Swim Rant

I believe when Michael Phelps needs his own lane, he gets it no matter how crowded his pool is. I have some sympathy for out-of-shape people who swim slow. Some of them are not very flexible and have poor technique so they "swim wide" and end up in collisions when they try to share a lane, either with the other swimmer(s) or with the lane lines/pool walls/ladders. Please don't disrespect them for being stiff, slow or out-of-shape; everything is relative and they are doing what they can. A health club I used to belong to had a "solution" to lane hogs. There was a sign posted in most lanes that it was for Lap Swimming Only and swim workouts were limited to 20 minutes. If somebody was waiting for a lane and did not want to share you had to vacate when they had waited 20 minutes. That is both a long wait and a poor excuse for a workout. Fortunately, most people at this health club were poor swimmers and were usually done after 200 yards (20 yard pool).

I believe when Michael Phelps needs his own lane, he gets it no matter how crowded his pool is. I have some sympathy for out-of-shape people who swim slow. Some of them are not very flexible and have poor technique so they "swim wide" and end up in collisions when they try to share a lane, either with the other swimmer(s) or with the lane lines/pool walls/ladders. Please don't disrespect them for being stiff, slow or out-of-shape; everything is relative and they are doing what they can. A health club I used to belong to had a "solution" to lane hogs. There was a sign posted in most lanes that it was for Lap Swimming Only and swim workouts were limited to 20 minutes. If somebody was waiting for a lane and did not want to share you had to vacate when they had waited 20 minutes. That is both a long wait and a poor excuse for a workout. Fortunately, most people at this health club were poor swimmers and were usually done after 200 yards (20 yard pool).