A scary "senior moment"!

[crazycelt]

Due to a light work schedule this week, I had the opportunity to go to the gym in the early afternoon, vs. my usual 5:30am. While there, I observed a significant number of senior citizens, using the machines and the running track. There were also a number of H.S. students there using the free weights and track as well. I noticed a group of seniors were walking along the track, occupying all four lanes, making it difficult (if not impossible) for the students (and other runners) to get by. All of a sudden, this group STOPPED WALKING, and simply began talking with each other while STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRACK! The attendant had to hurry them off, to avoid a serious collision with the runners. Has anyone else ever encountered this issue?

[IR45N]

Sure, in the grocery store. You have Matilda and Bertha chatting up a storm and are clueless that anyone else might want to use the 'aisle'. Ditto any 'entrance'...it's not a home foyer FCOL people!

[ntrllftr]

Yes, every weekend. There is a group of about 3 up to a gaggle of 6. They will hang around the seated military press "usually" at my gym. Once in a while they spill over into the track.

Don't get me wrong these are very nice people. I have found myself talking with them (AFTER MY WORKOUT of course) sometimes. I said it b4 and I'll say it again...

I'd rather them there than sitting at the bar, then driving home.

[britonarius]

Nothing worse than the oap brigade resting on the benches hogging all the equipment and not using any of it.Thankfully the owner herds them off en masse [ like a biblical gaotherder ] to the bar area .

[m1k3g0rd]

Nothing worse than the oap brigade resting on the benches hogging all the equipment and not using any of it.Thankfully the owner herds them off en masse [ like a biblical gaotherder ] to the bar area .

Wow - you have a bar in your gym? Interesting...

[Minotaur]

Not at the gym but on park trails and the boardwalk. I don't see why 4 people have to walk 4 abreast on a trail or the boardwalk when it's only wide enough for 4 abreast in some places. What about the people coming from the opposite direction?

When I ran and when I bike I call out "behind you" or "on your left". One woman on a trail actually moved to the left into my path. I swerved and heard her daughter say "Mom! He said 'on your left'!" The mother said she thought I was saying for her to go left. Then there are the people who ignore you. The people that "get it" always get a "thank you, have a good one" from me.

[Hibiscus09]

Not at the gym but on park trails and the boardwalk. I don't see why 4 people have to walk 4 abreast on a trail or the boardwalk when it's only wide enough for 4 abreast in some places. What about the people coming from the opposite direction?

When I ran and when I bike I call out "behind you" or "on your left". One woman on a trail actually moved to the left into my path. I swerved and heard her daughter say "Mom! He said 'on your left'!" The mother said she thought I was saying for her to go left. Then there are the people who ignore you. The people that "get it" always get a "thank you, have a good one" from me.

Ha -- that happens a lot on the bike trails at Kiawah Island. I am pretty assertive and holler, "Passing on your left!" and people still do these crazy jigs like they just can't figure it out.

Once this little kid -- about four years old -- awww -- was coming in the opposite direction towards me and I was clipped into my pedals -- he just does a beeline straight towards me -- I'm, of course, not going to run over a cute little four year old -- so I'm unclipping as I'm steering to avoid him and I end up front tire in the alligator infested lagoon. He said, "Oops!" So cute!!

One lady yelled last year -- "You have to move because I don't really know how to ride a bike!!" She made me laugh and I truly did have to do some creative/fast thinking steering so she didn't run into me.

Such excitement on the trails!

Oh -- and grocery store people -- usually women -- really tick me off when they park in the middle of the aisle and KNOW you're freagin waiting to get by them and they take freagin five minutes to pick up a can of chicken noodle soup or something. Just move your freagin cart over and let the person by!!! It's like they think it's a damn power struggle or something that proves they won't give in. How about I help them move out of the freagin way? (Ooops -- they arrest people for that, don't they? ) I'm getting this out of my system because I'm going to be a sweeter person in 2008.

[Minotaur]

I once called out to a woman I was coming up on; she turned around because she heard me, but then she jumped and almost fell on her ass. I'm not that scary.

People in the supermarket last Saturday: standing in the aisles and chatting with people they hadn't seen in oh-so-long (sure, because everyone had to be there at the same time ) and were doing *kiss kiss* Merry Christmas (I know, I'm a miserable bastard ).

