So, the other day I went to my usual 24 hr fitness gym to swim. Its a 25 yrd pool with 3 lanes. However, last week one of the lane lines broke so there was only 1 lane line, which made one normal lane and one lane 2/3 of the width of the pool. The pool was quite busy that day with about 6 of us swimming (really only 2 of us were what you could call actually swimming though). I was in the 2/3's lane so the 4 of us used the black lines as a divider to separate ourselves so that we don't hit each other. This actually worked out pretty well and no we didn't use "circle swimming".
Anyways- here is the good stuff: This lady jumps in next to me and swims besides me doing backstroke. I don't mind just stay on your side of the line though. About 5 minutes into her swim we collide. I hit her on top of her head and back as I was using my paddles and swim buoy. Then about 2 minutes later the same thing happens. She then jumped to the 1/3 lane and swam the rest of the time. When I finished my set I looked up and was actually looking to apologize to her. Not that I needed to apologize as she was crossing over the line to begin with. I just wanted to make nice and not be a JERK. Before I could get 2 words out she looks at me and says- "You know you hurt me, right" and in a jerky type tone as well. Her tone seemed to imply that I did it on purpose. I looked at her and said, "I'm sorry I hit you, but these things happen in the pool". She then said "maybe you shouldn't be wearing those things (paddles) in a public pool.
Allright that did it! Public pool? Um, first off, this is a private facility (you pay to use the gym don't you?). 2nd, these are swim paddles and are made to be used in the pool. 3rd- you were swimming backstroke which uses a wider swimming frame than freestyle. 4th- you weren't watching where you were going and crossed over the line.
She obviously didn't know anything about swimming, then proceeded to tell me well maybe we should circle swim like we do in California? Um,,, well,,,, were not in California. This is TEXAS! And no we won't circle swim because there is no way you could possibly keep pace with me and I would clobber you even more (just had to dig the dagger in with that one).
She then got out of the pool and proceeded to tell management. Not sure what happened after that as she never returned.
There... I'm done with my rant of the day... back to work...
You weren't wrong. I've
You weren't wrong. I've been clobbered so many times while swimming, it is just a nature of the beast. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
Was she an experienced
Was she an experienced swimmer? Ie. Backstroke done with proper technique? There is no way I would be doing backstroke during a lane swim, and I am somewhat ok at it. If I do it, it is only when the pool isn't busy and I have a lane to myself. It just isn't a good stroke to be doing when there are other people around.
Before I started triathlons,
Before I started triathlons, I swam club teams since I was five. I am now a rescue swimmer with the US Coast Guard so my life pretty much revolves around the pool! I would have gladly obliged her on circle swimming and then every few laps when I was about to pass her would CLOBBER her feet! Just sayin :)
Perhaps you could suggest
Perhaps you could suggest that she do an OWS in a triathlon. That might help her to rethink the whole idea of what it means to get "clobbered."
Nah not wrong. If she
Nah not wrong. If she wanted to circle swim you should have. What I do when people get in my lane who are to slow is gently stroke the bottom of their feet from heel to toe (not possible with paddles I know). Usually it only takes about 3 times and people move and let me go by. It absolutely drives people NUTS as you could imagine.
And the next time you go
And the next time you go swim look for a sign that says "No swimming devices in the pool", and next time someone complains, "Use only goggles approved by the swimming pool community" and next "No freestyle swimming" and next, "No pushing off the walls because you might swim into someone" ...
You were not wrong, and
You were not wrong, and there was nothing for you to do or say.
She's not an experienced swimmer, and she was having a bad day, or week, or life.
Anything you would have said or done after that exchange would just have made matters worse. Trust me, you can check old threads as I'm the guy who didn't handle it well and ended up answering questions from a police officer on the side of the pool.
yeah that's what I was
yeah that's what I was figuring folks. Hard to gauge when your at the tale-end of a hard set, and your out of breath and exhausted. I hate being that A** hole tri-guy, but in this case as DK said, there was probably nothing I could say or do in that exchange would have just made matters worse.
You should have asked her
You should have asked her out, she sounds like a winner!