People dying their hair in public places...arrrrgghhhh can I do anything?

[LivinLaVidaLoki]

A few times a year for a period of a few weeks at a time when I go to the gym there are people who use the gym facilities to shower etc. Unfortunately this also includes dying their hair. It gets all in the shower, across the floors...everywhere.
The whole mess aside, I am allergic to PPD. Like seriously allergic.
The last time I came into contact with it I ended up in hospital for days. The only reason I'm still alive is because my neighbour saw me collapse on the path.
I always explain this to the gym manager who in the past has let me use the staff changing room and put signs up.
I went to the gym tonight....hair dye everywhere again. I spoke to the new manager who said she knows who is responsible but they pay to use the facilities so there is nothing they can do.
I reasoned that if I had been repeatedly told to not do something and carried on doing it then I'm sure my membership would be revoked. So why won't they take that approach.
Her whole response was "short of following them in and dragging them out, which I can't do, what do you expect me to do"
I just felt so frustrated. It's the only gym round here and it's where I go to destress and it really helps with my anxiety. But now it looks like I'll have to leave.

I wish I'd read this last night.. I spent almost an hour head wrapped in poxy cling film trying not to get the dye on our new bathroom tiles...we have a leisure centre 10 minutes away...if only I'd known this was a thing

Flowers,I got on quiet underground carriage,so far so good,open book
Glance across to see a passenger flossing teeth.detritus & saliva flying through air
Wet boak🤮I rapidly changed seats

My boss ended up unconcious and in hospital for weeks precisely because of that Mimpi. She went to clean her bathroom. Put bleach in the loo. Noticed a discarded plastic bottle and tipped the remaining contents done the loo with out thinking before continuing to clean. Her sister had dyed her hair in the afternoon and that’s what she put down the loo with the bleach. Knocked her clean out and she cracked her head on the sink on the way down

I personally think it's fine if you're doing it in your car, that's your choice, my issue with someone flossing their teeth on the bus was bits were flying everywhere and near me, not fair on other people at all. and gross.

and Lipstick sorry to hear a flosser came near you too!

I think I would struggle not to vomit if someone flossed near me!! That’s fucking disgusting.

I do think the council gym has a point because how are they going to actually prove it is this particular woman who does it?? unless they barge into a cubicle she is in.... and they cant actually do that can they?
Best they can do is just put up signs about it.
I mean I sympathise with you and dont think anyone should be dying their hair in a gym shower... but Im not sure what you expect the gym to do about it?
How can they revoke her membership with no evidence? and how can they actually legally get evidence?

I have never encountered anything like that at my gym. How odd! You are right to complain.

Write to the gym manager stating your concerns and ask to see the risk assessment and COSHH assessment. Copy in the Council and any elected members. The members usually have some clout.

Ridiculous situation.

This doesn't surprise me at all, for some bizarre reason some women believe the gym showers/changing area is an extension of their bathroom at home. The image of a woman stood naked in front of the changing room mirror with one leg up on the counter applying immac to her underarm, bum hair and public hair will stay with me until I die . It was a private gym and several members complained to the manager. The complaints were taken seriously and the lady in question didn't do it again.

OP I'm sorry that your health concerns haven't been taken seriously. I would follow the advice given by pp and change gyms.

At my gym there are signs above the sinks saying no hair dye.

You're ynbu. The manager should do something.

mixing chemicals like pp is surely very dangerous they cant just say what can we do theyhd rather harm someone then tell someone to leave?

My OH is involved with council run leisure centres and said that travellers pay to use the showers as their caravans are usually dry - without running water.

This might explain your issue and the reason why the manager finds it tricky to deal with.

Not saying it's right, just explaining what the most likely explanation is.

Xx

All that’s needed is to put up signs saying “this facility is for showering before/after swimming/exercise. Please do not use hair dye or shave in these facilities. Breach of this policy will result in a ban from the facility”.

What the fuck is wrong with people?

I mean if I pay to use the leisure centre changing rooms, can I go and take a shit on the floor? Because you know, I paid?

I saw a woman shaving her legs in the steam room once

Oh beurk.

I refuse to use the gym showers for these reasons. I live 5 Mins away and would rather just go home sweaty and gross.

OMG so many examples of grossness

BTW the OP said that the manager had said he knew who it was. Unless it's a massive leisure centre with lots of traffic it should be quite easy to spot the person going in with roots and coming out with a perfect shade of ash blonde no 4 / henna stains on their forehead. Yes I think the leisure centre have room for manoeuvre. The risk of damaging insurance claims in case of a chemical reaction or a serious allergic episode is huge. Councils are usually very risk averse - I second copying in elected members as they can make things happen fast.

I hope the OP will come back with an update!

@Hassled either we go to the same GP surgery or this is more common than I realised!

Utini omg what???

In the public loos of my town, traveller girls do wash their hair regularly...I've seen them dye it too. We are near to a big site and most caravans don't have water. The water is always cold so I'd imagine it must be a nightmare to rinse properly...

Omg you must go to the same surgery @Hassled 😁

I’m not sure it’s racism to point out that travellers use leisure centres as bathrooms quite regularly.

No, but it is when you assume that they must be responsible when you are talking about people who misuse them.

CupofFrothyCoffee, unless you were there when the dying that OP complains of happened, you can't conceivably claim that it's "fact" that any particular racial or other group were responsible.

Where we lived before they were misused with dye, tan and veet by travellers too, on a day pass basis.