Swim Rant

Geeezzz What a bunch of whiney prima donna’s. You guys sound worse than my 2 year old. My lane…MY lane MY LANE! News flash your $3 does not entitle you to “ownership” of 1/8 of a public pool. What part of public don’t you understand? If sharing is so repugnant to you then rent the whole facility or better yet go build your own pool. Then you can have the whole place to yourself. Some of you actually are looking to intentionally hurt others? Man, that’s not only childish it’s criminal. If there people swimming in the pool who are not following pool rules, then ask the pool management staff to enforce their rules. And let me get this straight, this is Masters Swimming, where the first objective is to encourage and promote improved physical fitness and health in adults. Many adults engage in water aerobics to improve their physical fitness and health. So is the objective to only encourage these people as long as they stay away from YOUR pool? And heaven forbid swim lessons occur in YOUR pool, this could only serve to encourage more people to take up swimming as a life style choice and encroach on YOUR lane. One more new flash… fast is relative. If you swim your 50 in under 20 seconds you are fast. Anything over that and there is a group of swimmers out there who would be able to call you slow. If you are having problems with other swimmers in a public pool, try communications or get the pool management involved. But at the very least could you try to act like adults?

I agree with Mausy.People were talking about their frustration and what they felt like doing. No one actually ran into anyone on purpose.I don't recall anyone was seriosly advocating we get special rules(though of course I'd like that),we would just like respect for the rules and good manners.

Noodle on.

Welcome to the forum, Noodles. Congrats on your first post being a cannon ball. You obviously fit right in. (if you're an alias, disregard above comment)

Noodler, The whole purpose of a swim rant, is to rant. Therefore, in a swim rant discussion you will read of people ranting. Ranting is like venting. We all need a forum to express what makes us angry and ticked off. Ranting is not looking at something objectively and from all angles. Ranting is what this discussion is and I would expect you to understand that some of us need to rant, not discuss these things logically. If you cannot understand the purpose of ranting, perhaps you should not read this thread!

I think he was ranting...against the ranters.

Welcome to the discussion forum? :doh: Lighten up Francis!

Geeezzz What a bunch of whiney prima donna’s. You guys sound worse than my 2 year old. My lane…MY lane MY LANE! News flash your $3 does not entitle you to “ownership” of 1/8 of a public pool. What part of public don’t you understand? If sharing is so repugnant to you then rent the whole facility or better yet go build your own pool. Then you can have the whole place to yourself. Some of you actually are looking to intentionally hurt others? Man, that’s not only childish it’s criminal. If there people swimming in the pool who are not following pool rules, then ask the pool management staff to enforce their rules. And let me get this straight, this is Masters Swimming, where the first objective is to encourage and promote improved physical fitness and health in adults. Many adults engage in water aerobics to improve their physical fitness and health. So is the objective to only encourage these people as long as they stay away from YOUR pool? And heaven forbid swim lessons occur in YOUR pool, this could only serve to encourage more people to take up swimming as a life style choice and encroach on YOUR lane. One more new flash… fast is relative. If you swim your 50 in under 20 seconds you are fast. Anything over that and there is a group of swimmers out there who would be able to call you slow. If you are having problems with other swimmers in a public pool, try communications or get the pool management involved. But at the very least could you try to act like adults? Noodler: You're way off base! I share my lap lanes gladly with all. I never discourage anyone, even noodlers, from swimming with me. I've had almost no problems swimming in lap lanes before this summer. I'm used to lanes being closed for swimming lessons as well. I only ask that people follow the rules. Kids shouldn't steal my stuff. I should have backstroke flags. Adults swim in designated adult lap lanes. As for your contention that masters swimming is only to promote health, that's your opinion. If all I wanted to do is get healthy and swim laps, I'd go back to my LSD running. I like the competition aspect of masters swimming, so :thhbbb:. To each his own. I do a lot of things to be healthy besides swimming. As for fast, very few people in the world go under :20 for a 50 free. I think many of us are fast even though we don't meet that artificial benchmark for elite younger swimmers. :cheerleader::thhbbb:

At some stage we have to move beyond ranting or we cogitate in a state of helplessness. Heres what I implement in my lane(my lane is always the one with the warm water outlets -so stay out). Problem A. Slow male with large muscular but inflexible body enters lane and pushes off just in front -he beleives his superior body and faster arm motion will keep him there. Solution.Swim medium freestyle for 50 meters then push off just behind him,gain momentum,pull directly up behind and go right under his body but turn onto back as you swim below and look up smiling.Use freestyle kick then one large pull and twist and exit in front and resume medium pace freestyle.Ego damage is drastic and he wont recover.80% move over to next lane. Problem B.Slow female enters lane and swims continually without allowing you to pass at ends.Line them up at the half way point of a lap and gently swim up the inside of them(the wrong side).They'll be confused but often they wont move the first time.Wait 2 more laps and then repeat for maximum effect.They appear not to be confused the second time and move over immediately. Problem C.Reasonably fast swimmer wants to sit on your feet and prove his worth.OK under most circumstances but if he has pushed off in front or wont stop to let you pass then he must be moved on.Stop at one end and wait for him.Push off in front and swim slow backstroke.Allow him to think he can overtake but steadily increase speed and keep his pace high until he has to stop.Then immediately swim a lap butterfly to finish the ego damage.Think of it this way.Your'e helping him get fit and if he doesn't want that he'll move over. I have solutions for all other problems that can occur.Many are only used under extreme cicumstances.All have been tested.

I have a rant to add on behalf of my mom (who has been joining me at the pool on Saturdays). Last Saturday, she had someone get in her lane, without asking, while I was talking with the life gaurd (who is also a coach, and often gives me free advice). This lady was so horrible, she was not swimming down the middle of the lane, she was swimming in a zig-zag pattern. To top it off, she kept stealing her kick board, the extra kickboard my mom had brougth for me, and a third kickboard, all of which ended up on the far side of the pool. I swear, if my mom had the ability to do fly, I would have told her to do a few lengths of it with closed fists. Oh, and later I asked my mom why she didn't just say "Can you join in over in this lane, I am waiting for my daughter?" Turns out, the queen of the zig zag couldn't even speak english.