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Original poster

Terse exchange with woman - lane swimming

163 replies

SirChenjins · 04/02/2026 09:31

I've just joined a gym and have been using the pool in the evenings when it's quiet. It's not the biggest pool (20m x 8m) and is sectioned off lengthways, with half of the pool for classes and general use, the slower lane in one quarter and the faster lane in the other quarter. The lanes have boards at the end on the poolside showing the direction you have to swim in, and this is also covered in your induction.

When I got to the pool last night an aqua aerobics class was in the half sectioned off, so I swam in the slower lane. 2 people were in the faster lane, I was the only one in the slower lane. Around 25 minutes in, the aqua class finished and everyone left, although a few stayed in the pool. One woman got into the slower lane where I was, waited till I finished a length and asked if it was OK if we swam side by side. I wasn't sure what she meant, so said no, we're meant to swim in single file clockwise like the board shows. She wasn't happy and asked why, so I repeated what I'd said, and started swimming again. I was aware that she was close behind me, and when we'd finished a further 2 lengths she asked why we couldn't swim side by side. Again, I repeated what I'd said, and she wasn't happy - she said she was swimming faster than me, and it made sense. I said she was in the slower lane (it wasn't marked on the board last night for some reason, but I've seen here there before and it's always marked - plus we're told at induction which lane is which) and if she wanted to go faster she could use the faster lane where there was only one person swimming. Lots of huffing from her, before she reluctanctly moved into the faster lane where I could hear her complaining.

I spoke to the manager afterwards and asked if they could make sure the signs were on the board. They were really annoyed with her and said that the lanes are not wide enough for 2 people, that it's dangerous to swim side by side as people can be kicked, and that she absolutely should have been using the faster lane and not arguing with people in the pool. They want me to fill in an incident report. WWYD?

OP posts:
ArtificialStupidity · 04/02/2026 11:20

SirChenjins · 04/02/2026 11:19

There aren't 2 lanes

Show quote history

If it's wide enough to swim circuits then it's wide enough for two people to swim side by side

ArtificialStupidity · 04/02/2026 11:19

SirChenjins · 04/02/2026 11:18

Just catching up on this. No, she was much faster than me - and faster than the woman who was in the faster lane. There really isn't room for 2 people to be side to side in the single lane, esp when one person is going much faster - I would have been going at the slower speed, she would either have been swimming against me, so we would have bumped as she was coming towards me, or she would have had difficulty overtaking me.

She had the use of the faster lane where she could go at the speed she wanted (only 1 person in there), and she also had the use of the half of the pool which was empty apart from 3 or 4 people sitting at the side chatting, or going very slowly. She could have swum side by side with them in a much bigger area with no risk of anyone being hit. Quite why she chose the narrow slow lane I'm not sure - she'd been in the aqua class, she'd have seen me swimming in the slower lane as I was the only person in there. I've never been asked to swim side by side by a fast swimmer, it makes no sense - that's what the faster lane is for. The clue is in the name.

It's the same depth across the pool - 1.2m.

Edited

In your op you said two people were in the first lane already?

Original poster
SirChenjins · 04/02/2026 11:19

C152 · 04/02/2026 11:16

Assuming there are at least two lanes in the 'slow' lane (one lane for you to swim down and the other lane for you to swim up), you were being really unreasonable. There were only two of you, so why not share the space effectively?

There aren't 2 lanes

OP posts:
Original poster
SirChenjins · 04/02/2026 11:18

Just catching up on this. No, she was much faster than me - and faster than the woman who was in the faster lane. There really isn't room for 2 people to be side to side in the single lane, esp when one person is going much faster - I would have been going at the slower speed, she would either have been swimming against me, so we would have bumped as she was coming towards me, or she would have had difficulty overtaking me.

She had the use of the faster lane where she could go at the speed she wanted (only 1 person in there), and she also had the use of the half of the pool which was empty apart from 3 or 4 people sitting at the side chatting, or going very slowly. She could have swum side by side with them in a much bigger area with no risk of anyone being hit. Quite why she chose the narrow slow lane I'm not sure - she'd been in the aqua class, she'd have seen me swimming in the slower lane as I was the only person in there. I've never been asked to swim side by side by a fast swimmer, it makes no sense - that's what the faster lane is for. The clue is in the name.

It's the same depth across the pool - 1.2m.

OP posts:
C152 · 04/02/2026 11:16

Assuming there are at least two lanes in the 'slow' lane (one lane for you to swim down and the other lane for you to swim up), you were being really unreasonable. There were only two of you, so why not share the space effectively?

Squirrelsandhedgehogs · 04/02/2026 11:16

Very common when there's just two in a lane to swim side by side so the faster swimmer isn't constantly having to overtake the slower one. Most people don't ask they just do that and I think most swimmers prefer it. I would hate to be tapped on the foot and never have been. I do normally avoid the pools when the aqua aerobics or kids swimming lessons are on unless I want to do it aqua aerobics. I have never been kicked by swimming side to side, biggest issue is splashers but that's worse not side to side.

ReignOfError · 04/02/2026 11:02

AmazingGraced · 04/02/2026 10:58

How on earth can you walk up and down? It's too deep!

