Be interesting what response I get.

[polishedball]

The weight room has become a playroom the past few months. I sent the email below upon getting home tonight. Will be interesting what if any response I get.

Hello,

I have some questions and concerns about the recent behavior and etiquette in the weights area, I am hoping perhaps you can answer or address them. I have been a member since 2009, so I have a decent idea of how things had been previous compared to the past few months. I am thinking that it might be that there is reduced amount of staff supervising the weight room as previously there was usually always a counter person there or so it seemed. Anyhow the past few months it has just gotten frustrating to have kids bring basketballs into the weight area, bounce them, pass them around and then get hit with them rolling or bouncing into you. This has happened twice in the past week. Then ya get the "my bad". Also out of safety there seem to be a lot of new people that have hung in there perhaps from New Years, which is great, but when a family of 5 uses one of the benches next to you and runs into the loaded bar (over 315) it becomes a shoulder destroyer, I am lucky to have gotten control back. Also the gym has been a lot more busy, and some people are super setting three exercises taking up the stations, today I was on lat pull downs and though I had a towel on the machine, when I went and grabbed a drink someone managed to swap the bar out and take it over. I have no issues with someone working in, but swapping the bar was a little far. It just seems like a lot of people in there, don't know better or have no respect for others.

I am curious if anyone else has mentioned this or if it has been notice by any other staff. I was off for about 5 months when my daughter was born, and returning now these last few months has been hard to actually enjoy. Do you know is it just the WWW branch that has the increased traffic, or is it all locations. It is nice being close, but if it is safer and less a frustration it might be worth the drive downtown instead.

Thanks

[so-tex]

Damn, I thought my new gym was bad. What you are experiencing is ridiculous

[polishedball]

Damn, I thought my new gym was bad. What you are experiencing is ridiculous

This at at the Y it's nice for the family, but wow I really wish I was in a gym where this wouldn't fly. I learned the hard way how to act, but trying that method here would get my membership revoked.

The guy that swapped the bar on me, was the last straw. I was still nice, but everyone always says I look pissed so I imagine considering I was hot, prob didn't look pleasant. All I said was "I can understand you working in, but swapping out my bar was going a little far." He acted all pissed with the sorry dude attitude, and how'd I know you were here. I was like those towels are mine ya sitting on. Worse part is he was doing standing straight arm push downs for lats and could have hung the bar in three other places besides the seated lat pull down machine.

[so-tex]

What ever happened to manners. The last gym I worked out at
was nice. It was a turned into a personal training facility, but since the owner lived there, he let a few of us use it any time we wanted. When he moved out, his insurance wouldn't let him fly, so we had to move on.

[Corbi]

If peple are acting like asses, runnning around, being a possible danger to others, etc I have no issue with telling them to knock it off and have done so many times. If I get hurt because some assclown knocks the bar down on me or whatever else may happen there will be hell to pay.

[mcbourque]

Wow that's really awful. Worked and worked out in many gyms in so many cities in the US and Canada, fancy gyms, small sweaty gym to college and Ys. Never ever saw that.
Bouncing balls really?

If you are at the Y, do patrons need to take a one-shot 2hr class before they are allowed in the weight room area? It is a policy in many community centers and Ys. Might be worth asking.

Good letter though. Good for you to speak up.

BTW as a former gym manager, I can tell you that every time you bring potential injuries, it will get their attention. Gyms don't want lawsuits

[polishedball]

Wow that's really awful. Worked and worked out in many gyms in so many cities in the US and Canada, fancy gyms, small sweaty gym to college and Ys. Never ever saw that.
Bouncing balls really?

If you are at the Y, do patrons need to take a one-shot 2hr class before they are allowed in the weight room area? It is a policy in many community centers and Ys. Might be worth asking.

Good letter though. Good for you to speak up.

BTW as a former gym manager, I can tell you that every time you bring potential injuries, it will get their attention. Gyms don't want lawsuits

There is an orientation but must not be enforced or it is just ignored.

[Karl_Hungus]

Hello,

I have some questions and concerns about the recent behavior and etiquette in the weights area, I am hoping perhaps you can answer or address them. I have been a member since 2009, so I have a decent idea of how things had been previous compared to the past few months. I am thinking that it might be that there is reduced amount of staff supervising the weight room as previously there was usually always a counter person there or so it seemed. Anyhow the past few months it has just gotten frustrating to have kids bring basketballs into the weight area, bounce them, pass them around and then get hit with them rolling or bouncing into you. This has happened twice in the past week. Then ya get the "my bad". Also out of safety there seem to be a lot of new people that have hung in there perhaps from New Years, which is great, but when a family of 5 uses one of the benches next to you and runs into the loaded bar (over 315) it becomes a shoulder destroyer, I am lucky to have gotten control back.

^^ This is something they can actually do something about .... so it makes sense to bring this up. Dipsh!ts f'cking around with basketballs should not be dicking around in/near the weight room.

