Lane etiquette question

And keep in mind you aren't really pulling those tailgaters around, it just seems that way! I say unless they are constantly hitting your feet, who cares?

Admission time: I am a terrible tailgater. It's a hard habit to break. I know I shouldn't because I'm not working as hard, but... sometimes, anyway, I have an excuse. Sometimes the set is too complex for me to be an effective leader (might as well admit it rather than screw it up for everyone) and sometimes the person in front is the same speed, so that they end up tailgating me if we switch. Other times, well... let's just say it's nice to zone out and just follow the feet in front. The good news is that I never hit feet. I am a very experienced tailgater. :-)

The good news is that I never hit feet. I am a very experienced tailgater. :-) I hope that's only in the pool! I'll have to watch out for you when I come out to California for Nationals. :afraid:

I hope that's only in the pool! I'll have to watch out for you when I come out to California for Nationals. :afraid: Ha! Yes, only in the pool. I don't like being in a car that is tailgating (whether I am driving or not) and I don't like being tailgated (in a car). I don't mind being tailgated in the pool, though, as long as I know that the person behind me is OK with the pace (I don't like to think that I am holding someone up).

I wouldn't swim under someone, but my thought wasn't to do with politeness... it was "you might get kicked!"

For the first question, why would anyone even try to pass underwater? Anyhoo, seems like it would be so much easier to turn in the middle of the lane if slow poke is not getting the idea that he needs to let you pass. The second question: I used to hate tailgaters but decided that they were just a training aid for me to get stronger and faster by hauling their lazy butts around. It's fun to change speeds once in a while just to see if they are paying attention.

I have had guys swim under me in the warm-up pool at Nationals, when I am warming up for breaststroke doing breaststroke drill. It startled the :censor: out of me! I know I am slow doing breaststroke drills, but I have to warm up my legs before I swim breaststroke. There is really nothing I can do about it, besides try to pick my lane and my time at the end of the line of swimmers in the lane. But, at Nationals, there is no end of the line; the warm-up lanes are packed! :bitching:

I haven't done it in an about 3 years but I have passed a few people by going under. Only when they are extremely slow, they are in the fast lane, the pool is deep, and they waited until 1 second before I get to the wall to push off. I did my turn and a 10m underwater to get by.

I say unless they are constantly hitting your feet, who cares? A voice of reason! I've often observed that when there are more than 2 or 3 swimmers in the lane, or if the swimmers have significantly different speeds, it is actually a good idea for the later swimmers to "tailgate". This maximizes the time that it takes the leader to catch the last swimmer in the lane. Years ago I swam with a group that was quite a bit faster than I. One guy in particaular screamed at me for pushing off on his tail. I always thought it he was being ridiculous. I don't think I ever touched his feet. He was well ahead of my by the end of the first 50, and that way I could finish most swims before getting caught by the leader. Some people...

One guy in particaular screamed at me for pushing off on his tail. I always thought it he was being ridiculous. I don't think I ever touched his feet. He was well ahead of my by the end of the first 50, and that way I could finish most swims before getting caught by the leader. Some people... I've swum behind people like that too. When someone tells me I'm going too close behind, I'll purposely go 6-7 seconds behind, when we're normally going 5 back. I swim to relieve stress, and I try to avoid anything in swimming that creates extra stress. When I have a tailgater on me, I'll usually say something like, "I'm going to mix up the strokes a bit, why don't you go ahead." Mixing in a little breaststroke usually fixes the situation, and I could always use it anyway. And to the OP, I would never advise swimming underneath someone. Well maybe in water polo, but not in a lap swim environment.