I rarely use hotel pools, but the one at my hotel last night was actually rectangular and on the larger side, so figured I'd do some laps.

Fifteen minutes in, several kids (and one adult) jumped in for Marco Polo. Although I had been occupying only a thin straight line between two ends of the pool, this group overtook the entire pool with no regard for my presence. I'd be halfway down the pool in the middle of a lap, and they would just randomly cut into "my" space.

As I mentioned I rarely use hotel pools. The pool at my hometown gym has designated lanes so I've never given much thought to the issue of sharing. Should I have asked these kids to keep to one side of the pool, or should I have done what I did and simply swim in haphazard curves to get around them?

FWIW, I'm sure we were a nuisance to each other, though not enough of a nuisance to confront one another about it. This morning when leaving my room I found a coffee lid, two creamers, and one straw on the floor right outside my door. The hotel has no room service. Did those kids somehow get my room number?!