‘Toe touchers’ are plaguing UK swimming swimming pools — however some say it is ‘commonplace’

Plodding alongside within the gradual lane at my native pool for a little bit of R&R, I observed that the swimmer behind me was rapidly turning into somewhat impatient. For a minute, I believed I’d mistakenly plonked myself in a quicker lane, however no.

Flashing up and down at lightning speeds, he was now passive-aggressively tailgating me – with minimal distance, would possibly I add – as if he was making an attempt to win gold on the Olympics, a feat my informal tempo was hampering.

In my thoughts, he shouldn’t have been within the gradual lane within the first place. Worse nonetheless, he wasn’t going to place me out of my distress with a easy, inoffensive overtake.

It’s not an remoted incident both; previously, I’ve even seen pensioners tagged by individuals who merely can’t train a modicum of persistence.

Sometimes, these Lido McQueens use a ‘foot tap’ to sign they need to get previous. But regardless that the follow can appear well mannered and show efficient, it doesn’t all the time go down nicely.

According to Speedo’s seven commandments of lane swimming, it’s a ‘universal gesture among club swimmers – if you want to overtake, gently touch the toes of the swimmer in front.’ They ought to then pause on the finish of the lane to allow you to move.

One of the principle issues is that not everyone seems to be conscious of this piece of pool etiquette.

As Andrew Clark, supervisor of the London Aquatics Centre, writes on the Speedo website, it’s an ‘international custom, except in the UK where only club swimmers seem to know about it and people get sensitive about being touched.’

Although I’m not a membership swimmer, I’m not a newbie both, and I perceive why it might show controversial.

Looking again on my awkward encounter, I see how a foot faucet might need saved me from feeling like I used to be being hounded by the swimmer who was sizzling on my heels. That mentioned, I merely don’t need a stranger to be touching my ft in public. What concerning the hygiene? The intimacy? At least purchase me a drink first.

And it appears I’m not alone: many others have skilled an analogous stage of unease about this, let’s face it, very middle-class situation.

Writing within the r/Swimming Subreddit, @Aggravating-Dust7430 beforehand mentioned that they really feel ‘panic’ when somebody touches their ft whereas they’re making an attempt to get pleasure from a number of easy lengths.

‘I always try not to slow people down, so if they are very close and faster than me, near the end of the lane I’d allow them to move,’ they defined. ‘But on occasion, someone just touches my feet in the middle of the lane. That’s after I put in 200% extra effort and get 7% quicker.’

Meanwhile, @thepatiosong mentioned they’d be ‘extremely annoyed’ if somebody tapped them on the foot, arguing that they’re ‘sufficiently lane-aware’ to know in the event that they’re prone to be overtaken throughout the subsequent size and might merely anticipate the ‘speedster’ to move them on the subsequent wall anyway.

‘Anything to avoid unnecessary interaction,’ they joked, while another user added that the place they stay in Switzerland, foot tapping isn’t a factor – they usually discover the entire idea completely ‘bizarre.’

On the opposite, there have been some ardent toe-tappers who held agency that it’s simply the well mannered factor to do and – even if many on the receiving finish have mentioned it makes them uncomfortable – they haven’t any qualms about getting up shut and private with a stranger’s tootsies.

‘If you are the faster swimmer and want to pass someone, you should tap their feet once and then pass them,’ @bebopped mentioned, whereas @Deacon_Mushrat1 famous that that is ‘actually a very standard lap swimming convention.’

Here at Metro, it’s equally divisive, inspiring horrified feedback like ‘touching toes feels way too intimate’, ‘I’m by no means going swimming once more now that I do know this can be a risk’, and ‘If someone did it to me I would kick them.’

‘I feel like that’s one thing swimming lanes ought to ask swimmers to consent to,’ added one other staffer, however one highlighted the way it may also help ‘avoids too many clashes’ as ‘people can get quite rough shoving each other out of the way’.

Whatever your ideas on it, although, it’s good to bear in mind that foot faucets are a factor. That method, once you really feel one thing brush your toes when you’re perfecting your entrance crawl on the leisure centre (and have confirmed it’s not a rogue plaster floating by), what to do.

This article was first printed on September 14, 2025.

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