Hi! New guy to the forums here, and pretty new to lap swimming too -- I've been doing it since May sometime.
More than once when I've wanted to join someone in a lane I've found it difficult to get their attention. At first I thought people just didn't want to share, but then I paid attention while I was swimming and realized that when you're looking at the bottom of the pool it is indeed easy to miss someone standing on the edge.
So what do you do? I've taken to dangling my feet deep enough that they're hard to miss, but is this obnoxious? Does anybody have pointers for getting someone's attention without annoying them when you need to share a lane?
Parents
Former Member
I don't think I'm capable of splitting, been circling for too long. I have an Australian swim buddy and he still has occasional memory lapses with our circling direction, it's funny.
So since Australia is in the southern hemisphere and the toilets flush backwards, does that mean they circle swim backwards too? :P
I've been both predator and prey to the lane sharing debate. I don't mind sharing a lane if someone is courteous about it, but on the other hand, there's the debate about what exactly courteous entails.
To me, I'll go to the pool, watch the swimmers and see who's just paddling and who's practicing. Pick a likely lane to split based on speed and sets. Set my gear down at the lane and stand near it, stretching a bit. Usually people stop out of courtesy, but sometimes you get the people who have fins on and are just trying to grunt out a 500yd swim to avoid talking to you after they see you there.
If they ignore me at the end I'm at, I wait till they turn (if they do a non-flip turn) and wave. If they ignore me at my end again, wave or not, I'll wait till they head my way again and start making a little ruckus in the water. Dip my feet in, swish my goggles around, dip the kickboard in, etc... If they STILL ignore me, and there's nowhere else to go, then I jump in and stand in the corner until they stop. That usually gets their attention.
If there's another comparable lane, I'll go swim in it. I mean lets face it, nobody wants to swim with a surly, selfish, lane-hog. Though I promise you if I move to another lane because of it, I'll remember and next time you show up, I will ignore you and swim down the middle of the lane regardless of how you're trying to swim or not. If you respond in kind, I will get on your butt and toe-tap you until you stop every time I lap you. I'll be as polite as possible about it, but I'll make it clear you're not welcome in the lane. Of course the next swimmer who walks in and is polite, I'll welcome them into the lane happily. :)
I figure one type of bad attitude requires another. I'm not a mean person, but eye-for-an-eye is fair game if you ask me.
I don't think I'm capable of splitting, been circling for too long. I have an Australian swim buddy and he still has occasional memory lapses with our circling direction, it's funny.
So since Australia is in the southern hemisphere and the toilets flush backwards, does that mean they circle swim backwards too? :P
I've been both predator and prey to the lane sharing debate. I don't mind sharing a lane if someone is courteous about it, but on the other hand, there's the debate about what exactly courteous entails.
To me, I'll go to the pool, watch the swimmers and see who's just paddling and who's practicing. Pick a likely lane to split based on speed and sets. Set my gear down at the lane and stand near it, stretching a bit. Usually people stop out of courtesy, but sometimes you get the people who have fins on and are just trying to grunt out a 500yd swim to avoid talking to you after they see you there.
If they ignore me at the end I'm at, I wait till they turn (if they do a non-flip turn) and wave. If they ignore me at my end again, wave or not, I'll wait till they head my way again and start making a little ruckus in the water. Dip my feet in, swish my goggles around, dip the kickboard in, etc... If they STILL ignore me, and there's nowhere else to go, then I jump in and stand in the corner until they stop. That usually gets their attention.
If there's another comparable lane, I'll go swim in it. I mean lets face it, nobody wants to swim with a surly, selfish, lane-hog. Though I promise you if I move to another lane because of it, I'll remember and next time you show up, I will ignore you and swim down the middle of the lane regardless of how you're trying to swim or not. If you respond in kind, I will get on your butt and toe-tap you until you stop every time I lap you. I'll be as polite as possible about it, but I'll make it clear you're not welcome in the lane. Of course the next swimmer who walks in and is polite, I'll welcome them into the lane happily. :)
I figure one type of bad attitude requires another. I'm not a mean person, but eye-for-an-eye is fair game if you ask me.
