Me "do you want to circle swim or sides."
Him "I don't want to share."
Me "Well I wasn't asking and the rules are posted right there saying you have to share. So again, circle or sides?"
Him "I am almost done, can..."
Me "Don't get in my way, I am swimming on this side"

That's how I go about it too.

Is this an American phenomenon? Or am I just sheltered? I've never had an issue with someone sharing lanes, although if there are a few lanes and the pool is full I do try and choose my lanemate carefully. I don't particularly enjoy lapping someone every couple of laps.

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Don't give him the option next time typically those clowns have not shown up at our local facilities once they get their bluff called. Let them blow up, guards call them on it and you go about your swimming and they will simmer down or stop coming. It's amazing the thinking process though that most don't even ask to share they just wait even when invited. I have made it known to the guards I'm happy as a clam to share and to drop a foot in front of me if I'm swimming a longer set to let me know someone is there. Oddly most are just happy to wait for the lane to be all theirs never been able to grasp that one. Amazing how the club team will drop 10 kids in a LC lane and no one dies.....but some joker always needs the lane to themselves.

This is how its done. I get in the pool and say "do you mind if we circle swim?" Too many years of swim practice left me incapable of splitting sides. If someone insists on splitting a lane that way its only a matter of time until I come off the wall on the "wrong" side of the pool and head butt them.

Me "do you want to circle swim or sides."


Out here, the default is sides if there are 2 people in a lane. Protocol dictates that the existing swimmer gets to pick the side. Then, chaos incurs when a 3rd attempts to join. What I've found is that there are so many people who have no idea how to circle swim. It's as if they have no experience anywhere else in their life on staying to the right, regardless of which direction they are traveling on the road, err, pool. Most people prefer to sit and wait it out in lieu of circling.

Adding to the noggin' scratching is why, when given the option of joining a lane of someone swimming versus someone water walking, the incumbent water walker will almost always picks the swimmer. It's as if there's some sort of water walking rivalry.

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Take a short break from ST and read my blog:
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The local pool seems to draw all the crazy denizens out. There are 6 total lanes and the pool is 100ft or 33.33yds. They put out signs stating Fast, Medium, Slow and wouldn't you know it the fast lanes always get filled before the slow or medium lanes. Yep, the backstrokers with their rash guards and sunglasses on and the swimmers who spend more time hanging out on the wall blocking it than swimming. The biggest joke is all the guys who hover around wanting to get in the fast lane with their million "swim toys" then get in only to barely be able to cruise 2min per hundred. I wish the pool would put some sort of pace range designation on the signs. I actually got yelled at by some dude who said "bro what the fuck is your problem" this weekend for passing him in the lane. Mind you he was wearing full on fins and still swimming slower than 2min pace and felt he belonged in the fast lane. <palm on forehead>

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I'm not sure what my lifetime swim mileage is but it has got to be close to 20K. Other than races, I can only think of a handful of times I actually had a lane totally to myself for any protracted stretch much less a whole workout. When you swim, you are not really "sharing" when someone else is in your lane. Multiple people to a lane is just how swimming is done unless you have a really unpopular pool.

This ^^
After a couple thousand meters I start to get stupid and forget.

There seems to be a direct relationship between the stupidity of the aquatic activity and the practitioners right to take up space. The more idiotic the activity, the more space the person deserves.

Wow... I'm still wrapping my head around there only being one other person in a lane. At my local pool, 6 people to a 25m lane is not unheard of during lunch hour.

I hit the pool at 5am. Rarely do I have to share a lane. If I do, it's with another serious swimmer. Granted it is 5am so you have to be pretty serious to wake up that early to swim.

On Sunday's the YMCA opens up at 1pm (they share the parking lot with a 2000+ member church (cult) so they wait until their rituals are done before opening. These days are nice because I can sleep in. Down side: kids in the pool. Never mind the family pool 10 yards away and parents who feel their kids can go anywhere.

If I have to share, I just put my legs in. That's the international sign of sharing. There is no choice in the matter. It's just working out the logistics. What's interesting, is that when the pool is full, I see people waiting for a lane. People who don't understand you can share. The LG's don't say anything.

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This morning two of us were looking for a lane. All had two or more people (some swimming, some not). While checking out prospects one person left, leaving one lane with only one person. This was the guy that studiously avoided acknowledging us, then later complained to my partner (thankfully she told him off) and another swimmer.

