Or is this woman? Swimming pool etiquette

[clary]

I went swimming today and went in the middle lane. There was another woman in the same lane, swimming slower than me (totally fine). Judging by the speed of the fast lane and the slowness of the slow lane, we were both in the right lane!

I gradually catch her up, finally swimming up the lane right behind her. By accident (swimming front crawl) I tap her on the foot. She finishes her length – and must see me there. But off she goes, not stopping for me. Am I supposed to swim at her slower pace? Wait at the deep end for her to get ahead? What I did was overtake her. This happened about five or six times. In the end another swimmer was in the lane too and I had to overtake quickly to avoid a crash.

Am I missing something? Isn’t this woman being a bit selfish? I said nothing to her tho at one point she called something out to me. I prefer not to overtake tbh (because of possible collisions). I always move aside at the end of a length if someone is speeding up behind me. Doesn’t everyone do this? (obviously not this woman…)

[EBearhug]

I am surprised the toe tappers have not yet been swim raged over it.

Because it doesn't happen often, because it doesn't need to - the majority of swimmers have sufficient awareness to know if someone is right on their tail and will stop at the end of the lane to let them past.

It's the ones who swim up and down constantly, oblivious of who else is in the water and holding people up, because they don't allow any opportunities for faster swimmers to pass. They're the ones who are most likely to invoke swim rage, in just the same way as if they were driving round town at a constant 15mph, even if the road ahead is clear and it's a clear, dry day, it's a 30mph road, and there's a queue building up behind - they're the ones who may experience roadrage from other users.

[TaraCarter]

I've heard of foot-tapping before on MN. I don't doubt it's a thing, but it isn't advertised universally. I spend about five hours a week in the local swimming pools, either on my own pootling up and down the slow/medium lanes or in the free swim with day-glo armband adorned offspring. Each pool has varying (emphasis on varying!) levels of signage concerning the speed of the lanes and direction of turn, admonitions to shower prior to entering the pool, etc, but not a single one has any signs about toe-tapping, not even the one with the really detailed signs that is used for county comps.

[Ameliablue]

I don't think there is a set etiquette other than which direction to go in. I don't tend to swim in the lanes but my daughter swims in a club so there can be 6-8 in a land and they just overtake as needed, depending on the stroke they might give way at the end but not if they are doing tumble turns.

[Micah]

I'm struggling to believe you're as involved as you say you are in swimming if I'm honest. Sorry

Based on the one fact that I don't agree with toe tapping? lol.

When I'm swimming I have at least a rough idea of where everyone is and how fast they're going. I'll have a decent guess at when they'll catch me up. That's just years of experience, no need for anyone to tap my toes unless they're very impatient and can't wait for me to find an opportunity for them to pass, usually at the next wall turn. I have never needed to toe tap another swimmer.

But hey, what do I know.

[Notso]

Toe tapping is a code?! Baffled as to how you are supposed to know it is, is their a sign or a handbook?

[arethereanyleftatall]

Clearly not notso, given this thread, but there should be, then swimmers would understand it's not (necessarily!) aggressive.

[EBearhug]

Anyway, toe-tapping isn't so bad, as I'm sure the man I once inadvertently hit with a bit of wild backstroke arm action in the groin would agree...

[maydancer]

YABU I assume this was a general swim session in a public pool rather than an Olympics training camp.You are F*cking rude with your toetapping and huffing and puffing!If someone is swimming too slow for you then change lanes or just turm round before the end of the length so that you are then a full length ahead of them.

[MidniteScribbler]

Why would you want to swim right behind someone anyway? All I can think of is 'what if they pee?'. Yuck.

[Aridane]

Bloody hell - I must be in a real minority here. I loathe front crawl swimmers who don't look where they're going and bump the person ahead. I would probably discard pool etiquette and childish swim slower or splashier.

Very childish, I know

[clary]

Hmm actually as some people have seen, I didn't repeatedly toe tap this woman... I caught her on the foot once by accident when I was doing front crawl.

When you swim front crawl it is quite hard to look where you're going actually - hence why I prefer to do it in a lane where as a rule there is less need to look (ie no one randomly darting across in front of you etc).

