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Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Why so PETTY??? Why???



Those of you that attend any gym regularly and take classes know a bit about territorialism. You know...the phenomenon where folks think they own a particular spot because they've been there every week for the past whatever amount of time, and don't you dare try to set up in their coveted space? I have been going to the gym forever and still just don't get it. As far as I'm concerned, a spot is just a damned spot.
Do you not realize that your name is not printed there on the floor, and it really is a case of first come first served? Ladies and gents, believe it or not, I have seen people actually come to blows over a particular spot on the studio room floor.

Now, this next phenomenon I like to call "I'm not moving for anybody, I don't care". Exerciser A has come in and set up their step, weights, etc, and the class is beginning to get full. Here comes exerciser B, wanting to set up next to A at a respectable distance, but A refuses to move over one little inch. Even after being asked NICELY.
And there IS enough room for A to do so. I have witnessed this mean, selfish, irrational behavior from folks of all ages, 18 to 80, and from some of the nicest people otherwise.
Yesterday I had to intervene and ask a woman to please move her step over to accommodate the new person, and she finally did it after I shamed her a bit...begrudgingly. The woman had a ton of space in front of and around her, and could have done it easily without making a fuss, but acted like something was be taken away from her as a person just to accommodate someone else. What is the deal with that?

I always move over to accommodate other people, and don't think a thing of it. What is wrong with people who don't want to be courteous to others, even when it just plain makes commmon sense?
I still remember a day when I was teaching on the Upper East Side some years ago. Once again, B asked A to move over. A refused. B, being a bit assertive began moving the stuff over FOR A herself. Screaming and yelling commenced from A, a tug of war began over a dumb bell, and A actually won the tug o war and then threw the dumbbell at B (it missed....because B moved really quickly out of the way). I was like, WHOA!!! I ran and got a manager, and they both got kicked out.
Now, does it REALLY have to come to all that over a spot on the gym floor, people???
OMG! Be courteous, be nice, and just treat people the way you would want them to treat you. Why is that SO hard? Why does it feel like I'm teaching and entertaining 4 years olds on certain days? (those of you that do this).
Please! Unbelievable!

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10 comments:

Jan from BetterSpines said...

We are so territorial! I see it with the (old!) ladies at Bingo. They "own" a certain seat, and it can almost come to blows if some newcomer sits in "their" seat! I myself like a bit of elbow room in most circumstances, and don't like being crowded, but it's certainly not important enough to get aggressive. Goodness me! Where are our priorities?

BK said...

They just have to realize that they are in a 'public' place. If they are really so particular, maybe it'll be better they set up their own Gyms in the private of their homes. Aren't we being taught from young to share? Where has that spirit of sharing gone to?

A lot of times, if not all the times, the world would have been a better place if some people are more considerate and realized that they do not live alone on an island. Like in your example, A could have made a friend if he/she just moved a little to make space for B. Would it be so much better?

aphotog said...

I guess their parents didn't teach them to "share". Makes me wonder what their friends think of them, ...if they have any friends

Health and Fitness said...

Had same experience at the gym too.. And yeah people (mostly ladies) who usually do this are mostly the old ones! I'm only 22 and as much as I don't wanna be rude to elders, I couldn't help it.

Online Printing Company said...

Woah~ I'm guessing those exercisers can carry quite a dumbbell to just throw it to some other person at the gym. Well, their workout is doing wonders! Haha~ :D

The Therapist said...

the world would have been a better place if some people are more considerate and realized that they do not live alone on an island.
Tharapist

Urban Thought said...

That's nuts. One thing about the gym, when attending a class, you have to be aware that it is a shared space and it isn't yours to hog.

Can you ban people from taking classes?

alfredjohn11 said...

at times we are so selfish. one should know that he is not alone in this world. caring for others is the best thing.

manage cholesterol said...

I havn't come across anything over sharing a spot but when I lift weights and use machines, a lot of guys do not like to share. Some people use 3 machines at a time and have these attitudes that, hey don't even look at this machine. It's truly ridiculous.

mms miracle solutions said...

some people just have petty boring lives, and get really anal about these sorts of these things. if the lives are that boring, i say let them have their inch of extra space or whatever. let peace prevail!

 
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