What is it about men ? ( in swimming pools)

This is great, I'm always at war with other swimmers in the lanes, usually men.

There is a pool near me I never go to as its booked solid, most popular pool I've even come across. They have one session only that is never full, men only! Isn't that funny.

You're acting like I'm not also that poorly sighted.
I have a way to swim which works for me.

I am old and fat and swim like a fish thanks to once being a very good swimmer. I am often in a lane with the men and some get so competitive and stupid. Trying to race me for a single length while I am going a longer distance although they can’t keep it up at all so I have to then overtake. Not infrequently catching me with their limbs in a manner that I think is often deliberate. Going slower than me then waiting at the end to push off seconds before I turn. All manner of twattery. I have been known to exercise with a lot more vigour just so I can keep pissing some off. Occasionally my breaststroke kick has just happened to catch someone who seems unable to stop banging me. Sometimes I have my adult son with me. He is a big tattooed bloke and with him it’s all ‘nah mate you go…’ despite him being pretty average in the speed dept. I really get the rage.

It wasn’t male entitlement and you are being sexist with that comment. You wouldn’t have brought sex into it if another woman wanted to swim in the same lane as you at double your speed.

He was no more entitled than you were. Why do you think your preference is more important than his because you’re a woman? It isn’t.

This sounds like a problem that is entirely of your own making. You appointed yourself boss of the swimming pool when really you should let other people who are doing nothing wrong get on with their lives without your interference.

His refusal to move was not a macho view.
He was ignoring the self-appointed lane director.

Quite
OP feels entitled to dictate who can swim where because she is a woman

Felt kind of bad til I remembered I am legally blind without my glasses and I don’t have this problem. This sound to me like a technique issue so might be helpful if someone with experience casts an eye over your form. Or it’s breast stroke which tbf can be difficult in a lane of you are passing someone.

You "told him it was a macho view".
👍
Right on!

I don’t see how gender is relevant here?

"I said my preference was to swim in peace with other women and why was it that my preference was seen as not as important as his . He insisted that he would stay . I told him it was a macho view and we women should have our views and wishes given the same weight."

You abitrarily decided to express your preference that the lane be women only and told him off for being a man.
That's what he would have got from that. No wonder he ignored you.

I am sorry but I fail to see the male entitlement element. He picked a lane🤷‍♀️

If it had been a super fast woman swimmer, would you have had the same level of annoyance? Would you have insisted that she join the men or would you have accepted her into your lane?

I agree with you. I lane swim several times a week at different pools and have had several run ins with men over the years - only ever in the faster lanes and never with a woman. Had a particularly bad run in a few months ago which I nearly called the police about. Whereas previously I would have stood up for myself, I just try to avoid lanes with men now or get out of the pool if I feel.uncomfortable.

I regularly catch my hand on the rope... I can't see without my glasses so use the rope next to me to keep going straight

Didn't realise my eye issues made me incompetent

It bloody well is.
Three - or sometimes more- elderly women spend all afternoon, in a spaced out circle (the size of which not seen since Covid times)Tiptoeing up and down the pool chatting.
It takes up 40% of the space in the entire pool and everyone moves out to swim properly once they have all gone. 🫠

Bring it up with management- that they should assign speed lanes

I don't think it is a gender a man problem but inconsiderate swimmer problem. I have seen women like this too.

Ah, see, now you've lost me. He explained why he didn't want to swim in the other lane, which is a perfectly logical explanation as another poster has mentioned. If there are no restrictions, then your requirements are no more or less valid than his just because there was another woman in your lane. Would you have said the same if it had been a man who was swimming at the same pace as you and you had been the only female in it? Maybe he thought you were going too slow and that you should move into the mixed lane.

If you are smacking your hand into the side of the pool or the rope, you need swimming lessons. Cannot see why a competent lane swimmer would do this. Same goes for splashy men (or women) - they have bad form. If someone has swum into you, they have bad form because they must be staring at the bottom of the pool.

a man getting into a lane and swimming faster than the people in it is a knob, especially if they are not even a competent enough swimmer not to swim into someone.

If the lanes are divided by speed, then people can go where they want.

The issue is that he nearly collided with you. With only 2 other people in the lane it should be easy to swim round them. As a slower swimmer, you should also move aside and let him pass at the end of lengths.

This is fairly common behaviour OP, by men and women, literally every time I swim there’s someone in the wrong lane or doing something that impacts other swimmers. Best bet is keep swimming at your own pace, change nothing, pretend he doesn’t exist, let him get frustrated and hope he changes lanes.
Basic common sense and courtesy somehow seems to vanish for some people once they’re in a pool.

The pools where I swim have designated lanes - fast, medium, slow. I'm an experienced lane swimmer and use the medium lane as that is best for my speed.

Most sessions, a male swimmer who is speed-matched with the fast lane swimmers will get in the medium lane. Even if there is only one other swimmer in the fast lane, and the medium lane is busier. I don't get why anyone would not choose the lane where they are best speed-matched but presumably it boosts their ego to be the fastest in the lane.

It has to be said that sometimes women do the same and it's equally annoying. But more often it's men.

Mine is David Lloyd too. Many of not all David Lloyds ban snorkels, I suspect your staff there aren't paying attention!

Why was it male entitlement any more than female entitlement?

Me too. Don’t think I’ve ever visited a pool where they haven’t been clearly marked. A very simple solution to anyone, man or woman, swimming at a speed that bothers anyone.