Swimming rant - was I in the wrong here?

[clary]

Arrgh need to vent
Had a lovely swim today but there was an annoying man. I swim there often and I have seen this man before. He swims in the medium lane (lanes are 2 x slow, 1 x med, 2 x fast) doing a very splashy but inefficient front crawl, slowly. I am a diehard medium lane swimmer – front crawl but not very fast.

I have no issue with people swimming in the lane at a different speed. But when they don’t move over it really bugs me. I left him a length to get ahead but still caught up with him within about 5 lengths. He MUST have seen me but didn’t move. I tapped his feet (ugh) and he still didn’t move. It took him four lengths to stop and let me go first.

Then the exact same thing happened again. Then again. The third time, I overtook him (we were the only ppl in the lane) as I was getting annoyed. I had finished my swim so I stopped at the end to say something to him, as he does this all the time and the older I get, the more I want to call out crap behaviour.

I politely said to him, can you try to be more aware of others in the lane and how fast they are going – you should stop and let them pass. He pretended not to understand, so I repeated it, then he unpleasantly said, speak to the lifeguard and see what they say; you were too impatient to wait for me to stop [wtf?] so it’s your fault. And he swam off.

He's massively out of order, no? If you are in a lane you need to be aware of other swimmers – it’s not hard. If I am in a faster lane (occasionally) I am hyper aware of the fast ppl and get out of their way, every other length if need be. Plus wait for him to stop? He was finishing his length and then immediately setting off again even tho I was right behind him – how can I wait for him?

The onus as an adult is to manage your own pace and god forbid compromise.
Swimmers don't have eyes in the back of their heads.
Either move lanes or flip mid lane.
No foot tapping which if its not deliberate is actually crashing into people.
It used to be the norm many years ago to tap someone's foot but quite rightly its been stopped.
Imagine you are driving, do you crash into the back of someone or do you move lanes?
Head out of arse time!

@PayYourselfFirst Swimmers don't have eyes in the back of their heads

No they don't but it's very easy at the end of every lap to check who is behind you and by how far. If they are near enough to touch you (whether or not they do) then courtesy suggests you offer to let them through in front of you.

Foot tappers clearly don't value courtesy so why offer it?

Oh dear you are annoyed 😂
It is VERY old fashioned to touch toes.
It's an absolute no no to touch other people and actually Op admitted it was accidental not deliberate.
Yes it will get you banned at my pool .
I just love how aggy swimmers get and as I said its only you getting annoyed.
So change your behaviour, flip mid lane and everyone is happy.
Or use your words and speak to the lifeguard

Its also very easy to behave like an adult, take responsibility for yourself and either flip or move lanes
I think some people like taking their aggression out on others though

However once every 5 lengths or so it's a solution surely? Other people exist!

Slow man giving way as the signs at this pool say he should every five lengths or so would be a solution, surely? Other people exist.

I'm really baffled by posters not expecting the slow splasher to be considerate rather than the onus all being on the OP who merely wants him to observe the behaviour expected at the pool she uses.

This is what I mean - you’re announcing “it’s very old fashioned to touch toes”… when it’s actually a current & common practice (whether we like it or not).

I just find it odd how high-minded your sweeping (incorrect) assertion is, just because you don’t personally like it.

As I’ve said: if it’s such an “old-fashioned” practice, why does the state-of-the-art international Olympic pool that I train in advise it?? And all the other pools that I frequently go to? 🤷‍♀️
If you don’t believe me I’m happy to photograph the advisory signs on my next swim & upload them 😝

@diddl overtaking is not allowed bc the lane only has room for two swimmers and so you would swim into anyone coming the other way.

I think if you're going to attend a lane swimming session you should check the local rules or customs of your pool. Ask a lifeguard if you're not sure. Having said that, and having done a quick Google search on lane swimming etiquette (to check I'm not being unreasonable), the overriding theme is that faster swimmers should be allowed to pass, either by overtaking or at the end of a lap.

Pool Etiquette 101: The 7 Commandments Of Lane Swimming
[…]
3. Foot tapping
It’s the universal gesture among club swimmers – if you want to overtake, gently touch the toes of the swimmer in front (they should pause at the end of the lane to let you pass). Trouble is, not everyone knows this custom. “This is the most common cause of arguments,” says Andrew. “It’s an international custom, except in the UK where only club swimmers seem to know about it and people get sensitive about being touched.”

