So I go to the overcrowded Y pool tonight to be greeted by the usual suspects. The obese floater in lane 6 chilling down the middle of the lane. Lane 5, new swimmer with 40lbs of equipment on each end doing his own thing down the middle of the lane. Lanes 1-3 have the heavy older ladies doing water aerobics. Thats fine. Lane 4. A little girl staying near the lane line kicking with fins. Lane is marked lap swim. I get in and swim a 100 pushing off the wall from a flipturn, I go about 5 yards only to feel a fin hit me in the shoulder. Her father threw it at me for getting in her lane. What would you do?
Mention that the sign says share the lane. Mention if he tosses another fin he’ll be playing 1 on 1 water polo w/ you. Have the lifeguard escort him off the pool deck. Any other pools around?
That’s awesome. Did he say something to you when you looked up. I’d probably be pissed but laughing hysterically is the better answer. Incredible.
Sue him for assualt because you are scared and need to post on an internet forum?
Dessert Dude has good suggestions.
pick up the fin, calmly get out of the pool, slowly walk over to him and say, “excuse me, sir, is this yours?” and then cram in his mouth and see if he likes the taste of rubber. what an ass. i suggest you try to find a new pool.
Well, I walked the fin back to him and said “did you just throw this at me” he responded with “yeah, my daughter wasnt done yet” I then stated it was a lap lane and we could share. He said I splashed him with a flipturn. I looke at him and kept swimming. Another 50 later I got out and walked into the lobby dripping wet in a drag suit and got in his face. I said “that fin was assault” He said in a bullshit way that he was sorry. I asked for his name, after asking the third time he gave it to me and offered me his phone to call the police. I declined and went back to swim. Yeah, I was a hothead, but this kind of crap happens more times than not. I wish I had this on video.
The little girl was probably highly embarassed - too many agro parents trying to live their lost childhood through their kids.
I would have simply lobbed the fin into the middle of the pool and left it there and apologised to the litle girl and said - hey - don’t worry - you’re a good swimmer - your dad was just being silly.
That would have made the father feel even more stupid
my opinion anyway
I am feelin’ the white hot rage of unrequited insult with ya!
My first thought, after rejecting the idea of kicking his ass in front of the kid, would be to launch the fin over the nearest fence or on to the nearest roof.
But that is only after mature reflection on the matter 
(I am probably not a candidate for the peaceful tribe. )
What’s an agro parent?
the thousands of parents lining the baselines and sidelines every year - screaming at coaches, other parents and most sadly, a bunch of kids out there having fun - participating in a sport they enjoy, right up until the point that the parent opens their trap and embarasses the hell out of the kids
.
I got a nice one for you. I was running at the weekend. got a cross walk with the walk symbol. I start across and a car waiting at the light starts to make a right on red and I have to practically jump on to the hood to keep from being run over and I instinctively put my hand out to fend off the car. At this point the driver starts yelling at me for touching his car. At which point I touched his car hard enough to dent the hood. The good part was my heart rate didn’t get out of the appropriate zone for the rest of the run.
This lane sharing thing came up the other day at my pool and I told the guy he needed to practice sharing and using his words. Then I just ignored him.
I would have offered to shove the fin so far up his ass he would have to cough when he wanted to swim backwards.
But I guess I’m another one off the hotheads.
Should have said “hey jackass, are you retarted or just slow” whats he gonna do, jump in and wrestle with you in the water. I’m lucky if I have 5 people swimming at my Y.
Not sure what I would have done as thankfully no one at the pool is bigger than me.
Having said that, what is the protocol for sharing a lane? At my club, swimmers would never dare look up for fear of making eye contact. On the other hand, I watched a young woman walk up (during a crowded time) and sit on the edge with her feet dangling in the water until the approaching swimmer had made a flip turn. That seems to be good way to do it. But, is there a better way? It’s not like I’d be willing to ask permission to share the lane. Still, what’s a courteous way?
-jeff
The presence of the little girl makes this a tough one. If she wasn’t around I would probably lose it and have an “episode” (one of my buddies thought I was trying to get him into a brawl with some redneck types that gave us a hard time while riding last summer since I got a little annoyed with their actions and lost my cool). Since the little girl was there, I probably would have asked her to move to a “swim fin kicking” lane prior to starting my workout and let the father make an ass of himself then. After the fact, I probably would have had a chat with the father and with the nearest lifeguard to get his dumb ass thrown out and let him try to explain to his daughter why they have to leave on account of his behaviour.
Did you make that word up?
My brother wanted to study agronomy in college, but I don’t see how the study of agirculture has anything to do with this.
Agro?
Man, how mean that guy was…
Maybe it’s just because I am here in the south, or maybe it’s because we are just lucky to have a bunch of good people at our pool. But people seem to always be willing to share a lane with you at my pool.
I do tend to ask people first though. I’ve not had anyone turn me down yet.
Trae
PS. I do see how it’s probably interrupting someone’s workout when you ask. But no more so than hoping in the same lane with them.
Should have said “hey jackass, are you retarted or just slow” whats he gonna do, jump in and wrestle with you in the water. I’m lucky if I have 5 people swimming at my Y.
With language like that I am not surprised! Just kidding
Sounds like the Y I go to. What state are you in? Or maybe all Y’s are alike!
I am always amazed how much “lane rage” there is in a pool. I once had a room mate that managed to get himself barred from about 15 pools in Vancouver due to improper behavior. He was a nut to say the least.
I do think that the faster you become, the less of a problem this is. Fast swimmers tend to flow together in the lane.
Perhaps there should be a mandatory hug rule after everyone in the lane completes one length. Of course, this rule could only come into effect if the skimpy speedos stayed at home.