You know what I hate.................You know what I hate

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Replies

  • Macstraw
    Macstraw Posts: 896 Member
    I hate it when swimmers who are far more proficient than beginners who are just getting over the fear of the whole concept of the pool, the water, being clumsy in their strokes, being clumsy around pool etiquette and feeling completely isolated with no-one offering to tell them how to go about things, start compiling lists of hates towards them.

    No - really I do empathize with a lot of points you make in your first post, but it is sad that newcomers are not welcomed to the pool and adults are not offered classes where they can correct their strokes before going out and annoying people like yourself.

    I never learned to swim at school, talk myself the rough idea so I could swim but badly and then got some private coaching to re-learn a lot about the basic swimming strokes so I could actually move through the water more efficiently. If I hadn't done that, or couldn't afford to do that (as many cannot) then I would still be one of those people you hate.

    I understand what you are saying & tend to agree with you, however, it's not a matter of newcomers not being "welcome" - it's a matter of me not wanting to intrude & come off as a know-it-all by offering unsolicited advice. I've swam, taught & coached for a long time & am happy to help anybody I can, but only after being asked for help. I've had a few people ask & I've worked with them successfully, but I would never take it upon myself to approach a stranger & come across as telling them what they are doing is wrong. If you are a new or novice swimmer don't be afraid to ask a seasoned swimmer for help, just don't stop them in the middle of a set - wait until they are taking a break, have finished their workout or haven't started yet & just ask if you can pick their brains when they have a chance - I'm betting the vast majority would be happy to help out....
  • SwimtotheEnd
    SwimtotheEnd Posts: 69 Member
    The world is far too serious. This was a light hearted laugh. Harmless.

    I know I should know better. I got a similar response with Open water swimmers vs soft poolies.

    I loves you all
  • ummlovelovesyou
    ummlovelovesyou Posts: 1,024 Member
    I hate it when I'm in the middle of a swim set, taking 10secs on the wall or whatever, and someone stops to strike up a conversation. Just because we are in the same pool doesn't mean I have time to converse! I'm on a timed interval and panting goddamnit! :grumble:

    /end rant
  • mariagabriella
    mariagabriella Posts: 267 Member
    I'm SOOOO impressed that you can (barely) pass me doing a 25 sprint as I crank out length #65.

    haha this! love seeing people sprint pass me then stopping after 25m when I'm up to 2.5km..
  • traceyjj
    traceyjj Posts: 406 Member
    My pet peeve is those groups of people (mainly ladies) who swim together taking up the whole width of the "wide lane" and swim slowly, chatting the whole time.... c'mon, I'm trying to swim here.... I havent got the speed for the fast lane, and even the slow lane seems too fast for me some nights as there seems to be so many people need the fast lane they spill into the slow lane, so I am relegated to the "wide lane"

    damn the pool was busy last night! :(
  • Kerry_R
    Kerry_R Posts: 25 Member
    I hate couples who swim together; not go to the pool together but swim side by side, SLOWLY, and then after every length having a chat, kiss and cuddle.
    Then having the nerve to moan at me because I pay to swim and choose to do so in an orderly and constant fashion.
  • onwarddownward
    onwarddownward Posts: 1,683 Member
    I hate being swamped by kids jumping into the pool.

    I also hate it when the showers smell like pee.
  • matthew_b
    matthew_b Posts: 137 Member
    I hate being swamped by kids jumping into the pool.

    You'd love swimming next to the high school swim team when they are working on butterfly then ;-)

    The good thing is that it does get better over time. Now I'm able to just skip a breath and quickly breath on the other side.
  • matthew_b
    matthew_b Posts: 137 Member
    I hate it when a guy that plows through the water with the legs hanging low, makes a pathetic little kick once a stroke, and does open turns beats me by about 3 seconds a length doing sustained laps.
  • gentlygently
    gentlygently Posts: 752 Member
    I realise this is all light hearted bonding stuff - but ... Honestly, some of it reads really badly folks.

    What about tolerance? And recognising that the pool is not just for 'do as many lanes as I can as quick as I can' people?

    Sure I could add a few hates myself - but I'd rather enjoy the fact kids are having fun, people are doing the exercise that suits their goals, adults are over coming their fears of water/looking 'wrong'.etc

    So my personal pet hate?

    I think it might be 'pet hate lists on Mfp' !

