to think this was really rude (and childish)?

[reluctanttownie]

Went to pool for early morning swim. Pool gets very crowded quickly and I (like most others there) have a favourite lane I try to get if possible. I and a few others were first through the doors at opening time. As usual I had bikini on under clothes, but to take advantage of being unusually early I went straight to the pool, left clothes on lounger nearest the steps into the pool and climbed in. I was down the steps, into the pool and halfway accross the pool to the lane I wanted (on other side from steps) when this other woman comes literally running along the edge of the pool flings all her things on the lounger nearest the far lane and dives into that lane. I am in the adjacent lane by the time she lands, a matter of inches away from her, so I stop and look at her in amazement. She looks back at me. She clearly is planning staying there, so to give her a chance to back out politely I say 'Oh, are you taking this lane then?' and she says (very haughtily, and utterly irrelevantly) 'I've been taking this lane for 15 years' (I've never set eyes on her before, but never mind).

By this time I'm fighting the childish temptation to just swim into the lane anyway and fight her for it, but I manage to maintain moral highground by saying casually 'Oh, I was rather hoping for it too, that's why I was in here so early' (I got here first, hint hint) and swimming off gracefully ( ) in the lane next to her.

AIBU to think she is a rude ghastly old trout?* First person in water gets first choice of lane, right?

*Extra points for tactical suggestions for next encounter.

I wear a bikini because a) that's all I own, because I wear them on holiday and b) I mostly use an outdoor pool and don't want a white middle.

I think it's unnecessary to have bikinis for hols and swimsuits for pools. Why not just wear bikini for everything?

LucieMay why does that make it unreasonable?

Genuinely perplexed. I was going to start banging on about how large and respectable my bikini is, but frankly I don't think that is the point. So long as it doesn't breach obscenity laws or make small children cry people should surely wear what they want to swim in?

Op if that's the lane you prefer swim in and other people are going to come in anyway, I'd have gone into the lane. Why not? Unless someone's flouting the lane-swimming rules, it's pretty easy to swim with someone else in a lane.... There's no entitlement to a particular spot in a pool.
Yeah what she did was probably a bit rude alright but for that very reason, I'd have let her swim most of a length and started swimming right in the same lane!

WOW where do you swim where you get a lane EACH?

If I were you I wouldn't have moved lanes at all. Any swimming lane I've ever seen can comfortably cope with two (or even more) swimmers at one time. Swim where you want to swim. And if multiple swimmers do end up in each lane, then I really don't see what your issue is.

How on earth did you "not get the lane", if each lane has multiple swimmers anyway??? You were early - but you missed out on having a specific lane all to yourself for 5 minutes? 10 minutes? Is that the problem?

All this lane baggsying (sp), and whining is very childish.

Amazed anyone is surprised by someone wearing a bikini to swim!

She sounds OTT, and I'd have a little laught to myself about that

Old Trout is ageist, BTW

laugh

If you are wearing a bikini to go and do lengths do you swim like and old lady with your makeup on and earrings in and head always above the water?

Also, if you showered, where were you clothes while you showered? Surely it would be quicker to bung them in a locker, shower and get in the pool.

You had to carry your clothes to the lounger whilst you were dripping wet?

Don't let the Old Trouts get you down, OP.

she was being childish, you were beign childish.

not judging - that 's exactly how i feel..
when i go swimming i get mildly rankled by people being in "my" lane (even though there are only 3 lanes and we all have to share)

i don't like people being so slow in the lane that when i'm swimming I have to overtake them - it's okay to overtake, that's one of the rules, but I don't like doing it.

God, wear what you like to the swimming pool - ignore people moaning about that!

Yes, this would be annoying but I think it would amuse me more than annoy.. I think the sight of someone RUNNING for a lane would be funny..

Enjoy your swims and try and get there even earlier next time!

I just can't imagine being able to seriously swim in something so flimsy, fast front crawl, diving in etc. I'd be worried about popping out. Bikinis only seem any good for not really doing much swimming in, ie beach, hotel pool or teen girls parading about.

Some bikinis are sturdy - they aren't all flimsy! I used a Billabong bikini for months while in Oz, swimming / surfing in the sea with waves and all sorts - never popped out once. I also got my hair wet.

I don't get why people are so bothered by someone swimming in a bikini.
OP you did exactly the same as her. You just weren't quick enough. Your behaviour (as described by you) was the same as hers.
It was a bit strange to ask if she was taking that lane as she was in it. She probably felt you were rude and trying to get her to move out, which you were. So she responded in an equal way.
you sound like you would get on well.

I wear a flimsy string bikini to the pool, always have, i'm more comfortable in them than other swimwear (i like being able to adjust it) and now i'm 36 wks pregnant my belly can just keep expanding. :)

Can't understand why it's considered weird tbh, you are under water most of the time.

Why didn't you BOTH take the lane? You both liked the lane, you were both there, it's a given that more than one person will use each lane, so why didn't you pop under the lane divider and swim there too?

(Agree re ignore peeps being v weird about swimming in a bikini)

I am not the best judge on this because of jealousy.

I am jealous you have a figure for a bikini.

I am jealous you have a pool a minute away. Ours (10 minutes away) got shut down by the council a couple of years ago.

It was a bit daft to ask her if she was taking the lane when she was demonstrably already in it. What did you expect her to say "Oh no, I want the one on the other side but I got lost on the way"?

She got there first. You didn't. You can't exactly complain about her making a silly effort to get a particular lane when you were fussed enough to comment to her about it.

So, she was actually in the lane at the time, and you weren't? And you challenged her on her right to be there? And are outraged that she said "yes, I'm using this lane" ??? (so many questions, I'm struggling to see what you thought she did wrong...)
Why did you want the lane she was in so badly? (my head is about to explode now)
She probably thought you were a complete and utter loon.

I agree with the poster that you will be exactly like that older woman, an "old trout." It takes one to know one.

Yep, definitely 6 of one and half a dozen of the other

Also, OP, you seem to have assumed that the lady could read your mind and knew which lane you were heading for

Fucking hell, does nobody have a preferred way of doing things, then? I've got a favourite parking space at my daughter's therapy centre. I'm not sure why everyone is jumping on the OP for that.

She does sound like a bit of a rude old trout, OP.

Do you ram cars out of the way if they're parked in your spot when you arrive, WelshMaenad? The "old trout" got there first