There was no huffing and puffing either maydancer or no more than usual by me (I do get puffed out swimming, but then that's one of the reasons I do it).

Most people seem to agree SWBU. It is tricky as I would rather not turn early (swimming a certain distance) no move lanes - the people in the fast lane were much faster than me - I know, I have lane swum with some of them before (and got out of their way every 3-4 lengths! ).

[JapanNextYear]

I've never heard of toe tapping! Certainly no signs about it. I'd be freaked by it. But I'd always let a faster swimmer go first.

Hate lane swimming when it's busy.

[Galdos]

In my experience at least half of slower swimmers will not let faster swimmers past. Some will deliberately (or so it seems) flaff about at lane ends making it impossible to overtake at that point. And in busy lanes overtaking isn't possible (although when younger and fitter I used to overtake by swimming underneath the slowcoaches).

Most regular swimmers swim at the same time on the same day; thus you soon find out who is quicker or slower than you are, and who gives way and who does not. With a little care the annoying behaviour of known slower lane hoggers can mostly be avoided. I also count the lengths these folk swim, so know when they are getting out. This helps me manage my irritation!

I was unaware of any protocol about 'foot tapping': in 30 years' swimming touching another swimmer, however inadvertently, is usually regarded as more akin to an assault, and requires a fulsome apology!

[diddl]

It's unfortunate that your swim speeds didn't suit is the way that I see it.

All was fine when you could overtake.

But if she was too fast for the slow lane, maybe when you kept overtaking it was you who needed to move up a lane?

[moreshitandnofuckingredemption]

I've never heard of toe-tapping.
I've never seen a sign in any pool I've ever swum in advocating toe-tapping as "etiquette". And I do wear my glasses
In my pool, the lanes are wide enough to allow one "overtaker" in the middle. Along with the speed guides and direction indicators at the side of the pool, it would be unusual for this not to be enough to allow everyone to swim happily.
Surely people just show some common sense and mutual respect? It's like public transport - if it's busy, it's busy, you just have to get on with each other as best you can.

[moreshitandnofuckingredemption]

Oh and in the case of the OP she was being unreasonable. She shouldn't have started her length without letting you by. Had you known she was going to do this, you could have switched directions at the 3/4 mark as a PP suggested, but as I presume you are not Mystic Meg I understand why you did not

[tootsietoo]

I would feel really bad for being too slow if someone was coming up behind me and would let them past straight away! And certainly at the end of the length. I think she WBU.

If I was you, I would have turned early to get ahead of her.

Or you could just do what my daughter always does and just not notice there is someone in front of her and swim right over them [hmmm]

[tootsietoo]

is what I meant!

[gasman]

I didn't do swim training as a child/teen so was totally unaware until a few years ago Bout foot tapping indicating "let me pass".

I've been lane swimming for years as an adult.

However slower swimmer should always let a faster swimmer past at the turn.

[LikeASoulWithoutAMind]

But if the slower swimmer stops to let the faster one go ahead aren't they then just going to meet each other head on when the faster one turns at the other end? I'm confused!

[SantasLittleMonkeyButler]

This is why I don't like lane swimming at busy times!

I would always pause at the end of a length to allow a faster swimmer to get past me. I'd much rather that than feel pressured into rushing as they steamed up behind me.

My pet hate is friends swimming side by side in a lane, having a chat, and letting no-one separate them.

[arethereanyleftatall]

Can I ask a little side question - if you stop to let a faster swimmer pass by at the end, do you think it's rude if they tumble, and thus can't say thank you, or do you not mind?

[Ludways]

I'm a fast swimmer, usually fastest in the fast lane but I never toe tap, I either overtake or I turn around a couple of metres from the end. I've occasionally had arsey comments from people who complain about me going too fast, ffs. If I'm in the fastest lane then where else can I go, they need to move down if they can't keep up and I tell them that.

Yanbu though, I hate toe tapping but if she simply wouldn't move then she deserved it.

I would never be so rude as to confront someone in an aggressive manner if they did toe tap me. Totally ott.

[Ludways]

Aretheresny it's ok to tumble, I'd have to stop every length to say thank you if not. I'm very polite though and when I get a chance I will say thank you to them.

[maydancer]

I am surprised 'toe-tappers' don't get a foot in their snozzle!