Is it ok to ask someone to switch lanes

It is ok.

Yep, agreed with everyone else - no problem.

If my boyfriend and I arrive when the pool is busy, people have no problem rearranging so we can share a lane and vice versa.

If more people had that attitude it wouldn't be a problem. I swim at a gym, not a real swim facility, so most folks there have no idea about circle swimming.

I'm in the same boat but luckily there are directions at poolside on how the lane swims work.  I started off in the "middle" lane and eventually got enough dirty looks to shift myself into the "fast" lane. Thank god I did because my stroke has improved drastically trying to keep pace with those guys!!

X2 on the gym. We only have 3 lanes, and i have never observed anyone circle swimming there, and i would be afraid to suggest if the need arose.

I think its ok to ask to move, especially if you are with your kid.

I'm OK with it as long as they ask politely and don't interupt me in the middle of a set.

Mark

Same. I also wouldn't care to share with a kid who obviously knows what he's doing. I'm a slow swimmer anyway

just to play the other side for a min. (I would move most of the time) However, Don't ask if you are going to move a person into a lane with a considerably slower swimmer, or if the person is a "elite" level swimmer.  Although your son, at that age is doing well, don't ask someone who swims 1:10/min 100's and swims 2000-3000 yds in a workout to move. just my 2cents

Now would you have an issue sharing a lane with a kid assuming he has comparable pacing? In the past this is how we handled it.

If there are two open lanes then why not? 

I guess I don't see what the big deal is if there is still room for two or less per lane than what does it matter who is in what lane? You can each take a side and swim whatever speed you like.  Once you get to 3+ then you need to match speeds to circle swim, but otherwise why move around?  Just jump in with someone and swim.