[Speedo, 2024] (aka very much not “old fashioned) 🤣

Swimming etiquette is terrible and often men are the worst. I think generally men over estimate their ability and women under estimate. I just sprint to overtake them but it’s annoying.

You can be as annoyed as you like !
It's not appropriate and in the sport and pool I use It's been banned.
No doubt you are going to waffle on about how wrong I am and how you are an Olympic gold medallist but I really don't care😂

The protocol in our pool seems to be:

1. Faster swimmer overtakes slower swimmer in the lane, the slower swimmer moves over as far as possible to let this happen.
2. if 1 isn't possible the slower swimmer pauses at the end of the length to let the faster swimmer go first

You also see quite a lot of the faster swimmer not completing the entire length but doubling back early in order to get in front of the slower swimmer

In all the years I've been swimming I think only a couple of times have I been tapped on the foot to indicate that someone wants to go pass. Mind you I swim in the slow lane and I'm probably one of the faster ones there generally, so I don't get overtaken that often.

I tend to see the opposite problem. Swimmers who are clearly medium or fast and swimming in the slow lane because its less crowded and getting visibly impatient with other swimmers, who are swimming at the speed appropriate to the lane.

Feet tapping is a recognised way of communicating you are behind. This man should be in the slow lane. Next time, if he's in that lane, speak to the lifeguard before you get in and ask him to get him to move if he's in the way.

“It’s not appropriate” ….according to you .

Are you always so dogmatic with your opinions that whatever you like/think is the final word and applies to everyone?

Please see where I’ve quoted from Speedo, and the part about it being an internationally-recognised custom.

It was from 2024 btw - not so “old-fashioned” as you authoritatively proclaimed.

This type of behaviour from men literally stopped me swimming. I just couldn't stand starting my mornings with some bloke getting argy bargy in the pool because I had the audacity to be going faster than him. I know the exact type you mean, OP, all their energy going into creating waves rather than moving forward, and determinedly oblivious to anyone other than faster male swimmers. I swapped to the female only evening sessions but unfortunately they stopped those yonks ago.

payyourselffirst
You've had several posters tell you that it is etiquette for club swimmers.
If you don't like it, stay in the slow lanes and out of other's way and we will gladly stay out of yours.
I can't go up a lane in public swimming as there isn't a lane to go into!

Luckily, I don't swim much in public time now as prefer the club swimming where swimmers are more polite and it's a more pleasant experience. I only swam public time when my kids were very young and it couldn't make club sessions. Most public swimmers were really nice to be honest, even the men who would try to race me. Never minded that.
And the ladies who do heads up breastroke are also great (especially when I go open water swimming )- it truly is a sport for all ages and abilities, but toes sometimes get touched !

To be fair in my local pool it is impossible for anyone to swim in the slow lanes because they are full of the pairs of women who seem to think the pool is the place for a chat whilst swimming.

Swimming and having a conversation simultaneously is a skill I tried once (in a small private pool) and never managed to master.

Whenever there are just two of us in a lane at my local pool, it's common protocol to have one side each so this isn't an issue - obviously not do-able in a very narrow lane though.

You are in the right. He should have let you go ahead. I am a medium lane swimmer and experienced similar with slow splashing man this week. He took the whole lane waving his arms around trying to do a crawl so no one could pass him. I was swimming straight behind another man at the same speed and we were clearly faster than splashy man. Splashy man let man in front of me go, but quickly then kicked off and blocked me. So happy to give way to a man, but not a woman!

I presume that this is a general session open to te public, rather than a club or a training session?
If that is the case, then you are the one who is being unreasonable.

why do you think she is in the wrong?
She's clearly swimming in lanes so lane etiquette is the same.
I'd agree with you if just randomly swimming in a pool.

This happens to me often in the fast lane, in particular when I am doing a harder session. I just speed up with 2 strokes to go and overtake very quickly at the end as they are turning. It is unfortunately fairly aggressive manoeuvre but the only way to deal with some people. In contrast to what other posters have said, it's only ever women who have done this to me.

I have long wondered what goes on in the heads of swimmers clearly in the wrong lane. I am getting a little bit more insight from this thread from posters saying OP is unreasonable. Although I still don't really understand it.

I am so aware of the speed of faster swimmers and move out of their way or let them go first or change lane.

The toe touching thing is unimportant to me. I think I might have experienced it in the past but even if I didn't know the etiquette it's pretty obvious what's happening. I kinda understand it bothering people but not really.