Please tell me that this kind of thing doesn't happen in the States!
This morning, before coming into work, I trained at the local pool in Kenilworth, England, - 25 metres, four lanes. Not brilliant facilities, but acceptable.
At the end of each lane there is a sign: lane 1- slow, lane 2 - slow, lane 3 -medium, lane 4 - fast. Why do some swimmers, who clearly have difficulty in keeping up, always want to swim in the fast lane? This morning one elderly man, joined the fast lane. He swam breaststroke (I think it was!) with his face out of the water, which was a feat in itself because he was swimming so slowly. There were six of us in the lane and three left the pool (myself included).
When on the deck I decided to time him. He was consistent. Every length of the 25m pool was swum in 2 mins 15 seconds!
Please tell me this kind of 'swimming etiquette' wouldn't be seen in your pool.
So that I can continue with my swimming I need to be reassured that this was a one-off. I'm still in shock.
Originally posted by brains07666
(c) I'm pretty sure that even the various masters users together could not afford to build & maintain the pool, ourselves, so we're stuck with the rest of the public. I suspect that some of the folks we don't appreciate are in fact giving more $$ to support the place than we are.
(d) So even if we find certain people or behaviours annoying to us, I don't think that some of the more drastic 'solutions' posted are very practical.
I'm sure some of the people I drive with on the highway everyday pay more in taxes that I do for road maintenance. That doesnt give them the right to cut me off, park their car in the middle of a highway, or drive 20 mph in the passing lane. All actions that will result in fines from the police. Since the lifeguards are the police of the pool, and since for the most part, they care more about watching the hair grow on their arm than what is actually going on in the pool, creative measures need to be taken to have people behave properly. If users of a pool can't abide by common sense rules and share the facilities with everyone the way they were designed, and if the authorities in the matter don't care, then these individuals need to have their behavoir corrected in other ways.
There is nothing, and I mean NOTHING, more frustrating, than having 6 lanes, each with 1 swimmer, 5 of them filled with "non" swimmers doing their thing, you in your lane busting out a set of 10x200, and having some individual hop in your lane, start swimming down the middle, elementary backstroke, or stop in the middle of the pool to talk to the life guard to complain the the water, at 90 degrees, is too cold, and then look at you like you just killed their dog when you bump into them or make them bob about from your wake. People don't use their common sense.
If I walked into a pool, as a novice, and saw 5 lanes of people shuffling about, and 1 lane with a guy swimming fast, doing flip turns, etc, i'd make my way to one of the other 5 lanes.
I ALWAYs share a lane, when someone comes and asks if they can share the lane. As long as we can split it so I get my half and they get theirs and they know the rules, you stay on that side, I stay on this side, otherwise, you are likely to get hurt (and I dont mean that in a "I'll punch you in the face manner", but rather, "if we collide you will probably be really hurt" manner.
See, its all common sense, something that apparently is lacking at most aquatic facilities.
Originally posted by brains07666
(c) I'm pretty sure that even the various masters users together could not afford to build & maintain the pool, ourselves, so we're stuck with the rest of the public. I suspect that some of the folks we don't appreciate are in fact giving more $$ to support the place than we are.
(d) So even if we find certain people or behaviours annoying to us, I don't think that some of the more drastic 'solutions' posted are very practical.
I'm sure some of the people I drive with on the highway everyday pay more in taxes that I do for road maintenance. That doesnt give them the right to cut me off, park their car in the middle of a highway, or drive 20 mph in the passing lane. All actions that will result in fines from the police. Since the lifeguards are the police of the pool, and since for the most part, they care more about watching the hair grow on their arm than what is actually going on in the pool, creative measures need to be taken to have people behave properly. If users of a pool can't abide by common sense rules and share the facilities with everyone the way they were designed, and if the authorities in the matter don't care, then these individuals need to have their behavoir corrected in other ways.
There is nothing, and I mean NOTHING, more frustrating, than having 6 lanes, each with 1 swimmer, 5 of them filled with "non" swimmers doing their thing, you in your lane busting out a set of 10x200, and having some individual hop in your lane, start swimming down the middle, elementary backstroke, or stop in the middle of the pool to talk to the life guard to complain the the water, at 90 degrees, is too cold, and then look at you like you just killed their dog when you bump into them or make them bob about from your wake. People don't use their common sense.
If I walked into a pool, as a novice, and saw 5 lanes of people shuffling about, and 1 lane with a guy swimming fast, doing flip turns, etc, i'd make my way to one of the other 5 lanes.
I ALWAYs share a lane, when someone comes and asks if they can share the lane. As long as we can split it so I get my half and they get theirs and they know the rules, you stay on that side, I stay on this side, otherwise, you are likely to get hurt (and I dont mean that in a "I'll punch you in the face manner", but rather, "if we collide you will probably be really hurt" manner.
See, its all common sense, something that apparently is lacking at most aquatic facilities.
