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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

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

129 replies

LivinLaVidaLoki · 09/04/2018 19:04

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.

OP posts:
EasterBunBun · 10/04/2018 01:24

Our local gym has a duty cleaner who is actually lovely but appears quite terrifying. No one misbehaves with her around.

I went to another local leisure centre once, with open showers that people just normally used to do a quick pre and post rinse with costumes on, and a there was a naked woman with a big exfoliating shower puff, soaping herself and building up such an impressive lather on every part of her body that she was rapidly resembling a dandelion clock. She was also singing and seemed blissfully happy so it was an oddly cheering encounter.

Camdenlife33 · 10/04/2018 01:42

The gym’s management really need to deal with this. Fair enough, they can’t exactly police people in the shower but they seem to know who is doing it - there is definitely more that could be done. Whether it’s bans, bag checks, a new member policy etc

Another member could really be allergic to hair colourants and the fumes could make them very ill, or they could collapse and hurt themselves as a PP mentioned. The thing with these chemicals is that you can have dyed your hair many times in the past with them, but still have a sudden reaction the next time you come across them. Thus more people can be at risk then the gym’s management may think. I don’t think that keeping the odd few that dye their hair in public happy is worth the many people that may have a reaction to the fumes.

Camdenlife33 · 10/04/2018 01:45

The new manager might be a bit flustered/inexperienced and so may not know how to best handle this....can you go higher then her? Is it a chain gym, you could contact their head office?

Original poster
LivinLaVidaLoki · 10/04/2018 06:34

Morning everyone. Wow I can't believe how many responses (sorry I didn't respond last night my internet went off.
It's a council run leisure centre, there a a few of them all over the borough all run by a council ALMO. This really is the only facility private or council that is anywhere near where I live/work.
I Will email a complaint to the leisure centre and the head of the organisation using some of the excellent points raised here so thank you. I will also copy in the local councillor.
The problem is caused by travellers who pay to use the shower facility when they are here a few times a year which is I why this problem occurs every year and the management are aware. I didn't put this in the OP as I didn't think who caused the problem was relevant, just that the problem existed at all.
I suppose realistically the only solution I can expect is to be able to use the staff changing again until they leave.
Admittedly last night I was just so cross that all I could think was "if I routinely trashed the place I'd be banned. If they are causing the place to be deep cleaned every time they are here and putting people's lives in danger why can't they be banned?!" But like I said I just felt cross that my concerns were not being taken seriously.
I may also suggest that the staff take some training about allergies or something (or would that be too mucj)

OP posts:
HoorayForHolidays · 10/04/2018 06:42

Who ARE these people?! 🤮

holiday101 · 10/04/2018 07:33

My initial thought was Travellers. We have a very poorly built designated Traveller site in our town where apparently the toilet block (many Travellers take the wc/shower facilities out of their vans) keeps getting blocked and drains flood. This means the only way for them to shower is in the local leisure centre. Never seen anyone dye their hair publicly, but it may be a viable explanation rather than the freak/weirdo already preoffered.

OP it seems the management are massively understating the potential health and safety risks. If you don't get adequate response and reaction from someone higher up then I would move gym.

UgliCat · 10/04/2018 07:59

If they won't ban it, perhaps they could designate one specific shower for advanced/extended sessions suitable for shaving/dyeing.

MNHQ
HebeMumsnet · 10/04/2018 09:46

Morning folks. Just a reminder that yes, Romany and Irish travellers are protected by law under the Equality Act. But to be honest, we just don't think speculative posts or sweeping statements about any group of people are helpful. We've removed any posts that we felt were doing that - the OP hadn't in fact mentioned anything in particular about the person concerned in her first post, as she didn't think it relevant and we're inclined to agree.

Please do think carefully before posting. If the thread becomes too much like Swiss cheese we will have to remove the whole thing, which seems a bit unfair on the OP.

Thanks!

HoneyDragon · 10/04/2018 09:48

Ok, go over their heads and suggest that for the safety of all the long term members the manager lets the offending hair dye users and non members use the staff facilities.

This makes more sense and makes it safer for their customers who may have allergies or a disability that could be catastrophic if they slipped on one of the many inappropriate toiletries being used in the shower room. Make it their problem not their customers if they don’t want to ask them to leave and accept their money and mess.

SerenDippitty · 10/04/2018 09:52

I have read about people dyeing their hair in hotel rooms too, it is a thing apparently.

CupofFrothyCoffee · 10/04/2018 10:45

GnotherGnu

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

Oh my goodness, are you really so silly that I have to explain I was talking about it being 'fact' when the exact same thing (as the OP is talking about) happened in my local leisure centre. It was indeed 'fact' who was doing it.

Dancingleopard · 10/04/2018 10:46

Same here. We know the group of people doing it I just didn’t want to put it on here so I didn’t get called racist.

I can understand why they do it though !

CupofFrothyCoffee · 10/04/2018 10:47

@GnotherGnu

Oh would you look at this from the OP - FACT.

The problem is caused by travellers who pay to use the shower facility when they are here a few times a year which is I why this problem occurs every year and the management are aware

VladPutin · 10/04/2018 10:48

Regardless of who is doing it. It’s just grim
Like blow drying your minge too

Dancingleopard · 10/04/2018 10:58

Like blow drying your minge too

Who the fuck even does that !! 😷😷😷😷

LipstickHandbagCoffee · 10/04/2018 11:01

My friends gym has recently put up sign the hairdryer is for the hair on your head only
Eugh,just think there’s a defined reason that sign appeared..

Dancingleopard · 10/04/2018 11:45
Shock
VladPutin · 10/04/2018 12:08

its quite common. I started a thread on it on here once years ago

LipstickHandbagCoffee · 10/04/2018 12:11

I’m clearly sheltered.eugh giving the bush a blow dry in communal changing room

MrsTylerJoseph · 10/04/2018 12:21

Am I the only person who thinks this a genius idea? Grin

Dh is pissed because I’ve accidentally and permanently stained the bathroom Lino with hair dye. Doing it in the gym would cut the risk. I could put dye in, sit in the sauna for thirty mins and rinse off!

amusedbush · 10/04/2018 14:16

I could put dye in, sit in the sauna for thirty mins and rinse off!

While risking the health (and possibly the life) of someone like the OP with severe allergies. Not so "genius"!

HoneyDragon · 10/04/2018 19:11

Except wood saunas are usually cleaned with a mild bleach soloution so you’d probably kill yourself when the ammonia and bleach fumes mix in the heat Wink

GnotherGnu · 11/04/2018 14:40

Oh, Cup, what a shame you apparently can't appreciate the sheer irony of accusing someone else of being silly when it is you who were claiming something to be a fact when you could not conceivably have known it to be the case.

You've been deleted several times on this thread and also on another relating to travellers. Does that not cause you to reflect on your attitudes at all?

CupofFrothyCoffee · 11/04/2018 15:42

GnotherGnu

Seriously, go away with your nonsense, I've had enough of you on the other thread. Nobody is taking you on.

MuncheysMummy · 11/04/2018 16:31

It’s funny people trying to figure out reasons why people would do this I got it instantly.... people who don’t use the tiny bathrooms in their accommodation (because that’d be dirty!! 😂 the irony) that’s who! Travellers it will be and they won’t care as they are really quite impossible to embarrass generally, they aren’t using the gym facilities just the showers and mirrors to dye their hair