went swimming on monday evening and it was quite busy and so my husband and i slotted into the lane with the largest gap. after a couple of lengths the old man to our right had a go at us in german, and then english when he realised he wasn't getting anywhere, about us taking up all his space - which we were not! However to make it easier my husband moved to his other side. Anyway after another couple of lengths the same man then had a go at me. i was so annoyed as we had all paid to swim in that pool and we were all having to share space but it seemed like he thought the pool was his and he was entitled to a whole lane on his own - get real! i then noticed about 10 minutes later that whilst doing backstroke he swam right into another lane and onto 2 guys swimming front crawl and he had the ncredulity to have a go at them. Fortunately they were swiss too and gave back as good as they got. That still didn't shut him up though can you believe it!? what a miserable old man living up to all swiss stereotypes. he needs to take a chill pill and build his own pool!
Yeah, everything in this country is associated with hassles. I used to go swiming regularly until I got annoyed.....as usual, right before and after work it was packed...and they didn't open early/later enough for it to have less people.The other issue is, that people don't respect the lanes; swim next to each other in a group of 4 and thus hugging half of the pool...and of course the annoying kids, who have nothing better to do, than balancing on the lane dividing rope. Needless to say, I gave up on that activity as well.
Here's a thought. It may be the _old_ rather than the Swiss! I just moved from Virginia, and in Virginia there was a wonderful pool where all the local people went. The injured runners would be doing "pool running" at 5:30am and hardly ever took any space. The local convention was, you can actually get 6-8 runners in a single lane, as compared to 1-2 people in a swimming lane.
But there was always one old man (who swims -- I kid you not - with a mask and a snorkel) and he is VERY upset when the pool runners claim his lane or even come close to it. And he will confront you in the pool. And he will even break into the runners if he thinks they are in "his" lane". It is an ongoing source of conversation with the runners and the pool administration has even been asked about it.
Their response was, "He's old. He's grumpy. He's only there for less than an hour. Just accept it."
In the worlds of one of my former mentors, "We are where we are."
Lane swimming seems to be brimming with pent up anger here. I had one woman complaining that I'd got her hair wet as I was swimming crawl next to her. It took every ounce of restraint not to point out to her that she was actually neck-deep in a public swimming pool FFS!
If you want to dribble along with some breaststroke/doggy-paddle moves, keeping your shampoo and set out of the spray, don't do it in a marked lane where people are zipping along doing training lengths.
I used to swim (I can't anymore as the chlorine really messes up my eyes. ) But the same thing happens in a crowded pool else where too. There is always at least one "king/queen of the pool".
Crowded pools are bad for stress levels!
Haha. I was actually thinking of my experience in the pools of DC/Virginia! Maybe he was from Virginia!
You are right. I should look into it. I should also look into getting prescription goggles since I can't wear my contacts and will definitely bump people if I don't have them in!
Regular goggles don't work. It's the contacts and the chlorine and the water. I'm going to look into prescription goggles. Although this thread isn't really giving me good vibes!
The only good thing is not working 9-5 I could go when the pool is less full.
Well don't make me burst your inflatible wings there Carlos...but I'm kind of a big deal in the pool. They don't call me the Sea Poolbiscuit for no reason.