To expect discretion in Gym changing rooms.

[Drew64]

What is it with men who parade around the changing rooms naked, without a care in the world?
After 9 hours at work and an hours commute the other day, I was crouching over my bag sorting out my gym gear when I became distinctly aware of a cock, balls and arse inches from my face as he admires himself in the mirror next to me. I lie NOT! it was swinging away less that a foot away!

Now I have to say that in no way do I have a problem with nudity, even in the company of the same sex. When I change at the gym I don't do so under a towel, I'm just discrete about it and don't parade myself around in front of strangers.

It seems to be middle aged men too, not that I have anything against middle aged men, I'm one myself but come on fellas, be a bit more discrete. I don't want your tackle swinging in my face and if you want to admire yourself in the mirror then please wrap a towel around yourself of put some underwear on!

Wow this is so British !!

Lol at lots of the comments.

Believe me, when I say strutting I mean it! He was admiring himself in the mirror next to me, walking back to his locker and coming back to admire himself again.

I don't have a problem with nudity and I don't change under a towel but I'm discrete. I don't wander around the changing room naked standing right next to someone with my willy at eye level.

Spartans your DD sounds fantastic! That's a lot of confidence for a 10 year old.

Drew
DS commented that the chap who inspects the back of his scrotum in the big mirror gets nasty looks from everybody - so you are not alone in being annoyed at the "strutters"
And the chaps who have their morning shave in the basins while stark bollock naked

Then again ladies can always win that one with sanitary products [bleugh]

There are so many bums in my face in the ladies changing room, bent over, leg perched on bench.. It doesn't bother me though, I just avert my eyes! I'm a cubicle kind of girl

Is it just me, or is there the teensiest undercurrent of homophobia in all this "yuck, I don't need to see anyone's minge/tackle/whatever"? Or am I being really unfair and it's just projected body shame and self-hatred?

ugly
We have the mastectomy corner in our changing rooms - they all compare notes and surgeon details.

Its the difference between flaunting and basic modesty.

So what's your take on public breastfeeding, Ta1kin? Discreet or flaunting? Ostentatious even?

Breastfeeding in a public place can be done without anybody being bothered : I know because I used to.
Ostentatiously public breastfeeding is just silly.

Communal changing rooms will be full of naked people getting themselves sorted out.
People who parade and flaunt their genitalia and pudenda are just silly.

I don't like it either OP and I'm no prude. I just don't want to see some other woman's minge, ta very much. As a result, I change and shower at home. Not always practical, I realise, depending on where your home and gym are and what your routine is, but YANBU - its very off-putting.

Seriously? Rather than simply averting your gaze, you actually go out of your way to avoid the changing room completely?

I'm normally too busy trying to get my feet through my knicker legs without falling over, to notice all these 'strutting' naked folks

Surely a willy can only be at eye level (in a changing room) if you are bending down and the willy owner is standing up? Pretty difficult NOT to have a willy at eye level under those circumstances?

If your gym has communal changing rooms, it is something that you'll just have to accept - at the end of the day nobody gives a crap what anyone else looks like in there anyway. I don't see anyone strutting around or flaunting at my local pool, just people walking topless or in the nip between the showers, lockers and where they are changing etc and not making a particular effort to remain modest while changing. If people don't like it, they are more than welcome to use the family changing cubicles for extra privacy.

Ostentatious breastfeeding
here we go .....

I've never figured out quite what that could be?

Not fussed by mine or anyone elses nudity at the gym (or similar), but to lighten thing up a bit... apparently at DH's gym some chaps stand stark naked in front of the mirrors and dry themselves with the hairdriers (sometimes one in each hand!)...i find this image hilarious
Entirely their choice, but intruiged as to what made them think a towel just wasn't doing the job well enough ;)

Lovelyfriend
Wear a baggy top with a nursing bra, pull it up, baby plugs in .... all anybody can see is a baby lying sideways across mum's lap.
Most observers will not even clock that breastfeeding is taking place.

Wear a buttoned shirt, open it to the waist, plug baby in, with one side of chest / breast fully exposed to (a) cold air (b) all onlookers.

Changing room equivalent
Walk past mirror on way back from shower, take quick glance at self then get dressed

Put wash bag down, walk back to mirror, stand in front of it striking poses, including inspecting between bum cheeks before moisturising all around groin with one leg on the bench.

i joined a chain of gyms and while trying out 3 of them was hearing and seeing sexual behaviour so checked gym ratings websites and came on one that rated my 3 along with others as being great for sex.They were very specific eg-teenage boys and s offs with middle aged middle class men etc. naked parades in the changing rooms were part of the hook up ritual IMO. I cancelled after deciding gyms appear to be the new bath houses.

Ditto 5hell

amarmai, hey maybe I've pulled. I didn't think of it like that

Was he really parading? Or was he just...naked? It's so hard to tell as all the judgemental language in these sorts of scenarios is always so subjective.

When I'm in a changing room I just get dressed and undressed the same as I would at home. I just can't be arsed with the energy and faff and brain space to think about how to cover different bits up while trying to be quick.

To some people this might be parading and exhibitionist. To others it's just normal. In an icelandic or finnish changing room it's totally normal. And, mercifully, at my gym.

Blimey my gym must be a bit humdrum I've only seen women drying head hair with dryers and scurrying to a bit of a bench on which to dry and dress.

This reminds of the scene in Run Fat Boy run in the locker room !

DS and his friends are 12/13 they often come out the gym changing room tight lipped and then collapse into uncontrollable giggles round the corner.

When this happens I know exactly which bloke is going to come out later. They've informed me he does lunges and bicep curls naked in front of the mirror to admire his physique.

It's not just the boys, I've seen adult members come out giggling too, it's always the same bloke

Now I could sternly remind the boys that the naked body is fine and natural,and nothing to laugh at. But frankly I'm just proud of them that they can hold it in till they're out the way.

Thank you. I was looking for a new excuse not to go to the gym. Have found it!

Naked swiming!?

I have seen some odd behaviour in changing rooms - including the hairdryer instead of towel thing - but I do find the very 'British' attitudes to nudity expressed in these threads equally odd.

I was a spa hotel in another European country where the spa area, saunas etc. was nude. There was none of the bizarre towel dancing I see in UK changing rooms, nor the equally bizarre 'look at my I'm naked!' behaviours. It was great

I have noticed though that many British travellers will elect not to use the facilities due to nudity (country I have been to many times and where nude spas are the norm).

I do wonder if the slightly prudish British attitude to nudity actually encourages the weird behaviours

It sounds like the OP has seen this: and then thought he'd come here, attention seeking.