When passing your lane partner, tap them on the left foot and proceed up the middle of the lane. Rule #2.1: If you are being passed, DO NOT speed up and attempt to start a drag race. This is a pet peeve and a surefire way of encouraging a not-so-civilized way of passing the next time around.
Should a third swimmer enter the lane (and they surely will as soon as you achieve a comfortable rapport with your first intruder), the same rules apply. However, it becomes imperative that you all pay more attention to each other than before, because passing can get tricky down the middle of a lane shared by three people.
Remember, if you pick the correct lane, you shouldn't be passing or be passed very often in the first place.
Lesson #3: The collision
No matter what, the day will come where you have an unpleasant collision. It is an unavoidable hazard in swim training, and your best defense is to be prepared.
If you notice a swimmer with no sense of direction and hazardous technique (their arms straight, or their kick scissoring every which way), avoid their lane altogether (and you swimmers with bad technique, start reading my column and improve your strokes). If a swimmer is wearing paddles, avoid their lane if there are other options. If you are unfortunate enough to bang heads, arms or fingers (and fingers can be the most painful nicks of all), look to see if the other swimmer has stopped and if so, assess the damage. If they keep swimming, it means your mishap is just that; your mishap; it doesn't faze them, so get over it.
If they are as startled and anguished as you are, it serves you both well to apologize to one another and ask if you are both OK. This is a fundamental difference from car accidents, where you look to blame the other party for insurance purposes...see how civilized swimming can be when compared to the real world?
With both swimmers acknowledging some sort of pain, egos are stroked and the business of swimming can be resumed and further inter-swimmer violence avoided.
Although the above three lessons are brief and just the tip of the iceberg, they clearly indicate that the sport of swimming need not be as mindless and impolite as, say, basketball.
In addition, the rules above only apply to solo swimming; that is, people who swim by themselves in a non-organized training regimen. The rules and manners of masters team swimming are even more complex than this, and will warrant their own space in next week's column.
In the meantime, the above tips can help you become a better lady or a gentleman, regardless of whether you are a champion. And it might just keep you out of court!