Bullied in the swimming pool

I went for a swim tonight after work. As the Commonwealth pool is closed for the Commonwealth Games (see yesterday's blip) I cycled out to Portobello to swim there.

Emboldened by my swim session with Andy and the fact that there was barely anyone in the pool (they were all on the beach outside) I went in the fast lane. 20 laps in I was happy as a fish in a pond.

Then she joined me. A woman entered my lane and proceeded to swim practically on my back. I, thinking she was much faster than me, stopped at the end to let her by, waited until she was a good distance away and started swimming. Good pool etiquette I hear you say! Why yes, it was.

She then slowed to a snail's pace so I not only caught her but had to tread water. So at the end of the lane I stopped until she'd reached the other side and set off on opposite laps. She then proceeded to hit me on every lap. One of the reasons I hate lanes is that I worry about hitting people. So to compensate, I will swim so close to the side of the lane that I get bruised hands from the divider. She swam down the centre of the lane, hitting me each time.

I simply can't believe, at the age of 33, I was being bullied in the swimming pool.

So I did what every good passive aggressive British person would do. I left the lane (going into the empty slow lane) and gave her a hostile stare for my remaining 10 laps. I swear if she'd even glanced at me, I'd have stabbed her in the eye with my locker key. You simply don't mess with someone who partly grew up in Sunderland and partly grew up in Newcastle.