Used it at the gym

[That Anime Chick]

DH and I have been hitting the gym since about March and we've both found that the treadmills are probably the best for us. I am not coordinated enough for the elliptical, no matter how hard I try and I'm too vertically challenged for the recumbant bikes.

Last night I was on the treadmill and the one next to me had an out of order tag on it. It was obvious it was out of order as it was stuck on whatever incline it had been on and the display wouldn't respond to any buttons you touched.

An older gentleman stepped up on the machine, setting his stuff aside and started punching buttons, ignoring the out of order tag (it's fairly big, and he had to push it out of the way). I noticed that my shoe was untied and wanting to avoid a faceplant onto the treadmill, paused my machine to retie my shoe.

It was about this time that the Older Gentleman (OG) noticed that the machine wasn't working and saw that I had stopped. He stood watching me as I sat down to tie my shoe. As I stood up, he started approaching my machine.

OG: Oh good, you're done.
Me: Excuse me?
OG: You stopped, you're done, give me your machine.
Me: I'm not done, I just needed to tie my shoe.
OG: You stopped, therefore you are done and you need to give me your machine. Now.
Me: (stepping back up onto the treadmill and turning my back) I'm sorry, that won't be possible as I am still exercising. There are plenty of other machines (during this exchange, four machines were vacant).
OG: You can't do that! I'm going to report you!
Me: (putting my earbuds back in) Feel free to do so. (starts up machine)

He did report me, but what the gal at the front desk told me later, the manager saw who he was pointing to and simply pointed out that there were several other machines he could use. OG stomped his foot, demanding my name so that he could put in a complaint against me. The manager refused and again said that he could use any of the open machines. OG stomped his foot again and said that he was going to put in a complaint for the whole gym because everyone was rude and hogged all the machines and stormed out.

I can say that my flabber was indeed gasted.

[sparksals]

He was definitely out of line and SS, but why did you step off the machine to tie your shoe since you paused it?  I could see why he thought you were finished if you completely stepped off the machine. 

[That Anime Chick]

I'm clumsy which is one of the many problems I have with the elliptical, besides being uncoordinated. Crouching is hard for me since I have a bad knee (and one of the many reasons I'm going to the gym, to help with losing the weight that's kept my knee from healing properly).  I was sitting on the edge of the treadmill, and the display scrolled the message that it was paused. If I was done, it would have had the Workout Complete message flashing along with the time and distance walked.

[hjaye]

yeah he was completely out of line.  My wife and I have been going to the gym since March as well.  Our favorite machine is the treadclimber.  It's less demanding on the knees, and according to the display it burns almost twice as many calories as the the regular treadmills. 

They're pretty popular, but even if I see someone getting off, I'll ask them if they are finished.  This guy just made a pronouncement that you were finished, and then when you pointed out that you were in fact just tying your shoe, (which should have been fairly obvious) he demanded that you let him have the machine.  Aside from the fact there were four other treadmills that no one was using, even if they were all taken, he was being very much the SS and being very rude. 

I think you handled it very well.

[Mental Magpie]

At any gym I've ever been to, when you are finished with a workout, you are required to sanitize anything you've touched.  That also helps to signal that you are indeed finished with your workout.  Do they not do that at your gym?

[That Anime Chick]

They do. It's just getting people to do it that seems to be the issue. Half the time I see the people working behind the front desk doing the wipe downs after someone leaves. It's not one of those high end gyms, or one where if you don't wipe it down they'll cancel your membership. We still wipe our machines down.

[weeblewobble]

One of my major pet peeves is when someone tells me I "need" to do something that benefits them. One of the first time I showed off my newly polished ehell spine was at one of my favorite comic book movies.  I got to the theater SUPER early because I knew seats would fill up quick. They did and eventually, the only seats available were singles in the very front "craned neck" section. About two minutes before the lights went down, this couple comes in and tells me I "need" to leave my good mid-rise, end of row seat and find another seat because they need two seats together. I told them I didn't "need" to do anything of the kind and they should sit before the movie started.  They called in a manager to MAKE me give them my seat. She refused and told them to sit. Cue big huffy exit.

I think you handled it fine. 

[Mental Magpie]

One of my major pet peeves is when someone tells me I "need" to do something that benefits them. One of the first time I showed off my newly polished ehell spine was at one of my favorite comic book movies.  I got to the theater SUPER early because I knew seats would fill up quick. They did and eventually, the only seats available were singles in the very front "craned neck" section. About two minutes before the lights went down, this couple comes in and tells me I "need" to leave my good mid-rise, end of row seat and find another seat because they need two seats together. I told them I didn't "need" to do anything of the kind and they should sit before the movie started.  They called in a manager to MAKE me give them my seat. She refused and told them to sit. Cue big huffy exit.

I think you handled it fine.

One thing that severely irritates me about requests as such (assuming that it is not a medical need, but rather a want) is that you are an adult, you can spend 1-2 not at the side of your companion; it won't kill you.

My one friend got reamed by his girlfriend at a party because he did not sit next to her.  She wound up sitting across from him (we were at a dining room table playing boardgames).  My boyfriend wound up sitting across from me, too, and I could not have cared less.  We are madly in love but we are not attached at the hip.

Back to your regularly scheduled programming...

I must have missed it the first time, but did he really stomp his foot?  Is he Nichol's grandpa or something?

[That Anime Chick]

One thing that severely irritates me about requests as such (assuming that it is not a medical need, but rather a want) is that you are an adult, you can spend 1-2 not at the side of your companion; it won't kill you.

My one friend got reamed by his girlfriend at a party because he did not sit next to her.  She wound up sitting across from him (we were at a dining room table playing boardgames).  My boyfriend wound up sitting across from me, too, and I could not have cared less.  We are madly in love but we are not attached at the hip.

Back to your regularly scheduled programming...

I must have missed it the first time, but did he really stomp his foot?  Is he Nichol's grandpa or something?

That's what the front desk gal said. She said that if someone hadn't asked for a smoothie just as he was complaining, she might have burst out laughing. She said that she was smiling to herself at how amusing it was.

Apparently OG has been going to this gym for "years" - funny this location opened about 2 years ago, though the company itself has been around for about 25 years or so. Maybe he meant as a whole, but it was quite the tirade. I guess I had him tuned out with my iPod.

[BeagleMommy]

At the gym DH and I go to there used to be an older man who would come in, sit down on one of the two leg lifters, place his legs on the leg pad and....fall asleep.  The first time we saw him DH thought he needed medical attention.  He would sleep for 45 minutes (we timed him) then leave.  The staff warned him several times that he either needed to use the machine or stop coming to the gym.  He hasn't been back.