Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am a member of a gym that is part of a private club (like a country club or the like). It’s a nice place and there are very strict rules about members’ behavior, including no rude treatment of staff.
I work out in the mornings. I like to go to the gym then. I cannot go later in the day. I wear headphones or earphones when I work out, and I listen to music. I really don’t like being interrupted.
However, the gym manager won’t leave me alone. Every morning at the gym, he’ll come up and start talking at me about random topics, such as work or current events. He does this when I’m working out. For example, I’ll be running on the treadmill, listening to music, and he’ll interrupt. I’ll be in the middle of a set of lifting free weights, and he’ll interrupt. When I ignore him, he’ll come within inches of me, waving his hands within inches of my face (which I ignore until he goes away). Or when I’m running, he’ll stand there and talk at me.
Would you just keep ignoring him, as eventually he’ll go away?
Would you tell him, “Leave me alone!”?
Would you ask his boss (the club’s general manager) to tell him not to interrupt people who are in the middle of workouts or listening to music?
Would you ask him and his boss for a meeting to discuss why I’m not allowed to work out, and ask for a refund of gym dues?
I’m thinking that I should keep ignoring him. It seems rude but that is better than telling him to leave me alone, I think. But ignoring him means that he’ll come within inches of my face when I’m running on the treadmill, waving his hands and talking at me, which is really disturbing.
Thanks.
No need to make a big deal out of it, get him in trouble or be rude.
I'd just say, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'm on a timed schedule. Can I chat with you later?" He'll say "sure." I'll then say, "Thanks so much. Appreciate it."
It seems like he's bored. Maybe he should bring a book to work, or an audio book with ear plugs.
OP - Have you considered writing a letter, anonymously to the manger/owner of the gym. Just briefly state what you have mentioned and add that you like the gym and want to continue to be a member but cannot handle the constant hassle.
This employee is bothering and annoying a lot of members totally inappropriate. It's sad to see a person so needy for attention, this behavior pushes people away.
Suggest in the letter they have a staff meeting and discuss with all their members not to bother members when they are there and do not get in to long conversation with members. They need to say respect people's boundaries.
I've seen people that are oblivious to other people's reactions, it's like they are out there in a different universe. Someone that cannot stop talking, blahering, sounds like he goes in to these monologues has some type of anxiety or something. Probably never has a quiet moment, the struggle is within.
Noooooo. Don't cost someone his job. The OP just needs to be polite & ask if they can chat later, when he's not on a timed workout schedule. Problem solved EASILY. No one is mean. No one gets hurt. No one loses his livelihood.
^I disagree about saying something to him, the employee sounds dense and clueless and doesn't sound like he would even properly comprehend that someone doesn't have the time to talk with him. This employee wouldn't understand polite. He may have some type of disorder.
When I suggested writing the letter that's up to whoever writes the letter if they want to state the employee's name or just say employees.
It sounds to me as if he might have some sort of mental disability and 1) has no idea what he’s going is wrong and 2) is incapable of picking up clues that the members do not want to converse.
Just chatty. I watched him today and he went up to every person who was running on the treadmills and he would just start talking to them. Some people ignored him but others would stop their workouts and talk.
Just chatty. I watched him today and he went up to every person who was running on the treadmills and he would just start talking to them. Some people ignored him but others would stop their workouts and talk.
Listening to your description of him, I'm growing increasingly confident that he's on the spectrum. I'm not saying this to be condescending or mean, I've worked with people on the spectrum for a number of years and social interaction skills can be affected in a variety of ways.
Listening to your description of him, I'm growing increasingly confident that he's on the spectrum. I'm not saying this to be condescending or mean, I've worked with people on the spectrum for a number of years and social interaction skills can be affected in a variety of ways.
I was thinking exactly the same thing. He's sounding more and more like just a friendly, chatty neuro-atypical guy who thrives on friendly attention and craves social acceptance. He means no harm but he's not able to recognize or comprehend the social cues he's getting from other people who don't want any distractions or interference when they're working out.
People like that in my working environment outside is one of the reasons I sometimes use the "do not disturb" sign. They know what the sign means and that it's a message to everyone, not just to them, and isn't intended to hurt anyone's feelings so they accept and respect the message.
.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
