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I swim maybe 3-5 days a week at the LA fitness close to my house. I about 2000 meters, alternating between freestyle and breast stroke. The pool is pretty small , only 3 lanes, 25 meters, and it makes it difficult to swim laps with the lane all for yourself. Many times you have to share lane with someone.
That is all good as long as you respect each others space.
The issue I'm having is when some people, most don't, but when some people starts to swim in a lane with already 2 people in it. I try to swim at a good and steady pace without having to stop and rest between laps. I can do that if I don't feel rushed. The other day at the gym, myself and this other lady is swimming and some guy proceed to swim in the same lane as us. No matter what, I had someone right behind me or next to me the whole time. Forget swimming breaststroke or backstroke at that point. When we were passing each other, 2 people had to swim side by side for a while (one way) , as the third person is forced to wait at the end of the pool in order to swim. It's just frustrating and my biggest pet peeve at the pool .
Don't go to a gym. Other people's annoying/disgusting behaviors irritated me so much every time I went that I gave up and set up a home gym. Now I actually enjoy working out.
I swim maybe 3-5 days a week at the LA fitness close to my house. I about 2000 meters, alternating between freestyle and breast stroke. The pool is pretty small , only 3 lanes, 25 meters, and it makes it difficult to swim laps with the lane all for yourself. Many times you have to share lane with someone.
That is all good as long as you respect each others space.
The issue I'm having is when some people, most don't, but when some people starts to swim in a lane with already 2 people in it. I try to swim at a good and steady pace without having to stop and rest between laps. I can do that if I don't feel rushed. The other day at the gym, myself and this other lady is swimming and some guy proceed to swim in the same lane as us. No matter what, I had someone right behind me or next to me the whole time. Forget swimming breaststroke or backstroke at that point. When we were passing each other, 2 people had to swim side by side for a while (one way) , as the third person is forced to wait at the end of the pool in order to swim. It's just frustrating and my biggest pet peeve at the pool .
More than two people to a lane is ridiculous. Is there a sign up board? We use one at my gym and if you want to share a lane you need to ask - to just be polite. If all the lanes are filled with 2 people than the next person needs to wait. I would be highly pissed off if some clod did that to me.
If your gym does not have a sign up board maybe you can suggest one. This is no different than signing up to use a cardio machine.
For most people, the gym you are using is probably fine. It sounds like your standards are too high for the gym you are using. You get what you pay for.
There are other fitness facilities in Chicago, but this one is close to the house and my son's school. I bring my 9 month old daughter to the gym as they offer childcare.
Home gym wouldn't work in my apartment. Too small with old wooden creaky floors, besides, I wouldn't be able to swim :-).
Maybe my standards are too high. Maybe people going to LA fitness lacking etiquette..But I will ask the staff to put up a sign. Good idea.
Last edited by glass_of_merlot; 10-06-2014 at 08:58 PM..
Swimming has its own etiquette - but many don't understand it.
It is not reasonable to expect a lane to yourself just because you got there first. If there are two of you to a lane, you can jointly decide with the other swimmer to swim side by side ("splitting the lane") or circle swim. Circle swim means stay on the right side of the lane on each lap.
If there are more than two of you circle swimming is the only choice. It is the responsibility of each swimmer, fast or slow, to do their best to not obstruct the others. That means:
- stay on the right side of the lane
- when you stop at the wall do so all the way on the left of the lane giving the next swimmer room to turn
- if you are the faster swimmer you sometimes have to pass. You have to pass quickly when you have clear water on the left side to pass
- never stop in the middle of the pool
- if you are turning with swimmers behind you do your turn in the middle of the wall so you can easily push off the wall on the right side so you don't run into the swimmer behind you
- don't swim backstroke unless you can swim straight
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