Keeping the World Straight... One Incident at a Time

At the Gym
Yesterday was Day 2 for me back at the gym. I have a set of machines I use for upper body strength (my legs are quite strong enough; they have to carry me around.) One I use was occupied by a woman talking on a cell phone. She was as relaxed as a cat, sitting on the equiment. The only muscles she was working were those found in the jaw and tongue.

I shrugged and went on to the next machine and then returned. She was still talking. On my third return, I said, "You know if you want to chat, there are benches in the locker room," gave her the hairy-eyeball laser of Death glare and walked away. When I came back out, she was elsewhere so I sat down and did my exercise.

Still seething -- I'm supposed to pay $28/month for the pleasure of watching some rude bitch sit on the equipment and chatter away? - I talked to the desk clerk. Helpfully, she exclaimed, "Oh! I'll make an announcement that it's only 20 minutes on the equipment" and I looked startled and said, "But you can do at least 35 or 40 reps in less than 5 minutes!"

She explained that she meant the cardio machines. "Do I look like the kind of woman who would get on a treadmill? (we both laughed) I'm talking about the couch potatoes on the machines." She muttered that she'd see what she could do.

Since I don't like to complain about a problem without having a solution, tomorrow I'm bringing the gym some signs:

Unless you are waiting for an organ transplant, turn off your cell phone.

If you get a call, take it to the wall (of the gym floor.)

Seating for cell phone users (over benches along the walls which I will also suggest.)

If all else fails, I am not above stalking about the gym floor, camera in hand, taking pictures of the offenders. If queried (and you know I will be) I will calmly report that I'm doing an investigation for the police. I see no need to insert "cell phone abuse" before "police" - do you?

In Other News
The American Psychiatric Association has come out with new guides for addressing mental problems. We are to say "intellectual disability" instead of "mental retardation." I think "intellectual disability" covers too wide a field. Example: There are many people who are capable, can do math, spell properly and who still vote Democrat!

"Asperger's syndrome" is now "mild autism. This is fine with me. My luck, I'd be calling it "asparagus syndrome."