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Original poster

Territorial dispute in swimming pool

487 replies

tamade · 26/08/2025 06:54

I am lucky enough to have a proper lunch break and at least three times a week I go to a nearby hotel and swim a mile, sometimes 2km.

Today I was alone in the pool and started swimming in lane two (of four) which is one lane away from the side closest to the changing rooms entrance. About 30 min later a man got in and stated to swim in lane 1. Five minutes after that he changed into my lane. I caught up with him at the far end and when he turned he looked at me swimming toward him and seemed surprised (surprised I hadn't moved lanes?). He then kicked off the wall and swam beneath me and under the lane divider into lane three. Not long after I finished up and went to get changed. Before exiting I looked back and sure enough he had moved back into lane two, which I presume is "his". And based on that I believe that he was trying to claim lane 2 when he initially moved in.

He is another regular I have seen him coming as I am going although we don't usually use the pool at the same time.

I think this is knobish behaviour

OP posts:
YetYeti · 26/08/2025 18:02

GleisZwei · 26/08/2025 18:02

Why did OP use the word territory then?

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Personal space.

GleisZwei · 26/08/2025 18:02

YetYeti · 26/08/2025 17:52

It’s not that she thinks it’s hers, it’s that she was already swimming in it, there were multiple free lanes available but that he moved into the lane she was in and then swam underneath her unnecessarily in an otherwise empty pool. It’s not about ownership.

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Why did OP use the word territory then?

GleisZwei · 26/08/2025 18:01

YetYeti · 26/08/2025 17:54

Genuinely, you think it being a public space makes it reasonable for a man to swim directly underneath a woman in an otherwise empty pool, when she’s been swimming in a predictable and consistent direction?

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He didn't just go in and swim under her, but you know what, I'm fed up discussing this with you. Re-read the existing posts and then maybe you'll actually understand.

piscofrisco · 26/08/2025 17:58

he’s a Knobhead. Ignore him.

YetYeti · 26/08/2025 17:54

GleisZwei · 26/08/2025 17:46

It's not.
It's a public space.

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Genuinely, you think it being a public space makes it reasonable for a man to swim directly underneath a woman in an otherwise empty pool, when she’s been swimming in a predictable and consistent direction?

YetYeti · 26/08/2025 17:52

GleisZwei · 26/08/2025 17:48

Eh? You just agreed with someone who suggested the man thought it was his, simply because he returned to swimming there.
Make your mind up.

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It’s not that she thinks it’s hers, it’s that she was already swimming in it, there were multiple free lanes available but that he moved into the lane she was in and then swam underneath her unnecessarily in an otherwise empty pool. It’s not about ownership.

GleisZwei · 26/08/2025 17:48

YetYeti · 26/08/2025 17:45

Oh, we’ve found common ground. Agreed.

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Eh? You just agreed with someone who suggested the man thought it was his, simply because he returned to swimming there.
Make your mind up.

GleisZwei · 26/08/2025 17:46

YetYeti · 26/08/2025 17:44

Not offended. It’s an unnecessary invasion of space and a power play. No reach needed.

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It's not.
It's a public space.

YetYeti · 26/08/2025 17:45

GleisZwei · 26/08/2025 17:40

Someone swimming in a lane is not evidence that they think it's 'theirs'. 🫣

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Oh, we’ve found common ground. Agreed.

YetYeti · 26/08/2025 17:44

outerspacepotato · 26/08/2025 17:40

So what? He swam under her while changing lanes.

To take offense at that is a hell of a reach. That would not be a blip on my radar.

It's like making shit up to be offended about.

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Not offended. It’s an unnecessary invasion of space and a power play. No reach needed.

outerspacepotato · 26/08/2025 17:40

YetYeti · 26/08/2025 17:35

You missed the bit where she had predictably been swimming in that lane before he moved into it and then swam underneath her. The swimming underneath is a power move. He could’ve entered the pool in lane 3 if that had been his intent along.

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So what? He swam under her while changing lanes.

To take offense at that is a hell of a reach. That would not be a blip on my radar.

It's like making shit up to be offended about.

GleisZwei · 26/08/2025 17:40

YetYeti · 26/08/2025 17:34

I completely agree OP. I’m not sure why you’re having to justify this so much.

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Someone swimming in a lane is not evidence that they think it's 'theirs'. 🫣

Catchee · 26/08/2025 17:39

Swimming is, without doubt in my experience, where men of a certain vintage behave terribly and massively overestimate their speed. The amount that get into a fast lane with 6 swimmers all knocking out decent times and then breaststroke down the middle or fanny about is endless. I've had men hit me for passing them, block me from tumbling, swim down the middle and rant and rave at me (and others) for overtaking them. It's ridiculous. I quit swimming for 2 years because our local pool was such a skipfire. I have never, ever seen a woman behave like that. Never. In 10 years swimming.