Meanwhile, one lap in I wave over a fourth person who was waiting for an opening. "Join us if you don't mind circle swimming." "Thank you SO much. That would be great." As he left later he made a point to wave and say thanks again. I'm trying to remember him as setting the tone for my day...

Some pools around here impose a 2-person-per-lane limit.
...but these are the same pools that don't allow anyone under 18 to lap swim.

Don't look at us all too weirdly. Some are actually being respectful by not circling.

As a runner, I get frustrated when I'm at the local track running 400 repeats and I need to negotiate Princess Yoga Pants and her Posse who are walking 5 wide. If I see swimmers who I know I can't keep up with, I won't circle because I feel like I'm getting in their way and I know I'll spend my workout thinking about staying out of their way instead of thinking about my technique. So, yes, I will wait in this instance to split sides.

I have circled before but with my wife and others I know. I agree it's not too hard, but I just don't want to bust up anyone's mojo.

I just don't want to bust up anyone's mojo.

That's the thing- you and me circling in a lane has very little, if any, impact on my swim. I'm used to swimming with droves of people. Imagine going to a big meet and your entire team is granted the use of a single lane for warmups. That's 20+ per lane. At worst, I'll adjust my sendoff so that we aren't passing on top of each other. NBD. Just get in and swim.

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Take a short break from ST and read my blog:
http://tri-banter.blogspot.com/

I never had an issue in 4 years at the local Y. It wasn't very busy, though, so it was all 'split the lane' and no circle swim.

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Proud Member of Chris McDonald's 2018 Big Sexy Race Team "That which doesn't kill me, will only make me stronger"
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What Tri-Banter said - you won't interfere with the swimmers, we are used to it and will just figure it out (cue last week's thread about the guy dolphin kicking under someone ;) ). I've had people tell me they don't want to get in my way, I just tell them not to worry about me. Just hold a straight line and I will work around you.

My wife was a college swimmer and she tells me I'm crazy and should just get in, too. It's good to hear it from someone else.

I was assaulted by someone once. Really. Another person in the pool asked if I wanted them to call the police. I said no. There were 3-4 in every lane but one and that lane had 1 person in it. I did the "we are going to share" routine and she refused. She told me to share with someone else. I told her (this is all true, I promise) that she might get lucky and have me rub up against her (maybe why she tried to punch me in the face 10 minutes later). Here is the funny part: the woman was 75 years old.

Same here, 5am. It's like having a private pool sometimes.

The pool is roped off into three wide lanes (so basically two "regular-sized" lane widths making up each lane) so splitting the lane is easily workable with up to three swimmers. I've yet to see any more than three swimmers in the fast lane that early so I've never had to deal with circle swimming, although my training partner and I would circle in one half of the lane and let the other swimmer have the other half if asked.

That is a solid one! We do have some old farts who are hilarious. One old bat YELLS to the lifeguards 'he is splashing me' if water comes into her lane. She will just shake her head and mutter to herself bless her heart I think she has some dementia. At least she is in there swimmin'!

I just don't get the 50m LC issues though. I have had days with people varying up to an entire minute in 100 pace swim peacefully and happily together. Last Friday there were 3 of us, one of which is my friend who swims right at 2min 100m pace. So when I come up to here I go underwater dolphin on my back to pass her and she flips me off and is laughing hysterically. People are either fun or not. I'm of the mindset the babies who go nuts over sharing an entire LC lane are showing but a sliver of their personality deficiencies.

No. I am in Israel and it is even worse. I got told yesterday I am swimming "too fast and your wave is pushing me out of the lane". I told the lady she was in the designated fast lane and if she gets to swim as fast as she wants to why shouldn't I get to swim as fast as I want to? She then told me " it's all about me me me with you isn't it?". I told her she hasn't seen fast yet as I was just warming up still.

I have had people here ask me "did I give you permission to pass me?" I usually reply "did you know you were in the fast lane?"

It is really funny to watch people immediately put on their fins and paddles when I show up though. The ones at my pool hate being passed. Just fuels me more.

Ugh, 30 more days or so and out of here.

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Formerly TriBrad02

That's awesome! Do that to me and you'd certainly get to see my balls on one of your underwater passes!