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Original poster

To have been shamed at the gym

311 replies

Bonbon12 · 04/01/2017 20:42

I am a plus size lady who has made it her New Years resolution to lose weight. I joined a gym in December and mainly use the pool. I suffer from knee pain so I have to use the pool for my exercise I can't do running or bike.

So I do little bit of swim-hops/walking which helps my knee and also helps me lose weight. When I arrived I went into the fast lane as it was completely empty and was the smallest lane. It suddenly got really busy and that made other lanes quite busy.

Then two men moved into my lane. They started a fast swim. I asked them could they wait another 15 mins for me to finish and that I have a knee problem so this is helps me.

They replied that "that's not our problem and that the pool was for those who do real exercise". I replied it is real exercise and then I heard one of the men mutter "it's not the lard lane" and I left straight away.

Aibu to think that these men are complete cunts.

OP posts:
DailyFail1 · 04/01/2017 20:59

I was a plus sized lady & used to swim timed laps to help my weight loss. I only had an hour every other day to swim & would have been furious if you'd asked me to wait 15 mins to do exercise in the fast lane when you should have been using the general pool area. I wouldn't have called you names though, (but I would definitely have complained to the nearest member of staff).

Only1scoop · 04/01/2017 21:00

Interesting first post by the way....Bonbon

ALittleMop · 04/01/2017 21:00

How horrible for you, and what nasty people.

It was, however, totally unreasonable of you to expect people to wait to do their own exercise whilst you do yours. Perhaps you could just have reverted to a swim in a slower lane? Why did you feel you had to leave?

Of course, at quiet times its totally ok to do whatever you want to do- within reason - at the pool - but when it's lane swimming time and busy, you need to be prepared to do just that.

MrsTerryPratchett · 04/01/2017 21:00

As in go very slowly on the fast lane when there's a slow lane You'd be amazed. I have had to do half-lengths numerous times because of people arsing around in the fast lane. My mum does racing turns at them!

crashdoll · 04/01/2017 21:01

I'm with the others in that you were BU to ask them to wait but of course, they were very rude.

TheCraicDealer · 04/01/2017 21:01

It might only be 15 minutes but people usually don't hang about the gym- they get in and out. I go after work, I'm in for maybe an hour. If you asked me to wait for fifteen minutes on you that's a quarter of my time gone. It's not like in the fitness suite where you take yourself off and use another machine, you're waiting about in your swimmers doing nothing because someone else isn't following the rules or etiquette. They absolutely should not have spoken to you like that, it was cruel and unnecessary. But I can also understand the frustration of regular gym users at this time of year, dealing with newbies (who often don't stick at it) who don't follow the polices or show courtesy to other people.

MeetTheMartian · 04/01/2017 21:01

The thing is, they are also customers who has also paid to be able to use the pool as they wish.
So when you started, it made sense to be in that lane.
When it got busier, and people started to want to use the fast lane to go fast, you should have moved, physical condition or not.
Just as much as you wanted to finish your exercise, they wanted to do the same thing than you and didn't want to cut their own routine by 15mons anymore than you did!

Having said that, they were extremely rude!!

DeleteOrDecay · 04/01/2017 21:02

If you don't want to be shamed at the gym, don't instigate arguments at the gym.

I disagree that she deserved to be shamed because of her (unreasonable) request. The other swimmers should have gone and spoke to the lifeguard instead of resorting to bully boy behaviour. He/she would have been able to speak to the op and get her to move without shaming her in the process.

acquiescence · 04/01/2017 21:02

That was rude but I'm afraid you asked for it, you were being v unreasonable to be in the fast lane to start with walking and then ask the men to wait!

dingdongthewitchishere · 04/01/2017 21:02

I went in the fast lane as it was the smallest lane and would effect less people.

It sounds like you really meant well but it's not how it works! You were all rude and unreasonable, so don't fret about it, lesson learnt for next time.

ScarletForYa · 04/01/2017 21:02

You can't hog the fast lane slow hopping along it for 15 minutes. It doesn't work like that!

The lard comment was rude though.

Fallonjamie · 04/01/2017 21:03

They were horrible. You were in the wrong though. And arrogant.

BreakfastAtSquiffanys · 04/01/2017 21:03

If you're walking in the pool, there's no need for you to use any of the lanes, assuming that there's half the pool not roped off in lanes.
Being in the wrong lane is a complete no no

PurpleDaisies · 04/01/2017 21:03

That was rude but I'm afraid you asked for it, you were being v unreasonable to be in the fast lane to start with walking and then ask the men to wait!

She didn't deserve to be body shamed. If she'd been in my lane I'd have asked her to move and made clear what the pool etiquette was. There's no need to get personal.

SaltySeaBird · 04/01/2017 21:03

They were horribly rude. No excuses.

I have to say you were rude to ask them to wait. I swim three to four times a week and I'm a fairly fast swimmer. I get very annoyed with slow swimmers to linger in the fast lane when the pool is busy. I also wouldn't wait - I have a very limited time window to fit my swim into and have to either rush to work or back to children. I couldn't waste 15 minutes hanging around and would think you were extremely rude to ask (that said, I wouldn't make personal comments).

Hissy · 04/01/2017 21:04

I'm no michael phelps, but i I can swim 30lengths in your 15mins

That's the time it takes for our body to warm up and stop feeling like it's drowning. Trust me, this is a phase all swimmers want to get through as fast as possible, EVERY time we get in the pool, be it 3, 4, 5 or more times a week.

MrsTerryPratchett · 04/01/2017 21:04

And if people think the fast lane in the UK is fast, you should see the fast lane in Australia. I'm a pretty good swimmer and I was in the slow lane with the incredibly fit seniors.

ItsLikeRainOnYourWeddingDay · 04/01/2017 21:06

Ooh you didn't have such a ridiculous request you wouldn't have been shamed so yabu and it's your fault.

Sirzy · 04/01/2017 21:06

Busy swimming pools only work if everyone shows some lane ettiquette. I am not a confident swimmer so always stay in the "slow" section rather than slow others down. Even if the lanes are empty I don't use them, but if I did I would move as soon as anyone else did.

Don't let it put you off tjough. Just use it as a learning curve.

NotStoppedAllDay · 04/01/2017 21:06

What did you expect them to be doing for 15 minutes?

And would you reimburse them the money they were wasting?

FatalKittehCharms · 04/01/2017 21:07

You should have moved out of the fast lane as soon as they got in it. They were rude to swear but they had the right to swim in the fast lane. You weren't even swimming, so no idea why you needed a lane.

Original poster
Bonbon12 · 04/01/2017 21:09

If you're walking in the pool, there's no need for you to use any of the lanes, assuming that there's half the pool not roped off in lanes.
Being in the wrong lane is a complete no no

No it's all lanes.

OP posts:
Gallavich · 04/01/2017 21:10

And this actually happened did it? Really?

Only1scoop · 04/01/2017 21:10

So stay out of the fast one for your walking

AmysTiara · 04/01/2017 21:10

You were both very rude. You can't tell them to wait fifteen mins for you to finish. It's not your personal poo.

But they were horrible to you too so no one comes out of the situation well.

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