use them.

[cheerfulweather]

Again, if there are dedicated lanes cordoned off, you had the option to use those. I'm not a super swimmer and I use them.

[chrome100]

YANBU. It's a pet hate of mine. I go to the morning lane session at my local pool. It's full of old people - they are absolutely lovely and I adore them all, we have great chats in the changing room and most of them are there to do laps. but some of them stand around at the end of the lane chatting and it drives me mental. I don't mind them chatting, but they should do it out of the water or somewhere it doesn't obstruct swimmers.

[NoComet]

YABU
You just have to choose your times or your pool.

Lunch time lengths, with all lanes is for swimming. Other times there is a lane to be serious and a wide bit to meander and chat.

Ladies only is very chatty. I stopped going because on lady just would not shut up and let me swim.

I refuse to find the groups annoying, because I know how important getting some exercise is for older ladies.

The difference in health between my DMIL, who walked and rode and DM who would never waste the time or money doing anything for herself was tremendous.

[badguider]

I think you need to man up and get in with the 'serious' swimmers :)
If you feel there isn't enough lanes or they're going to fast, ask the pool for a third cordoned off lane for slower lane swimming.

I agree it's annoying but if you want to lane swim you really do have to use the cordoned lanes, that seems to be the convention pretty much universally.

[D0oinMeCleanin]

Lots of people were trying to lane swim in the main pool, the cordoned off lanes were people in proper speedo cossies, with swim hats and goggles swimming at eleventy million miles an hour, so I assumed the main pool was for the less speedy swimmers.

I can swim faster than I was doing, so maybe wouldn't get in their way too much, but I was hoping to build up my stamina before working on my speed.

I'm working day and night for the next two weeks, so the morning session is the only one I can make. The evening session seems to be folk around my age who want to swim.

[RatherBeOnThePiste]

We called them the Grippers! Used to paddle for a bit, then grip onto the side and chat.

Feeling your pain!

[Latara]

It is annoying so YANBU but YABU not to use the lanes - if you want to swim uninterrupted (as I would) then you are a serious swimmer.

[cocolepew]

I've just started back at swimming and have had pool rage every time I've gone! My gripe is men who plow up and down lanes regardless of anyone else trying to swim.
I'm easily annoyed

[D0oinMeCleanin]

Oh yes, coco, we had one of those today. He had the proper speedos and swim cap combo on and was ploughing up and down my lane without looking. I decided I would swim my damn hardest and over take him at one point, just for the hell of it (I used to swim for our town) His face when an overweight lady in a turquoise, diamante'd cossie and non streamlined ponytail over took him was a picture and I was bloody knackered but it was worth it

[EBearhug]

I would ask for a 3rd lane to be cordoned off.

At my current poole, there are lanes for fast, medium and slow swimmers. This gets over the worst of the slow chatters, as they're left in the (double) slow lane.

I do wish some people doing lane swimming would learn some lane discipline, though. If you're slower than the people behind, it's polite to stop at the end and let them go in front, not just plough on regardless at your not very fast speed. And it's nearly always men who do this (though not always.) It's something I'm quite aware of, as my current fitness levels usually means I'm one of the fastest in the medium lane, but a bit too slow for the fast lane unless I'm pretty much sprinting, which I can't keep up for more than a couple of lengths.

[D0oinMeCleanin]

Would they just do that? Cordon off another lane? I would feel very cheeky asking that