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AIBU?

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Original poster

I was complained by two ladies in swimming pool

252 replies

user1472754004 · 13/06/2019 16:46

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.

OP posts:
Gbtch · 14/06/2019 19:49

I swim regularly too. People swimming side by side in lanes is very annoying. If a general swim though, you need to be more reasonable.

FrancisCrawford · 14/06/2019 19:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

RedSheep73 · 14/06/2019 19:56

I can't stand the swim and chat brigade either, I get extra splashy when I pass them. There should be at least one lane for proper swimming, and that should be single file - I'd complain to the pool.

bmbonanza · 14/06/2019 19:59

I hate the 'swim and chat' or even worse the 'stand at the end of the pool and chat' brigade. Ignore them, pools are for swimming in.

rachaelclaire1 · 14/06/2019 20:03

Yep, duck and dive, in and out. Men hitting you in the face with their graceful strokes (usually men). Best time to swim is in so off timetable.

I love wild outdoor swimming but I think the closest to me is Tamworth

Gingerkittykat · 14/06/2019 20:09

I'm a slow swimmer but absolutely hate the chatting swimmers. They do take up loads of room in the pool, far more than two single swimmers. Save your chat for the coffee shop outside.

I especially hate the group of 4 pensioners who congregate in one corner of the deep end every fucking morning around 8am to chat. Gives everyone else less room to land at the end of a lane.

There's also the health suite with loungers where people can congregate and chat if they want.

Luckily most of the time I can go in the slow lane but sometimes it is general swim only.

Lilyannarose · 14/06/2019 20:13

I'm not sure I could swim and chat at the same time. Confused
Never tried it tbh.

cheekymouse · 14/06/2019 20:15

I feel you! Nothing worse than two women rattling on while swimming slowly alongside each other! They usually (in my humble opinion) swim as if they expect others to dodge them all the time, and that isn't fair if the pool is busy. They should look out for people who want to swim and not expect to be entitled to do their taking up of allt he space!

Gingerkittykat · 14/06/2019 20:17

@Mmdck

Luckily my pool has a toddler pool which is warmer and safer for babies and toddlers.

I deliberately don't swim at times where there is likely to be a lot of kids, but when there are kids they don't bother me at all, in fact the kids on the giant floats tend to be more considerate of other's space than the chatty swimmers.

Jinxed2 · 14/06/2019 20:39

I used to swim regularly and would go to length only sessions, sometimes they would put lanes in sometimes they wouldn’t. Either way I would say a length only session is for exercise not to swim leisurely and chat, and would be annoyed at this and would swim between them if it meant keeping my pace.

JigsawGirl11 · 14/06/2019 20:41

YABU

I'm not a great swimmer (hence going to free swimming sessions and staying away from the roped off lanes) I also have extremely awful eyesight so literally can't see further than 10 meters in a pool but always try to make sure if there was someone there before me I go around them if I can and equally get annoyed if someone who comes in after me gets purposely in my way by refusing to move when we cross paths, maybe the being there before them thing doesn't count but it's much more disconcerting for me to move as I struggle to see whether I'll be going into the path of someone else and also struggle to make eye contact with the person I'm crossing paths with so much prefer if someone comes in after me and is going up and down the same stretch of pool as me they make the effort to go around when it's time to cross paths.

Pools are often used by people with disabilities and carers, sometimes very poor swimmers and if you're a confident swimmer yourself it's not really an effort for you to go around them. (Personally I think if they were there first then you have to put up with the inconvenience of going round but understand that this isn't a law written in stone)

manicmij · 14/06/2019 20:52

If it was lane swimming I haven't seen a lane in a public pool wide enough to accommodate two adults swimming side by side. Therefore surely must have been free swimming with no lanes therefore YWBU.

Fatpigeon21 · 14/06/2019 21:19

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BackforGood · 14/06/2019 21:59

But Jinxed2 it WASN'T A LENGTH ONLY SESSION.
Don't know how many times this has to be said.

FrancisCrawford · 14/06/2019 23:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

limitedperiodonly · 15/06/2019 00:31

I'm with OP.