[LongnHard]

There is an old guy at my gym that you have to keep an eye on as he will wonder right into your space while you are lifting and I am afraid I am going to knock him out. I am always careful if I see him in the area.

[BergMuscle]

My wife and I had a similar encounter with 2 moms, 3 kids, and a stroller at an outdoor mall yesterday. They were standing and talking, then suddenly moved to the left right in front of us while still looking at each other and talking! The one woman said "Excuse me," to me but then, still not looking, steered her stroller right into my wife. Since my wife uses a cane because of her MS, it was rather embarassing for the ladies with the kids.

It isn't always senior citizens.

[BurritoMan]

I was driving on the freeway a few months back, about 70 in the fast lane, when traffic suddenly stopped dead. It was an old lady who at the last minute realised she was driving past her exit so she stopped dead in the left lane, waited for all the traffic in the right (slow) lane to go by before she then made a hard right from the fast lane to make her exit. I got a good look at her as I passed by after traffic started up again, very old.

[Bando]

My walk from office to car is almost a mile and invariably the same 3 women will exit their building and line up side by side and block the whole sidewalk in front of me while they stroll and chat. I call them "the blockers." I usually have my ipod on and am walking fast trying to burn calories, getting by these women without stepping through the snow/mud is kind of a new game for me.

[chodan9]

I get a little short with the impromptu family reunions in the department store aisle. Evidently no one else in the world exists but them and there conversation.
I hit the gym fairly early so its usually not a problem in there, but I was in there last sunday later in the day and some guy was letting his 4 kids run loose in the joint. One ( who was about 10 years old) was loading up 180 pounds on the shrug bench to see if he could lift it while a serious lifter was waiting for him to finish, of course he couldnt even move it.
I can understand the need to get a workout when you can but a little supervision couldnt hurt, heck there is heavy iron in that place, its not romper room,

[Wildtim]

Wow - you have a bar in your gym? Interesting...

My gym used to have a bar area where they served protein drinks and smoothies too.


We used to have one of these inattentive old guys in our dog training club. The problem is that sometimes when you aren't paying attention your dog gatt stoo close to another and a fight happens he had to go after one to many dogfights were his fault. Not good when your 5-10000 dollar competition dog gets torn up by his old retired one.

[bodyhard]

I am so happy my Father is not one of those, my father is 80 and he calls 60 and 70 year old people OLD

[Bando]

I am so happy my Father is not one of those, my father is 80 and he calls 60 and 70 year old people OLD

My buddies Dad in his 80's volunteers to drive a van to take 60-70 year olds to the Dr.

My wifes Grampa is 88 - goes out and clears the snow off all the cars for the people in his apt building before they go to work. Retired farmer and WWII vet. He was furious that they made him retire at 83 from his farm job because he had a stroke.

Some old people just refuse to be old, thats my plan.

[bodyhard]

My buddies Dad in his 80's volunteers to drive a van to take 60-70 year olds to the Dr.

My wifes Grampa is 88 - goes out and clears the snow off all the cars for the people in his apt building before they go to work. Retired farmer and WWII vet. He was furious that they made him retire at 83 from his farm job because he had a stroke.

Some old people just refuse to be old, thats my plan.

I am with you my-do!

[Athena]

Not at the gym but on park trails and the boardwalk. I don't see why 4 people have to walk 4 abreast on a trail or the boardwalk when it's only wide enough for 4 abreast in some places. What about the people coming from the opposite direction?

When I ran and when I bike I call out "behind you" or "on your left". One woman on a trail actually moved to the left into my path. I swerved and heard her daughter say "Mom! He said 'on your left'!" The mother said she thought I was saying for her to go left. Then there are the people who ignore you. The people that "get it" always get a "thank you, have a good one" from me.

Oh, that's my fav -- on the trails when you call "on your left." I once had a couple walking in front of me jump and turn around, then bump into each other as they hurried to the opposite side of the trail -- the guy on the left heading to the right side, the guy on the right heading to the left side. Fortunately I had slowed down enough to not run them down (although I felt like it...deep inside...in that dark place ).

Now, at the gym in the pool the old folks will do that. They'll just somehow wander into the end of the pool or out of their water-aerobics lanes at the end of class and I'm just lucky I don't conk one out whilst swimming...

[redweston]

Gyms Have Tracks?????????????????
keeponpumpin!-red