Little Sis Lets Loose

Once we are allowed to start travelling again, The Sisterhood will start walking again. Being the optimist that I am and in preparation for that next big 5K walk, I bravely decided to go back to the gym. The first thing I noticed was not how out of shape I was, but the lack of common courtesy displayed by fellow gym members, which is the inspiration for this post.

Gym Etiquette…. or Lack Thereof

When I started going back to the gym, I did not know what to expect, so I just packed up my gear and headed to my workout with a smile on my face and a spring in my step. I was pumped!

My first concern was how the gym was going to keep us from getting COVID, and honestly they are doing a great job. As we all became more comfortable, and the weeks passed, I started to notice that things were starting to go back to normal though, as far as people being, well, just people. Even though my focus is on working out to my full capacity, I have frequently seen things that spoil my experience and I have concluded that there are four types of really annoying gym goers:

The Machine Sitters: These are the folks who come to the gym, sit at a machine and are constantly on their phones. We are restricted to a one hour and 15 minute time slot so I’m not sure why they would waste precious time like this. I come to the gym to get away from all that noise, and just to relax for the time slot that is all mine. I get looking at your phone to find a song you like to work to, but come on, it takes 10 minutes for you to find one? At one point I look up from the treadmill, and I kid you not, there are four people in a row staring at their phones. I just shake my head.

The Chatty Cathys: These are the folks who come to the gym to socialize, not to work out, but to catch up with old friends that they apparently have not seen in a long time. I am sitting at a machine, and for whatever the reason,they are having a chin wag right in front of me. I am not that interested in your conversation. I will give you money to go for coffee if you just take your chat away from my bubble. This includes the person next to me on the treadmill, talking on their phone. What is so important that you have to have your conversation while working out?

The Social Media Photographers: (aka selfie takers) Yes, this happens in the gym. I have seen people start exercising, stop, take a selfie and continue with their workout. I can only guess that the picture recipient has never seen someone exercising. I just do not understand or….maybe I am just old and cranky?

The Multi Taskers : These are the folks who like to multi task at the Gym. It’s good for the office, but not so much at the Gym. I recently watched an MT go over to a machine, and place their water bottle, and gym bag by the machine. This is proper etiquette. It lets other people know the machine is in use. I was impressed. but it turned to disappointment quickly because after doing this, they went over to the free weights area, and started lifting. They then bounced back and forth between the machine and the weights for about 15 minutes. I was not sure what the point of this was but I do know that it is very selfish behavior on their part. The equipment is for everyones use and to monopolize it like that is just rude.

So, there you have it. I am sure this is not unique to my gym, and I am sure it is equally annoying no matter what gym you go to. I do have to ask myself, though, if I am being overly sensitive about this. Why do I get so upset when there is really nothing you can do about it? Complaining to the staff creates a big “kerfuffel” so I just put on my head phones and carry on….while seething inside.

But Wait…There’s More

I will freely admit to a tendency to over react to perceived injustices or the disregard of rules by others (thanks Dad!) so to just get it all out there, I will also include my comments on driving etiquette.

Driving Etiquette….or Lack Thereof

Some may feel my driving is somewhat frightening ( Big and Little Sis specifically) and I will confess that I am not the best driver in the world (thanks again Dad!), but I do believe that I have common sense and at all times(well, most of the time) try to follow the “rules of the road.”

There are however, some infractions, on the part of others, that cannot be ignored. They are:

The Non Blinkers: We have all experienced this at our some point on our daily drive. You are traveling down a road and if you are a focused driver like I am, you start to notice how many people do not use their signal light, or if they do, they use them at the very last minute which does absolutely nothing to let other drivers know their intention in advance. Since when did this become an option? This is illegal people!

The Blamers: These are the folks who honk at you when they are the ones who caused the problem. I have a very vivid memory of experiencing this first hand. I was sitting at an intersection in the left hand lane which was a thru lane. The person next to me was in a left turn only lane. The light changed, and I proceeded through the intersection. The person next me went straight as well. I ended up in front, and this person blasted their horn at me, and followed me for about a mile shaking their fist and making gestures, before giving up. I was in the right, but some how observing the rules of the road made me the bad guy. This is how road rage begins.

The Cell Phone Addicts: This I believe has happened to all of us at some point. We are stopped at a light with a car in front. The light changes green, but the car in front is not moving. You can clearly see this person is on their phone. What is so important that it can’t wait? Where I live, this is also illegal.

The Anti Mergers: These are the drivers who know there is a merge coming up but they hug the car in front of them so that cars in the merge lane cannot possibly get in. I believe the proper etiquette is to alternate cars in an orderly manner but these drivers seem to think that this is optional and in particular doesn’t apply to them.

In our “Covid World”, it’s easy to classify the above thoughts as frivolous and intolerant, and I concede that there are more important issues to deal with in our daily lives. Sometimes, however, it is the little things that can build up and cause immense stress and irritation. It can be really hard for someone like me to ignore these things. I can even feel my blood pressure rising as I think about it. Just follow the rules people!

Well that feels better. Sometimes all you need is a good rant, just to relieve the stress, as long as no one is injured in the process. Thanks for listening. Gotta go. I’ve got a gym slot booked. Over and out.

Little Sis……and Biscuit