I'm having undue hassle getting through my obligatory workout at Nuffield Gym in the Barbican, London. I'm finding it so difficult to get onto seated machines as people sit there texting ad infinitum, with a few token interspersed reps. Last week, there was a guy who sat on one for 15 minute and did 10 reps. In fact, 3 machines that I use were simultaneously blocked by people doing similar. I suppose I could challenge them, and did manage to get someone to move off on one occasion, but it's difficult and confrontational.
There's a notice in a side corridor saying that people have complained, requesting users not to block use of the machines by texting. Yet the problem is definitely getting worse.
I asked a manager to place staff on the floor to have a quiet word with the worst offenders, but was told that there was nothing they could do and it was the customer's responsibility to challenge the rule-breakers. I find this refusal to manage the gym floor so that customers can access the machines to be unreasonable. People are not getting the service they are paying for; they're not getting fair access to equipment, and Nuffield refuses to take responsibility. AIBU?