I try to go swimming about three times a week. It gives me time to think, refreshes me and gives me exercise. Lovely. After many months of going to the same pool I have noticed a number of things that I’m sure are similar at any other standard busy complex. I generally go during times of public swimming, which means no lanes and anyone is allowed in.
On the whole people swim lengths but there are a couple of regulars who prefer widths. There is no traffic light system so the rest of us have had to evolve etiquette for dealing with them. Generally this involves either swimming under them, ploughing on through or waving them past. Because my goggles are usually full of water I am forced into the middle option. There have been a number of collisions, for which I must confess I have no insurance but haven’t damaged my Speedos or goggles irreparably thus far.
While swimming last week I realised there is metaphorical potential in some of what happens at the pool:
1. It just takes one person not swimming straight to throw every swimmer off course
There always seems to be at least one person being pulled or pushed by the gentle current. They either do not notice or do not possess the strength to right their wonk. During busy periods all it takes is one of these people to affect the running of the whole pool as the rest of us are forced to correct our lines to avoid collisions.
When the pool is full of unaware swimmers who just go along with where they are being pushed you end up with people swimming the other side without realising. I was forced almost the whole width of the pool at one point last week.
There is always ‘the serious swimmer’ who refuses to move – this can be highly irritating when the pool is busy and the person swimming diagonals is also in there. Everyone needs to work together to make it happen fluently – speed does not give you an a moral right to swim straight – you end up being hated. Obviously there is nothing people can do about it because survival of the fittest and everything but just remember, you’re being a dick.
The woman who insists on treading water in the middle of the pool for fifteen-minute stretches doesn’t help matters either.
Lesson: All it takes is one person to change the direction of a pool full of individual swimmers.
2. When the pool is busy everyone that gets in is annoying…including you
When you’re in the busy pool you see someone getting in and will him or her not to get in near you. It is very selfish of them to go swimming now, can’t they see its busy and that you are trying to swim in peace?
These are the thoughts of everyone when you get in too. You know, at that point when you’re feeling annoyed at everyone already in there for taking up so much space…
Lesson: Everyone is thinking the same as you. When you get in you’d like to feel welcome wouldn’t you?
3. If you like to take extended breaks between lengths don’t automatically assume your position in the pool is permanent
This is often one for non-serious swimmers, old women and teenagers. If you choose to take long breaks then you are going to have to search the pool for free space when you want to go again. Where you swam your previous length is no longer your territory because you have sacrificed it in the name of laziness. It is very annoying when you set off again in the middle of great traffic just because you swam there ten minutes ago.
This is similar to those people at university libraries that go in, put their bag in a space first thing in the morning and expect to be able to sit there when they return six hours later. It is selfish, abusive and wrong.
Lesson: You snooze, you lose. At least that is the way it should be.
These are a few of my quick thoughts. What observations have you made in the pool/gym/any other type of leisure establishment?