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Clearly It isn’t as I’m not drowned!

It’s the same depth everywhere, which is up to an inch or two below my (short person) shoulders.

It works very well for things like aquarobics as the classes can use the whole length of the pool. And, given how busy it usually is, it’s deep enough for swimmers.

ArtificialStupidity · 04/02/2026 10:59

AmazingGraced · 04/02/2026 10:58

How on earth can you walk up and down? It's too deep!

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A lot of gym pools are walking depths the whole way
Or I have seen people walk in big pools and just turn around before it gets too deep

AmazingGraced · 04/02/2026 10:58

ReignOfError · 04/02/2026 10:57

I agree with almost everyone else. I don’t swim, but as part of an aqua therapy programme that was part of injury rehab, I had to walk up and down in the pool (used by the hospital rehab team and other members). I can just imagine the poor slow lane swimmers having to go in circuits behind me.

Do you always obey rules blindly, when common sense or other people’s experience of the practicalities can provide a better way of doing things?

Edited

How on earth can you walk up and down? It's too deep!

TeenToTwenties · 04/02/2026 10:57

I don't like side by side swimming. I'm perfectly capable of stopping ar an end so someone can overtake or doing a mid length turn to get ahead if the other person doesn't stop tor me.

DH and and I normally share a lane and he does 10 to my 8.

ReignOfError · 04/02/2026 10:57

I agree with almost everyone else. I don’t swim, but as part of an aqua therapy programme that was part of injury rehab, I had to walk up and down in the pool (used by the hospital rehab team and other members). I can just imagine the poor slow lane swimmers having to go in circuits behind me.

Do you always obey rules blindly, when common sense or other people’s experience of the practicalities can provide a better way of doing things?

centaury · 04/02/2026 10:56

If you were fairly similar in speed then yanbu, I agree it's usually more comfortable to swim in circular directions as you only have to pass each other intermittently.

It might be the case that she was much faster than you but much slower than the fast person, in which case I get why she picked your lane and asked you. She might have realised that she would continually catch you up and wanted to make it simpler by just going up and down, which is less annoying than trying to overtake all the time.

IMO given how popular lane swimming is, if the pool does not have set times where the whole pool is available for it, it's the pool management that's unreasonable.

TranscendentTiger · 04/02/2026 10:53

This is really interesting! I lane swim multiple times a week at several different pools and I have never been asked by another swimmer to do side-by-side. If one person is faster, you let them by at the end of a length. A polite tap on the toes as you near the turn around lets the person in front know you're there if they haven't noticed. If it's quiet, you can often overtake mid way down a length if the difference in speed is huge.

OnlyMabelInTheBuilding · 04/02/2026 10:50

Everyone does side by side if there’s only 2 in my gym. It’s much better.

BringBackCatsEyes · 04/02/2026 10:50

ASometimeThing · 04/02/2026 10:45

I actually prefer side by side as it takes away all the annoying catching up/slowing down. I’ve never had an issue with it either.

Agree. You can just lose yourself rather than be on alert for different paced swimmers.

BringBackCatsEyes · 04/02/2026 10:49

Side by side is the norm in our pool if there are 2 or 3 people. Everyone mock sighs when a fourth person turns up!
Pools do have rules obviously, but most mature adults are able to make decisions for their lane if there are only 2 or 3 people.

toastandegg · 04/02/2026 10:48

Side by side is definitely not a thing at my gym, always in circuits, I would be bemused by the request too

BitOutOfPractice · 04/02/2026 10:46

What “incident” would you like to report. There wasn’t an incident. Just a brief exchange of views.

She probably gets that lane to herself every week after her class and considers it “hers”. It’s not of course.

Just let it go. Fuss about nothing.

ASometimeThing · 04/02/2026 10:45

I actually prefer side by side as it takes away all the annoying catching up/slowing down. I’ve never had an issue with it either.

AmazingGraced · 04/02/2026 10:44

Goldfsh · 04/02/2026 09:34

This is mad. I go to a similar gym and lots of people prefer to swim 'side by side'. They aren't literally hip-to-hip but just swimming up and down at their own pace, rather than 'chasing' each other in a circle which means that you have to go at the pace of the slowest swimmer.

No idea why you didn't just say 'of course'.

This. I happens all the time in my pool.

HereintheloveofChristIstand · 04/02/2026 10:43

Always side by side if there are just two swimmers. It's really annoying for the faster swimmer to have to overtake the slower one.

Tempodrom · 04/02/2026 10:42

If they're not big enough for side by side, how are they big enough to pass with circuits, particularly if there's a lot of people passing each other? Side by side is really common here with only two people in the lane. Much easier.

user405927 · 04/02/2026 10:40

I think when you have just joined a facility, it’s best to get more information if you don’t understand something rather than just rejecting it.

The staff seem really oddly enthusiastic in their condemnation.

Like a pp, I don’t understand how there is room for a circuit but not room for side by side.

TalkingShrub · 04/02/2026 10:35

It’s a completely ordinary request. She clearly repeated herself as she could see you didn’t understand what the term meant.

user2848502016 · 04/02/2026 10:34

Do it, the same people are always the ones breaking the rules making it harder for everyone else, it’s good that the gym are doing something about it

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