There is just so much crazy that happens at the gym, I decided I have to start a semi-regular series on it. Granted I spend way more time then most people in a gym, but I guess that will just lend more fodder for these posts.

Scenesfromagym_pool

If you’ve been a regular reader here then you know I’ve already had a run-in with one of the elderly pool lady mafioso at my YMCA. I’ve also been spending a lot more time in the water as I gear up to compete in triathlons in 2015. However, the interaction I witnessed the other day was something truly astonishing in it’s idiocy. The older lady pool gestapo has reached new heights and it took all of my willpower to not get involved. I could actually hear my husband’s voice in my head yelling “Stay out of it!” It was hard, but I did. I was also in a weakened state since I had been swimming for over 40 minutes.

I digress.

The Scene

YMCA pool, 9:40am about 10 minutes after the pool class had begun. It’s important to point out that the pool class takes up three lanes of our eight lane pool. There’s already animosity between the “real” swimmers and the pool class participants. The participants consist of mostly angry, entitled older women.

The Issue

The very first lane next to the pool class was occupied by a very good, male swimmer. I think he may be a blogger or have his own YouTube channel because he had this cool tripod for his phone set up poolside and he seemed to be filming himself. He was swimming very intensely and gracefully. It’s when he started doing the butterfly stroke that things took a turn.

If you’re not familiar with the butterfly, it’s a very difficult stroke (I would have a stroke if I tried it) and it causes a lot of splashing:

The Confrontation

Because Mr. Butterfly was in the lane right next to the pool class, he was splashing some of the women who were nearest his lane. Now, mind you, we are in a giant pool. The pool class occupies three full lanes of the pool which is almost half the entire pool. The offended party could have simply moved but, remember that ‘entitled’ part to the pool mafioso? Yeah well, I couldn’t believe what happened next.

As Mr. Butterfly was actively swimming his beautiful stroke, the woman he was splashing reached into his lane with both hands while he was swimming and started yelling “Hey! Hey!” He popped up, clearly confused and possibly thinking someone was drowning and in need of his expertise, but was instead accosted by a crazy lady who demanded he “stop splashing.” In a pool. A pool. A pool filled with water for swimming. WTF?

I was two lanes over so I couldn’t hear his response or see he face but I’m thinking it was something like this:

Are you insane?

Are you insane?

After some discussion with the other swimmers, we came to the conclusion that this crazy lady didn’t want her hair to get wet. In a pool.

I felt bad for the guy because she was so obnixious and rude. Maybe the splashing was annoying or frustrating to her but it’s her problem. It’s not like he was just standing there splashing for no reason! He’s swimming!

People never cease to amaze me but, if they did, I would have nothing to write about!

 

What amazes you at the gym?

What kind of bad behavior have you witnessed in public by adults?

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