    '
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
    Discovered a "dislike." Hate is too strong a word.
    While I find late swimming learners inspiring, I find my patience wearing a little thin when said late learner is either deliberately ignorant or just plain too rude to understand the concept of lane sharing.
    When lane splitting if one is not capable of staying in one's half of the lane, don't swim when lane splitting is required.
    Don't do the back stroke when you cannot keep your arms in your half of the lane. And above all, do not do the back stroke down the middle of the lane when you are supposed to "sharing."
    I didn't get the opportunity to recommend that this gentleman take some adult swim lessons to improve his technique. I'm sure the opportunity will arise again as he is a regular swimmer at my Y. And they do offer adult swim lessons.
    I can't tell him how to do the back stroke or even show him because my left shoulder won't allow me to do the back stroke anymore. No reverse rotation.
  • onwarddownward
    onwarddownward Posts: 1,683 Member
    I bought into a hotel pool membership. Usually I have the whole pool to myself. On occasions when there is someone else, they're pretty nice.

    You know what I LOVE about swimming?

    - when the lady that swims at 9:30 am started putting her face in the water and told me in the locker room that she had learned it from watching me. :smooched:

    - when I see that others in the pool are respectful of space, even though we don't have lane ropes. :smile:

    - when the hotel staff has cleaned the pool and the water is crystal clear, perfectly still and (at 8 am) all mine. :love:

    I just love swimming.
  • zerryz
    zerryz Posts: 168 Member
    Ohhhhhhh we swimmers don't hate YOU people, we just HATE the annoying behaviors you non-swimmers bring into our space...har har....all jokes aside, every sport has etiquette, why would swimming be any different?

    This, exactly. And just like Swim said, "light" exactly.

    Guess what, I was a newbie too. Like everyone else. I also taught myself to swim as a kid. Later on, I treated myself with a few inexpensive YMCA style swim classes to help rehab a bad arm fracture. I then taught myself to swim lengths leading to being told to respect swim etiquette -- and yeah, I had no clue there was one. Being made aware of rules is not intolerance. It's respect of a certain balance and structure which works and actually existed before one started to swim lengths. One is part of the swim world. The swim world does not revolve around one.

    BTW, nothing wrong with the semantics. "Hate" is totally fine and actually very clever humor. Should "Soup Nazi" be banned too? If anyone's feeling got hurt, it's unfortunate. C'est la vie.
  • onwarddownward
    onwarddownward Posts: 1,683 Member
    I hate it when I'm in the middle of a swim set, taking 10secs on the wall or whatever, and someone stops to strike up a conversation. Just because we are in the same pool doesn't mean I have time to converse! I'm on a timed interval and panting goddamnit! :grumble:

    /end rant

    1. Don't make eye contact.
    2. They'll assume you have ear plugs in and can't hear them.

    Now you know my secret formula.
  • LoseSyra
    LoseSyra Posts: 75 Member
    Just joined the group today, had to add . . .

    I hate sharing a lane with or even swimming in a lane next to what I call Moose Men, those barrel chested/stomached guys who push a mountain of water in front of them so when I take a breath I get a face full of water. (I completely understand that this would be easier to deal with if my endurance was better.) I'd never give anyone guff about joining in a lane, but secretly, I'd prefer the Moose Men to go to another lane.

    I hate that my YMCA's pool is just too undersized. I swim while my son has lessons and some days there are often only 2 lap swim lanes.

    I hate that I'm stuck on needing to stop for a pant/breather after 4 lengths of the pool.

    I hate that our pool doesn't have designated lanes for slow, medium, fast swimmers. Didn't know pools did that; it would be great!

    I hate it when a very good swimmer gives me crap about joining a lane and being the 3rd swimmer, causing the group to circle swim. I stay on one side. If I'm circle swimming with people who are all faster I'll use my center snorkel to keep me at a reasonable pace. I am courteous - I'll stop at the wall and move to the side if I know a speedier swimmer is close behind me and I let them pass. But, I only get to the pool when my young son has swim lessons, I've only got 30 or 45 minutes twice a week. Don't give me crap, I don't have time for it!

    I hate it when the old guy who seems to always be doing laps, sssllloooowwwwlllllyyyy and even pulls himself along with the lane divider gets mad when people pass him.
  • onwarddownward
    onwarddownward Posts: 1,683 Member
    I liked your list. Today I was a moose man, I'm afraid. But I always ask the other swimmers (I swim at a hotel pool) if the mind if I make waves.

    I hate it when I put accessories on the wall and kids try to take them. Today a six year old tried to make off with my fins.

    Oh and

    I hate fins.