Women who do this are cunts

PCohle · 15/06/2019 01:02

Yes anyone who dares to stop you doing exactly as you want during an open swim session is a cunt. That's a perfectly tolerant, reasonable view.

Oh, not "anyone" actually because apparently you're only calling women cunts. Pleasant.

Dotcomma · 15/06/2019 01:10

I swim in a private health club pool and it's just the same stuff that goes on. Pet hate = people swimming side by side chatting, oblivious to everyone else around them. I do about 20 lengths breaststroke purely to keep myself from seizing up, many others swim purely for the same reason BUT the regulars have a sort of unspoken etiquette. Whoever is already in the pool has preference to you, you swim in a space not occupied by anyone else (not a lane as such but so you can swim there & back in the same spot). As people leave the pool you can have their lane if you're quick enough but there's always one that chucks caution to the wind and just jumps in anywhere he pleases (always men). Women swimming in twos side by side yacking get everyone else's back up - the noise they make is unbearable and they just pee everyone else off. I have been known to kick them in passing but then apologise, or sometimes I just carry on swimming Smile after i've booted them Smile Unfortunately a public/private pool is just that - one day they'll be trying to swim alone and then they might see how annoying they've been, but then again they might not. Just kick them and apologise SmileSmile

Dotcomma · 15/06/2019 01:18

Recently there was a bloke got in the pool just after me, you enter the pool half way down & then swim in whichever direction you want to. As i got in first and reached one end before he reached the other end it was my 'right of way' really. He obviously thought i should move across but I didn't so he headed straight for me - i carried on swimming towards him, looking to the side, and he caught me as he swam by - I still didn't move, just tutted at him and carried on and he carried on doing what he was doing - he got out in the end Smile

womanaf · 15/06/2019 01:20

OP, it’s exactly the same at private gym pools too.

cms1972 · 15/06/2019 02:49

Totally agree, the 'swimmers' who only go to chat to each other in the shallow end do get in the way of those who want to get some decent exercise / improve their stroke. I know that some people swim faster than others, but if you're only going for a chat then for Gods Sake either get in the small pool & talk (it's warmer), buy yourself a jacuzzi or meet in a cafe!!

DrPeppersPhD · 15/06/2019 03:43

It's not right that people are picking on you for your English (which is actually pretty good btw, not entirely correct but completely understandable), I'm currently learning my second and (kinda) third languages, I can kinda get by but I'm abysmal and I'd like to think if I had the guts to post anything in either language people wouldn't mock me for it.
That said, I think you were being unreasonable in this case. I'm a relatively fast swimmer, could go into the fast lane if I wanted too but I cba with the competition in my pool. That said, non lane swimming is a free for all, and unfortunately that means sometimes people are going to be slow, they're going to chat, it's just life, and the way you describe your method of dealing with it does sound quite aggressive. I think a better idea for you would be to find a time for proper lane swimming, where yes this shit does happen but it's usually taken a bit more seriously.

Monty27 · 15/06/2019 04:30

OP if you're such a keen up your own arse swimmer join a club. Let leisurely swimmers enjoy their swim.
And grow up

daisychain01 · 15/06/2019 04:51

OP if you're such a keen up your own arse swimmer join a club. Let leisurely swimmers enjoy their swim.

Joining a club may not be the answer. Clubs tend to meet at 530am and it's for swimmers who are seriously competitive and have to attain a standard. This doesn't sound like the OP.

They just need to select a more appropriate public swimming session set up with F/M/S lanes to segregate the chatters from the front-crawlers.

avamiah · 15/06/2019 05:39

Omg I have had a similar problem with my 9 year old daughter who is on stage 5 and a really strong swimmer when we were on holiday for half term and stayed at a Marriott Hotel with a indoor and outdoor pool .
My daughter went in the pool at about 8 pm as the pool was open till 11pm .
However as soon as she started swimming another swimmer asked her to move to the other lane ??
We were staying at the Marriott hotel and paying for the leisure facilities and children were allowed in the pool till 11pm.
My daughter isn’t a child who easily gets upset so she moved to the other swimming lane and swam happily(much faster than the lady who told her to move over )
I think that all pools need to have a strict policy on times and state clearly when children are allowed and which lanes they should be in.
Sorry if I have gone off track a bit.
X x