There is a swimmer in our pool whose appearance is "dreaded" by many of us. As soon as she enters your lane and starts her laps, the whole lane gets slowed down for a at least an hour, because, #1, she never stops and never give a chance to others when she's at the end of the pool and is going for another lap while another swimmer had been waiting to start; #2, whenever she encounters someone during the laps (whether in the same or opposite direction), she would continue as if others don't exist, as if it's her own lane and as if she's thinking "get out of my way please"; #3, and that's the most important point: she's slower than all the others in the lane. So everyone else has to slow down because the lane is not so wide, and from time to time you see people try everything they could to get around her, or backstrokers hitting her from behind (and she would still go on like you were just a fly).
She usually continues like this for at least one hour, could be 90 minutes. She probably has her rule in mind, to never stop during the lap. That's fine as many of people here do that, but that works only if your speed is comparable to the others sharing the lane.
What's the best way to deal with such a fellow swimmer?
I swim in a pool now that has a lot of slow swimmers and narrow lanes. A couple of the slow swimmers use paddles and refuse to share. Being 5 6 and 145 pounds and old the two fools swinging those paddles scare me. My solution was to go around and under them making as much turbulence as possible on my way by. Fly is a good weapon as you can keep track of them and at the last moment go under them with a well timed wave of water just as they breath. Please be careful swinging those paddles around.
You know, that's just so courteous, making waves, pulling ankles...and so effective at making friends, teaching etiquette and promoting the sport.
Whenever I'm impossibly matched in a lane (either too slow or too fast), I just get out. It's just not my time to swim.
You know, that's just so courteous, making waves, pulling ankles...and so effective at making friends, teaching etiquette and promoting the sport.
Whenever I'm impossibly matched in a lane (either too slow or too fast), I just get out. It's just not my time to swim.
My etiquette is a direct reflection of their etiquette.
From the original post this person has no business being in their lane (unless all the other lanes are packed with folks). I don't go onto a Tennis court next to a couple good players start hacking balls into their court....same premise.
The thing is - this person may be clueless as to etiquette. Sometimes it's worth explaining it, and sometimes you'll just be met with a blank stare. In any case, the slow person has as much right to swim as the fast people do. Most of the plodders I've met don't know how to swim anything other than straight laps (nor do they want to). It there's a "slow" lane marked, the person should be directed there, but if it's every swimmer for themselves...oh well. We all have a right to the water.
She has as much right to a good swim in that lane as you do. Deal with it and get over yourselves.
Whenever I'm impossibly matched in a lane (either too slow or too fast), I just get out. It's just not my time to swim.
But to use your own words, you have as much right to a good swim in that lane as she does. :rolleyes:
There are swimmers out there who don't give a flip about swimming fast and getting faster so they can compete.
Well that makes no sense. Competing is irrelevant. Who wants to do something only to get slower or worse? Pack up the noodle if that is happening.
I do agree with knelson and lefty, god help me.
This made me think about what happens sometimes on two-lane highways. You get one slow poke and then if one or two people are too timid to pass you end up with this long conga line of cars stuck behind the slow poke. Obviously the guy ten cars back in the queue will have a hard time passing everyone. You're out of luck until the cars immediately behind the leader get the balls to pass.
In this situation the real culprits are the ones too timid to pass, not the slow poke. Same thing in the pool, as far as I'm concerned.
She has as much right to a good swim in that lane as you do. Deal with it and get over yourselves.
I agree with ScarletSwimmer. She has paid as much as you to use the pool and the lanes as you have. Find another lane to swim in if she swims to slow for you. There are swimmers out there who don't give a flip about swimming fast and getting faster so they can compete.
I think some of you are making this harder than it needs to be. It isn't a question of whether or not she has a "right" to be there; she does. She doesn't, however, have a right to make everyone swim her workout. It is a question of common courtesy and etiquette. Everyone of us has this problem on occasion. If it is a common occurrence, try speaking with her politely to explain the appropriate way to share a lane. If that does not work, talk to the life guards and ask them to speak with her. She has an obligation to not hold other swimmers up. The other swimmers in the lane have an obligation not to swim over her but to try to pass at appropriate times. It is best to work together rather than expect only one person to change. If she is constantly getting into a lane where she is mismatched, then the lifeguards need to encourage her to move to a more appropriate lane.
I can't tell whether the talk of "intimidation" tactics is misplaced aggression, excess testosterone, or just showing off but, in my opinion, are rarely the best way to deal with these problems.
