The perils of lane sharing (Page 2)

Uh, no.

Uh, yes.  They have some rights.  You let them pick what side they want.  And if they wanted to circle vs split that's their choice.  They were there first...so they have those small little rights.  If they said they want to circle instead of split I would move on....because it's their right to choose circle.  Same thing if they were in the end lane and chose to swim against the lane line.  I hate swimming against the wall so I would choose to wait for a different lane.  But maybe they will choose the wall side and I could have the lane side.  Again...it's their right to get to choose that stuff.  They DO have some rights.

Couldn't really figure out where the majority on this thread stands, so I don't know if I am bucking the majority or not, but I thought I would chime in on a couple of things.

1. I don't ask to join a lane, I only ask whether they want to split or circle.
2. I don't think it's necessary to ask at all. It's a "nice thing to do", but not mandatory. Right now our pool is long course (50 meter), and therefore there are only 3 lanes for lap swimming. If someone is heading to the wall I will wait to ask, but if they flipturn, then I'm in and swimming. I'm not waiting for them to go down and back and hope they stop so I can "ask". I expect the same from others when I'm swimming.
3. I do think first one in the lane has ownership to the extent that they can pick split or circle for the first person to join the lane. If a 3rd shows up, you circle and that's the end of the story. That is WAY to much pool space for just 2 people.

on a side note, I was swimming once when a guy joins my lane and we split the lane. Problem was that he swam in the middle b/c he followed the black line and was considerably slower, so we kept having close calls. At wall, he yelled at me! So I responed with some choice words. We took off again and this time he grabbed me on a flip turn and yanked me up to yell at me again. This time I got up in his face and we almost came to blows. Lifeguards stationed themselves over the lane until he finished his workout. Good times.

Personally, I always ask people to share the lane. I think it's common courtesy, but fortunately, I've never had someone say "no".. I'd still swim anyway. I don't expect people to ask me if I'm the only one there, but I do like it when they do - I always say yes. What I DO hate... is when a 3rd jumps in with no warning to start circle swimming. To date, I've had a few close calls but if I ever bump heads with someone I'm gonna be $%@#%^ mad!! I'll of course circle swim with you, no problem, but DANG!, you have to tell me first!

If you're circle swimming, everybody needs to KNOW you're circle swimming.. I'm just saying!

**Now before anybody reads this quickly and responds angrily, I'm talking about being unaware of a new 3rd person in your lane!

OK I understand your point now... I read your original post as saying that whoever got in a lane first had the overall say in how everybody else joining the lane should swim.

Funny reading and all, but the first person in the lane has absolutely zero right to the lane, or at least no more right than the next person (and the next person after him, and him, and him...)

Honestly, jldicarlo, if the pool was full of two per lane, and I got in your lane, and as a courtesy, asked whether you wanted to circle CCW or CW, and you said no circling, I would start swimming CCW as a default, and hope to hell you got out of my way.  Same goes for anyone who thinks they own the lane, and refuses to share/split/circle, no matter what workout you are doing that you think is more important than anyone else.  Unless, of course, you actually do own the pool...

Sure, I'll make an attempt to see which lane might suit me best, based on occupancy, size of the swimmers, speed of the swimmers, etc.. but there is no 'right' to the lane.  If you think you do have some sort of 'right' to the lane, you are quite honestly wrong, and you are going to find out some day how wrong you are when you tell the wrong person no (not saying that person is me, but given the tempers of some of the folks that swim at pools, you tell some guy no, and he pops you in the nose, don't be too surprised)

I wish people were more polite.

Last time I swam at my Y I had a lane to myself after sharing for 500+ yds and two young women come and stand at the end of my lane. There are a total of three lanes. They were chatting and such and I was doing my workout. One gets in and starts swimming with me and I'm glad I didn't crash into her as she said nothing to me. She sort of circle swam then did lane splitting. I couldn't really figure out what she was doing. Next rest I stopped and waited to talk to her and she turned before getting to the end. I tried to talk to her multiple times but she ignored me and she was much faster than I am.

Finally her friend gets in..the other two lanes have one person each.

I just moved over to the next lane with a women who was splitting with me when it had been more crowded.

I was annoyed as they wouldn't talk things over with me, they clearly wanted their own lane and if they had just asked I would have moved for them, I moved and they did nothing to acknowledge it. I found they were rude and just pushed their way to get their own lane.

I like Mike's story...swapping out lane mates...I have had that often but not normally an upgrade.

oooh same here -- at our (sometimes pretty crowded) community pool (where sharing is assumed, as is circling, as long as everyone in the lane knows it,) younger kids are the often biggest culprit of this.  i'll be moseying along with another person, happily splitting, and i'll run head-first into a kid who pops up and says "uh, can we share or something?"  it's happened more than once to me ... one time i actually stopped (we were near the wall) and talked to the little girl about how you're supposed to ask when there are two people in a lane and you want to start a circle swim and how you need to ask before you're mid-lane and running into someone.  the guy in the next lane over stops at the wall and listens to the whole conversation -- at the end of it, i figure out he's dad.  he says nothing.   

I enjoy the once in awhile extra body, kick in the side or head or anything else.  I just take it in stroke (not stride) and consider it race training.

Now don't get me started on noodle ladys

Wow, angry alert! At all three of my local pools, it's circle swimming only, there is no concept of spliting.  If you want a lane to yourself or with a buddy, you can pay the extra and hire it for an hour.  I would never disturb someone's workout by making them talk to me to discuss co-ordinating, I'd just get in there and adapt and expect them to too.  The lane rules are clearly printed on the walls and everything proceeds happily with a few nods and smiles.  If you did fly suddenly when someone else was in a lane, you'd be asked to stop pretty quickly by a lifeguard, even if you'd been there first.  Maybe we're all just a bit more relaxed down under   Anyway, back to the OP, are you still snorting water from your sinuses?

ETA reading Kathy's post reminded me of the time a lady got in my lane and started breast stroking.  2 laps later she asked me to leave because I was splashing too much and she didn't want to get her hair wet.  Then there was the old dear who got in and water walked - while reading a book.
 

Edited by daisymouse 2009-08-08 4:18 AM

I'am taking my daughter to the splash pad in the morning, after a nap.  Man after reading this thread and the carry threads...those little brats better not cut me off from the spraying mushrooms