Just wondering, because the other guy in this equation looked rather surprised. I was at the Y this morning using the strenght machines and I was down to my last thing, the pull down machine. And as I got there I saw another guy sitting there, so I thought, I'll just wait until he is done. But he was not using the machine, he was looking at his phone. So I thought, maybe it is some exercise app. So I waited a bit more, and got a little closer. He was just sitting there texting. So after I had waited about 5 minutes I went up to him and said; "Excuse me, but would you mind if I sat there and got my last exercise in while you test someplace else?" He first said "What?" so I repeated. He then said, looking rather shocked that I asked this "OK" and went and sat on the machine just behind me, to continue texting, while looking at me. I finished my 10 reps, said thank you and left. Every now and then since this occurred I have wondered what the gym etiquette is supposed to be, should I have waited, or should he have been texting elsewhere?
His etiquette was bad. I am so very annoyed by the rudeness of cell phone culture in our society. Keeping a machine out of use for others while texting is extremely rude IMO. You were more polite than he deserved.
You are well within your rights to ask him to move. He probably thought he was tough giving you a hard stare but was probably a teddy bear. Too many people bite their tongues these days.
I'd have done the same. When I'm lifting, I also have no issue if people want to join me at my station and do their sets during my rests. It's all just part of being a decent gym-user.
yeah, gym etiquette is to let people work in, you have nothing to worry about there. I might have phrased it differently 'do you mind if I jump in between your sets' or similar, but they were causing the issue there, not you.
Gum etiquette, unless it has changed since I went. is that you don't tie up a machine you aren't actually using. It wasn't even a matter of working in- the other guy was not working out. He was using it as a regular chair.
I....HATE this. Yes I use my phone as well. But I move myself out the way if I got to respond to anything (work/urgent family etc), if its bants then I wont reply at all. I joke that my warm down is clearing the DBs off the floor. Unfortunately you have many that don't know etiquette and sometimes, cant really blame them. But if you're looking a bit hench or just being an idiot...I would try and ignore as much as I can. I did get into a barney when I was incline dumb-bell benching (35kg) and nearing the end of my set, had 2 guys just stood right by me and started chatting to each other. So as I'm carrying 2 bone breakable metal items in my hands and starting to struggle...and they get right in my eye line, it gets distracting. My spotter told them to move and they gave him a "yeh whatever look" which nearly set him off. So I dropped the weights down right by their feet. Whatever was said is not suitable on MAP. But the other gym go-ers were on my side and gave the 2 chatterboxes, words of advice.
Yeah, ideally he wouldn't have been sat there at all, but asking to work in is a nice, non confrontational way of dealing with the issue in my opinion
I totally agree. But the way it was done was also a nice non-confrontational way as well IMO. Politely stating the truth is fine.
I was totally non-confrontational.... I only said "Move or die" once Actually I thought I was non-confrontational, however for a second after I asked and he replied with "What" I thought a confrontation might be starting, but luckily it was not
Thought you (and others) might appreciate this Xue Iain Abernethy on Instagram: “Just finished in the gym. I’ve been lifting for 32 years. I think I’ve earned old-man rant privileges :-) #iainabernethy #karate #kata…” Travess
