I was complained by two ladies in swimming pool

[user1472754004]

I am a regular swimmer. Got complained by two ladies who swim slowly and chatting side by side. The pool was busy and I had to occasionally swim between them. They asked the staff to talk to me saying they were there before me and I should move over in stead swim in between them. It was only a 20 meter public swim but they two occupied about two lane and swim very slowly. Be frank, I hate people swim and chat. When I swim freestyle I try to look but there might be one or two seconds that I was close to them but they have their heads up, insist swim side by side. I ask the staff, should he talk to them not blocking the whole two lanes? Annoyed! I probably need to get up at six to do the lane swim instead.

I don't swim, so I'm not sure what the etiquette or rules are, or if there are any rules. However, if the staff asked you not to do it as the result of their complaint, I would assume you shouldn't do it.

Hmm dunno the etiquette when it isn't lane swimming. I would presume if there is enough space to swim between them then YANBU, they don't get a private exclusion zone.

I don't understand what you mean by "hate people swim and chat" or "Got complained".

Ime splash the wannabe mermaids.
Swimming is swimming not chatting ffs.
Counter complain you are paying to be able to swim and suggest a cafe for the divas?
..

I feel your pain OP. Swimming side-by-side in a busy pool is soooo annoying. It is like two caravans driving side-by-side on the motorway at 50mph. Very difficult to overtake.

It's not much point discussing it with the lifeguards in an average leisure centre. They all very young and very low-paid. (I know because DD is a part time life guard). Plus, they are really there for your safety rather than to sort out rows. You'd need to sort this out yourself.

Bluerussian, yes you do.

So it wasn’t lane swimming? Then YABVU - if you were jogging on the pavement you don’t get to just shove past pedestrians, so don’t do it in the pool!

Can you try and explain the pool situation a bit better please.

To be clear, was the pool not divided into lanes.

Pool etiquette means no chatting while you swim (usually breast stoke and dry hair), letting faster people pass and picking the right lane. I wish pool staff would enforce this!!

That should have had a question mark!

I am a regular swimming. If it was lane swimming YWNBU to swim between them, but if it was an open pool for 'social' swim YWBU.

If there is no room to get past say 'excuse me' and they should let you through.

This is why I get up at six.

I can see it's annoying for you, but they have just as right to use the pool as they like. No law that says they can't swim slowly and chat. YABU

You sound like someone who is more suited to lane swimming, I'd try and find a lane session

Their behaviour is very childish. Being 'there first' doesn't give them carte blanche to take up so much room that another swimmer can find space between them. And no pool rules I've ever seen on any poolside stipulate that it's against etiquette to do that. There isn't any 'claimed space' in a swimming pool; it's not like dropping in on a wave.

Of course you can't see who's in the way when your arms are over your head and your face in the water. I'd have been inclined to stand your ground and point out that you are doing nothing wrong in the pool.

Swimming slowly is alright. We're not all Phelps. But I'm also a regular swimmer, and people who walk up and down the lanes (you can do that anywhere), and swim slowly while mid-conversation and expecting everyone else to move out of the way for them, irritate me intensely too.

Some people are just weird.

I was once waiting for DS as the pool and watched in amazement as a woman with a shower cap on her head (held at the back with a bulldog clip) berated (long and hard) a man for not wearing a swimming cap - where there was a sign asking swimmers to do so.

The man was completely bald - not even eyebrows or body hair - and he was saying ‘what hair? Cover WHAT HAIR? I wish I had hair!’.

Of course she was the woman who tried to engage me in small talk the changing rooms before I realise she was a nasty anti Semite...

Hmm, the head-out-of-the-water, full-makeup, don't-you-dare-get-water-on-my-hair ladies who swim. The forward motion is barely perceptible! When I was younger I sometimes overtook them by swimming underwater beneath them

Do you really not Bluerussian? Really?

My gym pool has a anticlockwise swimming rule and a separate fast lane. It would work really well if people abided by it, because you can't swim side by side, and if you need to overtake, you can just 'cut off' the end off the pool and get in front of people.

@Bluerusssian, don't be obtuse, you do. It's clear English may not be the OP's first language. OP I think what they're doing is actually really shit and I hate that, taking up 2 lanes so they can chat, it's really anti-social

If it was just a leisure session with no lane ropes than yes, I think you are a bit unreasonable. Some people swim for the social aspect as well as for fitness, as you say you will have to get up a bit earlier and go to a laned session.

If it was a lane swimming session then YANBU.

If it was a public/general swim then, annoying as it is, you just have to suck it up. I hate chatters too when I'm swimming!

Of course she was the woman who tried to engage me in small talk the changing rooms before I realise she was a nasty anti Semite

I wonder if this is coincidence, but I'm consistently amazed at the number of racist crap I've had the misfortune of overhearing in the gym sauna.

On a good day I challenge them, saying that other people are using the gym for relaxation and don't want to listen to their bigotry, thanks. On less good days I walk out, usually with a parting shot to the effect that there's too much hot air in there for my liking.

Most people are friendly there, thankfully, but even so this sort of thing happens way too often.

Of course you can't see who's in the way when your arms are over your head and your face in the water.

If you are in the pool with other people you need to make the effort to see.

Amount. Not number.