    I hate when kids (or adults!) stand in my lane and just stay there, even though I'm coming right at them. We don't have lane ropes.
  • yinkyo
    yinkyo Posts: 78 Member
    Nothing I hate. Just wanted to say, I have now been made aware of a lot of things.... I just started swimming laps and did not realize there were so many rules and stuff... yikes...

    Luckily every time I've gone there hasn't been many people in the lap pool, if any, so hopefully I haven't angered too many people >_<
  • onwarddownward
    onwarddownward Posts: 1,683 Member
    I felt the same way. I had to google swim etiquette. Most of it didn't apply to my pool, but it's nice to know. I just feel blessed to be able to swim every day. The place that we lived at for the past ten years didn't have a pool within an hour radius. I missed it.
  • onwarddownward
    onwarddownward Posts: 1,683 Member
    OH! I almost forgot:

    I hate when ladies shave in the pool shower area and leave clumps of hair from their bikini line on the floor, on the sink, everywhere. Ew.

    :noway: :noway: :noway: :noway: :noway: :sick: :noway: :noway: :noway: :noway: :noway:
  • zerryz
    zerryz Posts: 168 Member
    OH! I almost forgot:

    I hate when ladies shave in the pool shower area and leave clumps of hair from their bikini line on the floor, on the sink, everywhere. Ew.

    :noway: :noway: :noway: :noway: :noway: :sick: :noway: :noway: :noway: :noway: :noway:

    Ewwwww... Who does that at the pool for heaven's sake? That's what bikini waxing is for!! Worse come to worse, ladies, do that stuff at home! Man, one more thing to add to my colorful imagination about gym showers that'll certainly gross me out even more..
  • onwarddownward
    onwarddownward Posts: 1,683 Member
    I'm SOOOO impressed that you can (barely) pass me doing a 25 sprint as I crank out length #65.

    haha this! love seeing people sprint pass me then stopping after 25m when I'm up to 2.5km..

    This is me and my husband. I go for endurance, he goes for speed. Next time he says, "Look how much faster I was than you!" I am going to remind him that that's how our sex life usually goes, too.

    That ought to shut him up.
  • ElBence
    ElBence Posts: 291 Member
    I saw this topic when I first joined the group, but decided to delay my posting until I had spent some serious time back in the pool. I'm ready to rant.

    I hate when kids jump in my lane during lap swim while the lane is designated for such.

    I hate when the lifeguards don't do anything about it.

    I hate when the kids complain to their parents because the mean man kicked them out of the lane.

    I hate it when their parents don't explain to them that they shouldn't have been in the lane to begin with.

    I hate when people swim jellyfish style... You know who you are.

    I hate when I have to swim late because of scheduling, and the swim team coach decides to keep practice going a little longer, and the hour and 15 minutes I need to complete my sets gets shortened to an hour and 5.

    I hate that I can't dive in at a depth of 6' even though I swam competitively, and mastered the skill, but the kids team who are just learning can.

    I hate that I have to record all my times off the wall and unofficially.

    I hate when water joggers/old ladies treading water in the deep end think that when their head is in their lane, it means that the rest of their body is too, and my lane space is restricted.

    I hate when this also happens on the other side.

    I hate it when kids take my kickboard.

    I hate it when somebody comes to split a lane with me, but their conception of splitting the lane is swimming down the middle while I hug the lane line.

    I hate it when somebody splits the lane, keeps their body on their side, and swings their arms way out into my space.

    I hate it when somebody needs to share my lane, and instead of dangling their ankles or getting in at the shallow end and waiting, they grab my ankle on a flip turn and chew me out for not stopping earlier so that they could get in (This absolutely happened).

    I hate it when somebody needs to share my lane, and instead of dangling or getting in and waiting, they jump in at the wrong end and start sprinting while I'm doing backstroke down the middle of the lane (This also happened).

    I hate it when somebody needs to share my lane and they sit on the bench and glare at me as if to claim the occupied lane.

    I hate lane mates refuse/can't figure out how to circle swim. It's not that hard, and if you do it right, nobody has to stop at the wall for too long or at all. With two people circling, the faster can pass the slower in the middle of the length every time, and both can utilize the full lane for most of the length on every lap.

    I hate when I'm splitting a lane with a comparable swimmer, and a third, much slower swimmer decides that ours is the lane that needs a third, even when all the other lanes have two swimmers on their level.

    I hate it when the lifeguards play country/easy listening/teen pop music. Once a lifeguard played a surf rock station on pandora, and it was awesome!

    I hate it when the water aerobics instructor plays whatever music she's decided old ladies like.

    I hate water aerobics.

