Territorial dispute in swimming pool

Ahh of course. Because he's a man, he was obviously bullying her!

No. He tried lane 2, moved over to lane 3 until the OP left and he returned to lane 2. If he was bullying, he'd have continued in lane 2.

OP said she caught up with him (and he looked astonished), so clearly she was faster.

Women swimming faster than them seems to make a lot of male swimmers turn aggressive, ime.

But then he moved into lane 3 until you got out? Stop making assumptions and move on.

What a drama!

The answers here are bizarre. It is clear that he prefers lane 2 as he changed to it after she left. When he got there he went into lane 2 even though there was already someone there. Clearly he meant to make her move to another lane. When she did not he moved instead. It's rude,.none of this was by accident. He was trying to bully her.

Who was faster, you or him?

I think unwritten lane swimming etiquette is 1-4, slowest-fastest.

It’s a bit like a motorway, he changed down lanes after you went cos he didn’t need to be up that high.

It actually sounds to me like he was trying not to be a dick by crowding you.

I’d report him tbh. What a wanker. The only reason he would have done this was to prove how superior he is to a woman. There is no convincing me that he would have done this to a man.

Once again, 0/10 for ragebait - must try harder JiffynttyGiffy

There's always one (not you @RhaenysRocks)

Nothing was even said, yet this man is being accused of upskirting irl and needs reporting to reception presumably to be banned.

He probably wouldn't even remember it never mind call it a dispute. Mumsnet is wild sometimes

I don’t doubt it.

are you a faster swimmer than him? Sooooo many dickheads like him in public pools.

I bet he pissed in the pool too, like the territory-marking animal he is.

I agree with you @tamade that swimming under you was unnecessary especially as the pool was otherwise empty and he could have easily moved into lane 3 without doing this.

Entering the only occupied lane was also unnecessary when three other lanes were available. Lane preference is not an entitlement. First in, first choice. I swim in any lane but prefer lane 5 of 6. It is no different to the other lanes as lanes 7-12 are the speed per length lanes.

Lane sharing is only necessary when all lanes are full.

Aggressive swimmers, mostly men, is a main reason I barely go in a pool. I'd just rather not have to deal with it. Pathetic I know. Even jogging it's frequently the same, they pass you and actually brush you. I live in Germany so personal distance is unfortunately less than the UK which gets me even madder (like if you sit on a park bench and people walk past, they frequently walk so close they brush your foot), or in a queue they will mostly come right up to you so they just brush or bump you, then they will move back (but there is always that first little bump). Oh dear.

He's marking his territory like an animal would. Any more behaviour like this and you should report to the reception for intimidation.

She was there first and there were three other entirely empty lanes he could have used.

It's like a man choosing to sit right next to you in an otherwise empty train carriage. It's not normal to put yourself in close proximity with a stranger if you don't have to be, and if you choose to we can infer some sort of nefarious intent, especially when it is a man doing it to a woman.

Even if you choose a particular seat on a train, lane in a swimming pool or table in a coffee shop because it is your favourite, in the hope that the other person will move into another space so you can have it yourself, you are relying on the innate knowledge we all have that most people do not like having their space invaded unnecessarily, and deliberately making them uncomfortable so that they vacate that space.

How was she competitively swimming without a club? Sorry, genuinely confused here. Been around it all my life, never known an "independent" non club affiliated swimmer.

You were territorial, not him.

Perfect solution.

Well yes, obviously he saw her then, I mean when he got in & then moved into her lane, if she was at the other end or if he wasn't wearing glasses for instance it can be difficult to see

Non event. Maybe he hadnt noticed you were in the lane, maybe he thought you swam the same pace and you'd both swim in it half a pool apart, maybe he did think you'd move out for him. He moved when he saw you.

Not sure what's so complicated tbh.

What?

The lane closest to the wall is generally the worst for actual fast swimming, the middle lanes of the pool are better.

It's just like a motorway isn't it? Lane 1 is the hard shoulder - the preserve of those who walk up and down the pool, and the women who insist the pool is the place to swim side by side chatting. The the other lanes allow for adjustment for speed. If the lane on the left hand side is empty you move back in until a another swimmer arrives.

Maybe the first person who arrives should swim in lane one. Second person in lane two. This would seem logical. So you were in the wrong lane.