Swim Rant

Once, I was doing lap swim in a 6-lane, 25-yard pool. When I got there, I think 3 of the lanes were taken, so I hopped into an empty one and started my workout. 45 minutes later, I was by myself in the pool. Then this one guy comes in, walks to the other end of the pool to get some equipment, and proceeds to dump them directly across the pool from me. I thought, well maybe he's going to move into a lane next to me. He couldn't possibly want to share a lane when there are five others available. So I hung out at the wall watching this and joking with the lifeguards, who were also chuckling at the idiocy of getting into the ONLY OCCUPIED LANE of an otherwise empty pool. Sure enough, the man sat down, put on his fins, and hopped into my lane. I figured asking him to move was more trouble than it was worth, so I scooted over to the next lane. I wasn't mad -- in the end, there were just two of us in the entire pool, so it wasn't a big deal. More like flabbergasted. And amused. I wonder if he got the hint when he realized that I'd moved. Makes me think of the times I ride on a bus or subway with lots of empty seats and some guy decides to sit next to me. Raises all kinds of red flags. What's up with that? In your case... empty pool and guy choosing your lane when he can have one to himself. Did he think perhaps that only that he was only allowed to use that one lap lane? I'd definitely be uncomfortable. But at least he didn't try to follow you to your next lane... I hope. (I had a guy follow me on a subway once when I switched seats. He'd chosen the seat I was in when there were plenty of empty ones, then gave me almost no room, so I moved, and when I did, he followed me... even to the next car. Now that was very weird! I finally escaped by getting off at the next stop just as the train door was about to close so he wouldn't follow me off the train.)

Once, I was doing lap swim in a 6-lane, 25-yard pool. When I got there, I think 3 of the lanes were taken, so I hopped into an empty one and started my workout. 45 minutes later, I was by myself in the pool. Then this one guy comes in, walks to the other end of the pool to get some equipment, and proceeds to dump them directly across the pool from me. I thought, well maybe he's going to move into a lane next to me. He couldn't possibly want to share a lane when there are five others available. So I hung out at the wall watching this and joking with the lifeguards, who were also chuckling at the idiocy of getting into the ONLY OCCUPIED LANE of an otherwise empty pool. Sure enough, the man sat down, put on his fins, and hopped into my lane. I figured asking him to move was more trouble than it was worth, so I scooted over to the next lane. I wasn't mad -- in the end, there were just two of us in the entire pool, so it wasn't a big deal. More like flabbergasted. And amused. I wonder if he got the hint when he realized that I'd moved. Makes me think of the times I ride on a bus or subway with lots of empty seats and some guy decides to sit next to me. Raises all kinds of red flags. What's up with that? In your case... empty pool and guy choosing your lane when he can have one to himself. Did he think perhaps that only that he was only allowed to use that one lap lane? I'd definitely be uncomfortable. But at least he didn't try to follow you to your next lane... I hope. (I had a guy follow me on a subway once when I switched seats. He'd chosen the seat I was in when there were plenty of empty ones, then gave me almost no room, so I moved, and when I did, he followed me... even to the next car. Now that was very weird! I finally escaped by getting off at the next stop just as the train door was about to close so he wouldn't follow me off the train.)