    I hate it when kids let their pool noodles/other pool toys go and they drift into my lane.

    I hate when tri-athletes tell me I need to start breathing on both sides or else my right shoulder will start getting sore. Pshh, please. I've been breathing on one side for as long as I've been swimming (17 years), and I've never been sore yet.

    I hate water up my nose as I try to get the most out of my streamline off a flip turn while doing backstroke.

    I hate it when my hair feels like straw after I've worked out.

    I hate it when I'm done with my workout, and there's no water left in my bottle.

    I hate how much I crave salty carbs after I swim. I'm trying to lose weight. C'mon, body! Let me crave some vegetables or something.

    I hate crossfit drills (but I secretly love them).
  • SwimtotheEnd
    SwimtotheEnd Posts: 69 Member
    ElBence.


    AMEN ! I love a good rant and that was spot on
  • onwarddownward
    onwarddownward Posts: 1,683 Member
    I swim at a hotel pool every day:

    I hate the hoards of kids who play in the water.
    I hate people who smoke poolside.
    I hate bugs in the pool.
    I hate pool shock day.
    I hate it when there's no hot water in the showers.
    I hate having my period.
    I hate thinking about all the other ladies having their periods in the pool. Are they as careful as I am, or not?
    I hate jumpers.
    I hate floaties.
    I hate being tired in the pool.
    I hate being bored swimming.
    I hate the smell of pee in the showers.
    I hate it when kids take my toys (gloves, fins, googles)



    I love an empty pool.
    I love waking up early and having to kids to take with me to the pool.
    I love it when the water is just right. Not too warm or cold.
    I love it when my watch works right.
    I love seeing others coming along in their workouts.
    I love when the hotel is not full.
  • LoseSyra
    LoseSyra Posts: 75 Member
    Yes ElBence, awesome rant, but what's jellyfish style; some kind of a butterfly attempt?
  • onwarddownward
    onwarddownward Posts: 1,683 Member
    Today a lady with a snorkel literally swam circles around me. It was just us in the pool and four lanes. What the heck?

    She kept cutting me off unnecessarily. Good thing she was a 20 minute swimmer or I would have had to hurt her. :mad:
  • KathryneJY
    KathryneJY Posts: 83 Member
    I hate the old guy who shows up on Sunday mornings and walks slowly across all lanes IN THE MIDDLE, right over to the fast lane where he walks half the lane and nearly drowns swimming the other half - especially when there are three competitive swimmers in the lane.

    I hate that those competitive swimmers join my lane and keep passing me and stressing me out.

    I love the competitive swimmer who joined my lane, becasue of mister old guy, then apologises to me for moveing out of my lane. "It'm not leaving becasue of you, but the old guy left and the fast lane is free again"

    I hate that no one does anything about it.

    I hate when a slower swimmer joins my lane, then waits for me to be 5 meters from the end before starting, forcing me to pass them, and then hanging out at the other end of the lane until I almost catch up to them and then they do THE EXACT SAME THING.

    I love swimming 1000 meters before my aquacize class, so there.

    I love my drill sargeant aquacize instructor (300 cals in 45 minutes! woot), and screw you anti aquacize people (I'm just kidding!)

    I hate the old ladies doing their laundry in the showers.

    I hate when strangers want to have a conversation in the change room while buck naked. And no, they're not even trying to get dressed or dry off.

    I hate when my anti-fog goggles fog up.

    I hate when the lockers steal my change.

    I hate when they have 50 meter lanes at the pool, but only put dividers every two lanes and no one knows what to do. Do I swim the line or the entire fricken circle? Nobody seems to know, including staff.

    I love swimming.
  • onwarddownward
    onwarddownward Posts: 1,683 Member
    After swimming again in a saline pool, I hate chlorine!!!
  • ElBence
    ElBence Posts: 291 Member
    Yes ElBence, awesome rant, but what's jellyfish style; some kind of a butterfly attempt?

    Nope. Jellyfish style is exactly what it sounds like. Head above the water, no really identifiable attempt at a stroke, arms and legs moving without apparent direction intended, yet still going back and forth down the lane... slowly, but going. Jellyfishers take up an entire lane and can't be bothered to share because doing so would require them to alter their "stroke" so that they only take half.
  • ElBence
    ElBence Posts: 291 Member


    I love my drill sargeant aquacize instructor (300 cals in 45 minutes! woot), and screw you anti aquacize people (I'm just kidding!)


    20 minutes of breaststroke will burn the same number of cals, and us anti aquacize people will respect you more, too.