Lap Swimming Etiquette Question

Options
2»

Replies

  • springseternal
    springseternal Posts: 245 Member
    Options
    To clarify, I didn't leave my lane until I was good and ready. I figure, if she was going to threaten to get the manager on me, then the only person I was going to move for would be the manager. LOL. I was just afraid I breached some sort of unknown (by me) etiquette by not giving up the lane.

    Good for you! She was completely out of line! How did she resolve it?

    I don't know. Never saw her again, and never heard from a manager either. :) I also never knew about sharing lanes. I'll have to remember that next time I got. Thanks!
  • LilMermaid6411
    LilMermaid6411 Posts: 28
    Options
    Sounds like she was just a not-so-nice person. I worked as a lifeguard at a Y and our general rule was that if all lanes were occupied you could wait until someone gets out, or you could enter one of the occupied lanes. Each swimmer takes one side of the lane and sticks to it. If it was extra busy and a 3rd person decided to join your lane, the three people would circle swim. This means you swim down the right side of the lane, just like driving a car. People tend to avoid doing this because it's hard to find 2 other people that swim at the same speed, so they just wait until someone gets out. General cardio etiquette says that you should limit your cardio to 30 minutes. Personally, I hate sharing a lane and my schedule is flexible enough that I can wait until a quiet time at the pool. This pool may have different rules, but the situation I described has been what I have encountered all my years as a lifeguard.
  • CHEFCH♥ZZ
    CHEFCH♥ZZ Posts: 127
    Options
    wow! she was being rude! the nerve! i would have told her to shut the f**k up and wait her turn as you did!
  • cyclerjenn
    cyclerjenn Posts: 835 Member
    Options
    She was rude. For me I will politely ask if I can share the lane with someone or I will wait. If someone is waiting and does not want to share, I will give up the lane after I finish a hour workout.
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
    Options
    When our pool is laned, there are boards put up at one end that show the direction to swim, and they also say Fast, ,medium , slow etc, so you can get in the appropriate lane with people swimming at the same pace.

    I have never seen a lane with only one person swimming in it.

    How weird!
  • Werglum
    Werglum Posts: 378 Member
    Options


    Seriously though, it is called circle swimming. Always swim on the right, it is like driving a car. When someone is too slow go around them. It isn't rocket science. In fact, if there are only 2 people in the lane, you pick a side and stay there.


    Unless you are in New Zealand then keep on the left!!! :bigsmile:
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    Options
    Crazy suggestion; share the lane? She's just a *****. Don't pay her any attention or you'll feed her inflated sense of self-importance. I've been a swimmer since I was 6 (starting length swimming at 8) and that is the most ridiculous rule I have ever heard.
  • moepwr
    moepwr Posts: 349 Member
    Options
    I had the same thing happen to me at one of our local pools. It is a very large pool though and other lanes were open, this guy just wanted the one that said fast. He told me I wasn't fast enough for the fast lane and I would have to move before he got in. I told him to move the sign if it was so important to him but I wasn't moving to feed his ego. I ended up being faster than he was. I've learned that people all over the world are idiots. Just ignore her. I also don't agree with the 30 min limit on cardio machines. I use to run for a hour but if I was forced into a gym you would have to split my workout. I thought there should be an area for people training for long distances.
  • avafrisbee
    avafrisbee Posts: 234 Member
    Options
    I think there are 4 lanes at the gym I used to go to. I don't think I ever saw one person in a lane during peak times normally 3 or so per lane. We didn't have fast, medium or slow either.

    Now I go night swimming (on the RARE occasion) from 9-10 because my husbands home and the baby is in bed. There are 6 lanes and I usually have my own. Or I share with friend of mine that also is a mama to young children.
  • ATOLLIT
    ATOLLIT Posts: 149
    Options
    When our pool is laned, there are boards put up at one end that show the direction to swim, and they also say Fast, ,medium , slow etc, so you can get in the appropriate lane with people swimming at the same pace.

    I have never seen a lane with only one person swimming in it.

    How weird!

    This is how it works at my pool too. The lanes are plenty wide enough for 2 people to pass and you are expected to share lanes. If you don't want to share, make sure to go at a time noone else is going to be there. As the lanes are signposted with speeds, most people in the slow lane are pretty good about waiting at the shallow end to let someone past if they are going really slow
  • mandylooo
    mandylooo Posts: 456 Member
    Options
    There are specific rules on lane swimming, which many people do not know. Fortunately, having to leave a lane completely after 5 mins, is NOT one of them.:

    http://dorking.life-saving.net/2011/simple-rules-for-swimming-in-lanes-make-for-safer-exercise-and-more-enjoyment-for-all/
  • pduckworth
    pduckworth Posts: 133
    Options
    Competitive swimmer, lifeguard, and swim instructor here. Several people can share a lane comfortably as long as they circle swim. She has no right to make you leave. If this happens again, I would tell her to circle swim and to wait until you're done if she refuses to. Sounds like she just wants to swim down the middle of the lane and avoid the lane lines lol.

Categories