Territorial dispute in swimming pool

[tamade]

I am lucky enough to have a proper lunch break and at least three times a week I go to a nearby hotel and swim a mile, sometimes 2km.

Today I was alone in the pool and started swimming in lane two (of four) which is one lane away from the side closest to the changing rooms entrance. About 30 min later a man got in and stated to swim in lane 1. Five minutes after that he changed into my lane. I caught up with him at the far end and when he turned he looked at me swimming toward him and seemed surprised (surprised I hadn't moved lanes?). He then kicked off the wall and swam beneath me and under the lane divider into lane three. Not long after I finished up and went to get changed. Before exiting I looked back and sure enough he had moved back into lane two, which I presume is "his". And based on that I believe that he was trying to claim lane 2 when he initially moved in.

He is another regular I have seen him coming as I am going although we don't usually use the pool at the same time.

I think this is knobish behaviour

The only dickish thing men do at my local DL pool, is a very noisy, splashy, inexpert front crawl. Whenever I hear the racket it makes, I just know it’ll be a bloke.

Why on earth did he move from lane 1 given he had it to himself and knew op was in lane 2?

Why swim underneath her? I'm not sure what the right word is but I'll go with aggressive.

I think he sounds like a twat OP.

I agree. Who, faced with three empty lanes, deliberately chooses the only one that another swimmer is using? And then swims under them? Add in the gender of the swimming, and it sounds aggressive. I think some people on this thread are being deliberately disingenuous.

Are they different speed lanes? I often switch lanes if they are different speeds.

It's definitely not just men in my experience. Determined swimmers seem angry before they even get in the pool to me. The whole territorial, sharp elbowed, dirty look and performative lane swapping swimming pool thing is the reason I only swim in the sea these days.

Swimming in your lane when you were already in it is quite aggressive. He should have started in lane 3 from the beginning, not all this lane changing nonsense.

Swimming under you is a horrible move though. Really odd.
I encounter a lot of aggressive men when swimming so it wouldn't suprise me if it was an attempt at bullying

If OP was in lane 2 of an otherwise empty pool, and fast enough to be swimming 2km in a lunch hour, why was he in the same lane as her at all when he had the rest of the pool to himself ? I’d find someone swimming underneath me quite off putting and it was unnecessary.

You're right, your comment is probably the worst!

Swimming under someone is a bloody peculiar thing to do.

He was a knob. It doesn’t matter if it was a “non event” in the end. He had no need to move into the same lane, slower, faster etc in an empty pool it’s irrelevant. He interrupted your swim and I’d imagine you’ll be less relaxed and on the look out for him next time. He was completely unreasonable.

Sadly there are no lessons to help you get a bigger dick.

God, yes. There's so many men who bomb it for 2 lengths, then spread out and clog up the ends so I can't push off. They stay there for the rest of my session. Just staring off into the distance, oblivious.

This. It's like you don't sit next to someone on the bus if there are other empty seats available.

Your conclusion is fine as you accept you could be wrong.

It's always a man. Some men are complete arseholes in the pool. I've been sworn at, swum into and swum under by men because I've been swimming where they want to swim. The women (and most of the men) are all polite and considerate of other swimmers. FWIW the lifeguards are well aware that some men are dicks in the pool and in my experience will speak to them if you highlight the issue.

I'm surprised most people been so sanguine about this, I think it's really weird behaviour. There's 3 empty lanes but he picks OP's lane? Then swims underneath her when presumably that would have taken some planning rather than just ducking under the rope to the next lane.

Indeed. It can be carnage at my local - a fast lane, a slow lane, an area for kids swimming lessons and then an open bit! We get people too slow for the fast lane, too slow for the even the slow lane, too fast for the slow lane, and a bunch of rubber ducks floating into both lanes from the toddlers swimming class 😂

It's not 'her' lane - for all we know, she was in the wrong speed lane.

Yes I think you're right and he initially expected you to move lanes, when you didn't, OK he moved to lane 3 but otherwise why would he even have got into your lane? Not as pushy as some people (men) but he thought he'd give it a try. Sometimes you have to be there.

He probably didn't see you which is why he looked surprised?

I knew before l opened this it would be a man doing these behaviours

In an otherwise empty swimming pool, and at one point he was swimming under OP ?

Too slow? Don't be silly.

So what if he moved back into lane 2 after you got out. None of your concern. He prefers it for whatever reason.