A lane left open

An original narrative set at an invented swimming gala.

At the practice gala, the organisers left one lane out of use during the warm-up. I thought it was a mistake because the other lanes looked crowded. Then a swimmer asked to cross to the far side with a helper. They used the empty lane without having to pass through the practising group.

Later, the same clear space allowed a coach to speak to someone who needed to leave the pool. No one had to stop an entire line of swimmers or squeeze past a moving group. The lane was not waiting for an important competitor. It had been kept clear so that people could enter, cross or leave when they needed to, without disrupting everyone else.

In your own words, explain two ways the unused lane was helpful.