Also the gym has been a lot more busy, and some people are super setting three exercises taking up the stations, today I was on lat pull downs and though I had a towel on the machine, when I went and grabbed a drink someone managed to swap the bar out and take it over. I have no issues with someone working in, but swapping the bar was a little far. It just seems like a lot of people in there, don't know better or have no respect for others.

The staff can't do anything about this. And honestly, if you are in a crowded gym and you leave a piece of equipment to get a drink, you should EXPECT that someone is going to take it .... towel or not. People leave towels on sh!t all the time .... even after they have long finished, so it isn't a clear indication that the equipment is being used. If I am in the gym, and it is crowded, I don't leave any equipment until I am done with it.

[ticklemeelbow]

He acted all pissed with the sorry dude attitude, and how'd I know you were here. I was like those towels are mine ya sitting on. Worse part is he was doing standing straight arm push downs for lats and could have hung the bar in three other places besides the seated lat pull down machine.

Strong dumbass

[tryintorebuild]

Leaving a towel as a sign that the equipment is in use would be a good idea, except if your gym is like mine people leave stuff on equipment all the time.

I don't know how many times I've had to ask around to find out if someone was using a bench because the last person didn't remove their weights when they were through. Man that gets my goat.

[StressMonkey]

I predict a chain letter response. If you just sent it to that Y I would go higher up the chain. That kind of behavior is unacceptable.

[sumolgi]

Jeez, the bar thing got me. How did the family react or did they even notice?? I think I might have lost it just seeing something like that... there's just no excuse for endangering others in the gym.

[ajdahlheimer]

Home gym guy for 10+ years. This thread makes me appreciate it that much more.

Only gym I could workout in is Rawelite's (if my ego could handle being the weakest guy there, that is).

[tomnationwide]

So you fired off an angry email? lol

The next time someone bumps you or is in the way blow up on them so that everyone hears you. Everyone will then not only watch out for where you're working but be a bit more mindful of everyone else.

[tomnationwide]

If peple are acting like asses, runnning around, being a possible danger to others, etc I have no issue with telling them to knock it off and have done so many times. If I get hurt because some assclown knocks the bar down on me or whatever else may happen there will be hell to pay.

Totally...stand up to it don't just email management.

[polishedball]

Totally...stand up to it don't just email management.

I did reclaim the machine, but with this being a Y they will revoke the membership for the family if I came off to be aggressive threating or offensive.

[so-tex]

I did reclaim the machine, but with this being a Y they will revoke the membership for the family if I came off to be aggressive threating or offensive.

I think you handled the situation well. There is no since in getting kicked out of the gym. Hopefully the email you sent will resolve the issues.

[tomnationwide]

I did reclaim the machine, but with this being a Y they will revoke the membership for the family if I came off to be aggressive threating or offensive.

Ouch. I worked out at a YMCA a few times. I'll never go back to that place.

[crupiea]

Flying off the handle wont solve anything other than to make you look like a fool.

The gym seems like a popular place. Some people dont understand the rules so that seems like an opportunity to teach them to them.

Dont have to be a dick about it, just let them know if the bounce the ball someone could get hurt. Just like your kids playing ball in the house. You dont go crazy on them, you just tell then to take it outside.

The email idea seems like you are just complaining that the place is busy. Thats what the business is for, to make money so the more people in the gym the happier the bottom line will be, even if it is the Y. So its like being mad at Disneyland if you had to wait in line for a ride.

My gym gets real crowded at certain times, half hour later everyone has cleared out.

[pharmamarketer]

If peple are acting like asses, runnning around, being a possible danger to others, etc I have no issue with telling them to knock it off and have done so many times. If I get hurt because some assclown knocks the bar down on me or whatever else may happen there will be hell to pay.

Me neither. This is not the type of sport that is forgiving if something were to go real bad. Say a bar with some decent weight (or not decent for that matter) were to fall because someone is fuking around. Thankfully I workout in a gym that the average gym goer would not join. It is not too inviting to them. Well, it would be to some guys or gals on here but it is a no frills gym. So we don't get too many asshats thankfully

Tell them to stop OP. And dont be nice about it

[polishedball]

The response I received was very sincere. It was agreed that there is no reason for such acts or behavior. It would be addressed at this weekends staff meeting and that if I didn't notice a immediate improvement to please reach out again.



And in response to the complaining in my email about it being busy, I don't mind busy, I just don't like stupidity. I would go latter when the crowd clears out, but have to be home at 8 to get the kiddos to bed.

[StressMonkey]

The response I received was very sincere. It was agreed that there is no reason for such acts or behavior. It would be addressed at this weekends staff meeting and that if I didn't notice a immediate improvement to please reach out again.

I think you did the right thing. Now the problem will be addressed and it helps everyone, not just you during the time you are there.