GleisZwei · 26/08/2025 17:38

YetYeti · 26/08/2025 17:32

It’s made your position very clear.

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Again, rightio.

GleisZwei · 26/08/2025 17:37

YetYeti · 26/08/2025 17:31

Please explain why you’re so stuck on me referring to it as ‘her lane?’ If she was sat in the cinema and he came and sat on her lap would you be arguing that it wasn’t ’her seat?’ Of course not. The point here is he moved into the space in which she was swimming predictably towards after arriving after her and then swam directly under her afterwards. But we can leave it here, I’m fine with us having different opinions on this subject. At this point I’d worry if we found common ground.

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A seat is designed for one person.
A swimming lane is generally designed for more than one person.
HTH

GleisZwei · 26/08/2025 17:37

YetYeti · 26/08/2025 17:33

Ok. Happy to disagree with you on this one.

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Rightio.

YetYeti · 26/08/2025 17:35

outerspacepotato · 26/08/2025 17:33

There was no dispute. You were in lane 2. He was in lane 1, got briefly in lane 2, then switched lanes. He got in lane 2 after you got out.

I don't get the beef here. You're attributing thought processes to him that you have no idea are valid or not. I swim, when there's 2 people using a lane, we split the lane, more and we circle swim. A lot of people don't use the first lane because it's used for disability access and the machinery is bulky and that's kind of their lane. We tap someone's foot when we're passing. Some people switch lanes because there's somebody doing back stroke who's going to crash into people. Some people go for the faster or slower lanes. Some people don't like to share with breaststrokers or splashy butterflyers. Whatever.

You missed the bit where she had predictably been swimming in that lane before he moved into it and then swam underneath her. The swimming underneath is a power move. He could’ve entered the pool in lane 3 if that had been his intent along.

YetYeti · 26/08/2025 17:34

tamade · 26/08/2025 09:20

That isn't what I meant at all. I mentioned his return to lane 2 because it is evidence that he prefers it or considers it "his". And if that is true it suggests that his motive was to get me to move lanes.

I would be willing bet that if I had started my session in lane 3 he would have gone into 2 and stayed there.

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I completely agree OP. I’m not sure why you’re having to justify this so much.

outerspacepotato · 26/08/2025 17:33

There was no dispute. You were in lane 2. He was in lane 1, got briefly in lane 2, then switched lanes. He got in lane 2 after you got out.

I don't get the beef here. You're attributing thought processes to him that you have no idea are valid or not. I swim, when there's 2 people using a lane, we split the lane, more and we circle swim. A lot of people don't use the first lane because it's used for disability access and the machinery is bulky and that's kind of their lane. We tap someone's foot when we're passing. Some people switch lanes because there's somebody doing back stroke who's going to crash into people. Some people go for the faster or slower lanes. Some people don't like to share with breaststrokers or splashy butterflyers. Whatever.

YetYeti · 26/08/2025 17:33

GleisZwei · 26/08/2025 17:25

No, you didn't shock me with your over dramatic language.

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Ok. Happy to disagree with you on this one.

YetYeti · 26/08/2025 17:32

GleisZwei · 26/08/2025 17:27

I'm not the one making leaps.
HTH

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It’s made your position very clear.

YetYeti · 26/08/2025 17:32

GleisZwei · 26/08/2025 17:27

Sure.

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Alright.

YetYeti · 26/08/2025 17:31

GleisZwei · 26/08/2025 17:26

No, we don't.
Please explain how a lane in a public session belongs to any one person.

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Please explain why you’re so stuck on me referring to it as ‘her lane?’ If she was sat in the cinema and he came and sat on her lap would you be arguing that it wasn’t ’her seat?’ Of course not. The point here is he moved into the space in which she was swimming predictably towards after arriving after her and then swam directly under her afterwards. But we can leave it here, I’m fine with us having different opinions on this subject. At this point I’d worry if we found common ground.

GleisZwei · 26/08/2025 17:27

YetYeti · 26/08/2025 17:21

No mask, as the saying goes, it’s not all men but it’s usually men. We can love the men in our life but it doesn’t change the truth about our toxic society no matter how you might try with your twee little ‘off you goes’

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Sure.

GleisZwei · 26/08/2025 17:27

YetYeti · 26/08/2025 17:26

That’s quite the leap. I was specifically talking about the fact that he purposely swam underneath a woman in a pool that had multiple empty lanes. We’ll have to disagree if you’re thinking that sounds like a good move.

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I'm not the one making leaps.
HTH