Terse exchange with woman - lane swimming

[SirChenjins]

I've just joined a gym and have been using the pool in the evenings when it's quiet. It's not the biggest pool (20m x 8m) and is sectioned off lengthways, with half of the pool for classes and general use, the slower lane in one quarter and the faster lane in the other quarter. The lanes have boards at the end on the poolside showing the direction you have to swim in, and this is also covered in your induction.

When I got to the pool last night an aqua aerobics class was in the half sectioned off, so I swam in the slower lane. 2 people were in the faster lane, I was the only one in the slower lane. Around 25 minutes in, the aqua class finished and everyone left, although a few stayed in the pool. One woman got into the slower lane where I was, waited till I finished a length and asked if it was OK if we swam side by side. I wasn't sure what she meant, so said no, we're meant to swim in single file clockwise like the board shows. She wasn't happy and asked why, so I repeated what I'd said, and started swimming again. I was aware that she was close behind me, and when we'd finished a further 2 lengths she asked why we couldn't swim side by side. Again, I repeated what I'd said, and she wasn't happy - she said she was swimming faster than me, and it made sense. I said she was in the slower lane (it wasn't marked on the board last night for some reason, but I've seen here there before and it's always marked - plus we're told at induction which lane is which) and if she wanted to go faster she could use the faster lane where there was only one person swimming. Lots of huffing from her, before she reluctanctly moved into the faster lane where I could hear her complaining.

I spoke to the manager afterwards and asked if they could make sure the signs were on the board. They were really annoyed with her and said that the lanes are not wide enough for 2 people, that it's dangerous to swim side by side as people can be kicked, and that she absolutely should have been using the faster lane and not arguing with people in the pool. They want me to fill in an incident report. WWYD?

You're the problem here. It's pretty standard to take a side of a lane each when there are two of you, especially if you're swimming at different speeds.

I have never swum in a private pool, only council run and I can assure it’s very normal in my local one. People talk to each other and share the space to suit everyone.

That’s rather dramatic. Terrified? Just go pool side, observe and if there is something you don’t understand ask a lifeguard or other swimmer.

That's good to know. Our local council pools actually all have much nicer facilities than any of the private gyms around here, as they've all been rebuilt within the last 10 years. The private gyms have much shabbier facilities but tend to be much emptier. There always tends to be at least five or six people in any lane at the council pools which is why I go to the private pools - it's pure pragmatism because I really dislike circuit swimming- I have a disability that means I have to vary my pace a lot and it's much easier to just be able to swim up and down without thinking about the pace of others

It's definitely a thing at the council pool i go to, to share a lane and each go up and down each side rather than in circuits. Normally towards the last twenty minutes of a session when others have got out and you know it's unlikely that anyone else is going to turn up and want to get in.

It's much nicer for me than swimming circuits as different speeds mean it's rare i can even do 100m without having to wait to overtake someone at the end of the lane even with only 2 people in it.

No, because this way you can go as fast or slow as you like without getting in each other's way. How is this so difficult to understand???

Probably the only people can't who can't grasp it are the ones who are just completely oblivious to the fact they are holding someone up or probably those people who when you are swimming and just as you get to the end of the lane and they set off as if they've decided for you that you have to have a rest break now. I e. The very people who make side-by-side swimming so much more preferable to circuits for me by their complete inability adapt to other people in their lane

Spot. On.

Do you understand what side by side means? You know you’re not swimming alongside each other right?

Now for butterfly, I think you really need 5-10m in order to do it without drowning your lane companions 🤣

100% this. If there’s only two of you in the lane split it. That way both of you can go at your preferred pace.

I go to a pool with an identical set up. All the regular swimmers manage the lane by taking half each. As soon as a third person gets in the lane we start doing clockwise laps. I would have been annoyed with the OP too. There’s nothing worse than being stuck behind a slower swimmer, especially one labouring the rules so much. I bet OP didn’t let her go first when they arrived at the end at the same time either. 😖

Also the comment that the lanes are too narrow is pish. Swimmers have to pass each other when they are doing circling laps anyway.

You were (are?) both being unreasonable.

Other lady more than OP in that moment, because not worth whinging loudly about, just accept OP is too dim couldn't understand.

OP maybe more unreasonable now to make a fuss about it all on here.