It all kicked off in the swimming pool

[Poppystone]

Session times have changed because of the school holidays. There's no lane swimming during the day, only general swimming, which is making the early morning and evening swimming very busy.

My friend is a big man, well over six ft (ie takes up a lot of space) and a very good swimmer. He's gone into the fast lane and done his thing. There were two women also there swimming much too slowly for the fast lane. The target times for a length are published, so fast is not subjective, although they didn't appear to be aware of this.

Anyway they've objected and said they think he's very rude to be ploughing up and down. He thinks that's what the fast lane's for....

A house with a lap pool - that would be a dream of mine too. Some workers go in their lunch break, but I know that might be too tight a schedule for some. If I had to go at peak time, I just wouldn't go.

I miss lane swimming and the pool. Unfortunately my skin has taken a dislike to chlorine.

That's the issue at the moment though, there is no lane swimming during the day because of school holidays, making the morning and evening sessions very busy.

Is it open first thing in the morning? I'd probably not lane swim when it's busy. I don't think your DH was wrong and was appropriate for his lane, but I still wouldn't barrel my way through it if other people weren't using it inappropriately. Maybe he could email the pool and suggest some accommodation for swimmers, or a discount on his membership if he can't use the pool well enough at that time. My pool just moves lanes around according to need.

It was an early morning session. It wasn't my DH.

It's the medium lane that drives me potty. The lido I swim at doesn't have speeds listed. I'm definitely a medium speed (fast breast stroke). There's a great variety of speeds of swimmer in there.

There were never speeds listed at my pool. I just looked at what other swimmers were doing and chose the right fit if there were no other lanes available. If it was wrong, I moved over.

But what if these ladies were going fast enough for a fast lane - too fast for the medium lane - but not fast enough for this man? I think that's where the problems can arise.

You brought up the contact and made a big deal of how large and intimidating he is. All the more reason he needs to keep his hands, d thd rest of him, to himself

You can 'expect' all you like. Ignorant arsehole isn't generally used for somebody who accidentally catches somebody on a turn.

Would put money on him actually ploughing over the women unfortunate enough to be in the lane he decided to take over, leaving them kicked, poked and coming up spluttering for air.

This is a bit silly! What help would it be if the poster replied "liverpool" if you live in Cornwall!

Just because YOUR pool is very busy during lane swim sessions doesnt mean every single other one in the world is!

I had a lane to myself in both of the pools I swum in last - one an outdoor lido, the other the city's national pool.

I agreed with you before that the women were being unreasonable in the specific circumstances (i.e. it being very busy), but equally expecting people to stick to specific lane speeds no matter what is also a bit ott - it would be ridiculous if there were 7 people swimming at anything between 46 seconds and 2 minutes per 25m all squeezed in the slow lane while the middle and fast had 1 person each. Ultimately as I said above the pool is at fault for reducing the lane swim options during the summer holidays.

This is exactly the problem with lane swimming.

1. Very fast man ploughs through the fast lane knocking him into people as he maintains a single speed and trajectory. Slower (but still quite fast)) swimmers move down a lane to accommodate him.
2. Slower swimmers in that lane move down a lane to accommodate the slower (but still quite fast) swimmers
3. Slow swimmers in that lane move down to general part of the pool accommodate slower swimmers
4. Lots of mixed speed swimmers/walkers/kids playing are all then scrunched into one area to accommodate big fast man in fast lane - and I would bet money that the majority of those swimmers will be women.

Did they set upon him with their handbags when he left the pool?