Been called a c**t by some teens at the gym

Upthejunction45 · 2026-01-13T20:36:33+00:00

Recently signed up to a city centre gym. Went earlier, 8pm and you need a personalised pin to get in so ideally should be secure. However 4 teenagers were in the hallway, unsure how they got in. One of them moved past so I said thank you. Obviously didn't hear me so he shouted, say thanks then!! I said, I did, didn't you hear me? The other then said 'fucking ungrateful cunt. I should've ignored them because they want a reaction, but I was shaken up so I said 'Don't you dare speak to me like that.' They left and I alerted gym staff that kids were getting into the building and verbally abusing members, they said they'd keep an eye on it. I've previously been a secondary school teacher so have heard all sorts, but it can still be intimidating. Is 8pm too late to be going out? It's on a busy road.

TheLightSideOfTheMoon · 13/01/2026 20:38

Be flattered.

It’s probably the longest word they know.

StCuntyMcCunterson · 13/01/2026 20:44

Too late for you to be out or them? Either way the answer is no. Sorry you went through it. Follow up with the gym to make sure they are actively stopping them.

DaftNoodle · 13/01/2026 20:59

I got called a fucking mental bitch a few months back at the gym when i politely asked a group of teenage boys that were just hanging around in the gym talking loudly and in my space If they could move over a bit, when I was trying to lift weights.
I complained to the gym manager and was told there is nothing they can do as the boys have as much right to be there as anyone else. I was fuming and haven’t gone back there.
But during the incident it was really intimidating and the weights section were full of grown men who just looked on and said nothing.
Im still annoyed about it all today!!

ApplebyArrows · 13/01/2026 21:44

DaftNoodle · 13/01/2026 20:59

I got called a fucking mental bitch a few months back at the gym when i politely asked a group of teenage boys that were just hanging around in the gym talking loudly and in my space If they could move over a bit, when I was trying to lift weights.
I complained to the gym manager and was told there is nothing they can do as the boys have as much right to be there as anyone else. I was fuming and haven’t gone back there.
But during the incident it was really intimidating and the weights section were full of grown men who just looked on and said nothing.
Im still annoyed about it all today!!

Edited

I imagine if you'd called the gym manager a fucking mental wanker he'd have quickly developed other ideas.

Greengreengras · 13/01/2026 21:54

Doesn’t surprise me the language and attitude some of these kids have. Very few seem to have actual manners and respect. I hope my daughter when I’m not present maintains manners and respect. A lad had an almighty mouth on him and very disrespectful until he saw his mother approaching (I assume his mother) the other day. Suddenly he stopped swearing and changed his manner and walked off with her. Secondary school boy. One lad on his way home dropped money and did I get a Thankyou? Nope. Looked at me like I was dog poop. I found £20. He was damn lucky that an honest person found that. Again secondary school child. I don’t know how you manage to teach some off them and remain professional.

Brightlittlecanary · 13/01/2026 21:56

Sorry too late for who to go out please? I am not sure 8pm is too late for any of you to go to thr gym or be out.

Migrainedays · 13/01/2026 21:57

Ive been called alsorts by mumnet posters.

FaceDownInAPuddle · 14/01/2026 05:36

I've been screamed at by fully grown men. It's horrible.

Northernparent68 · 14/01/2026 05:53

DaftNoodle · 13/01/2026 20:59

I got called a fucking mental bitch a few months back at the gym when i politely asked a group of teenage boys that were just hanging around in the gym talking loudly and in my space If they could move over a bit, when I was trying to lift weights.
I complained to the gym manager and was told there is nothing they can do as the boys have as much right to be there as anyone else. I was fuming and haven’t gone back there.
But during the incident it was really intimidating and the weights section were full of grown men who just looked on and said nothing.
Im still annoyed about it all today!!

Edited

Why is it your space and not theirs

MyStupidUsername · 14/01/2026 06:14

Northernparent68 · 14/01/2026 05:53

Why is it your space and not theirs

Show quote history

Don't be foolish, you know exactly what she meant.

ticklyfeet · 14/01/2026 06:18

MyStupidUsername · 14/01/2026 06:14

Don't be foolish, you know exactly what she meant.

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I know exactly what the OP meant because in the gym I go to there is a general rule to stand well back from anyone lifting weights. It’s a safety issue rather than manners.

Firebox64 · 14/01/2026 06:56

I had this at a local gym. I played hell about it: long letter of complaint, meeting with manager and I reported them to Trading Standards as I wasn’t getting the facility I’d paid for. (Nothing happens but it upset the gym.) Yes, those teens have every right to be there but they will need staff support and supervision to understand how to use this adult space. It’s not a youth club, it’s a gym. One staff member patronisingly said they don’t tolerate discrimination and I responded the boys were discriminating against me because they certainly wouldn’t speak to the weight lifting blokes that way. She suddenly had no more to say on the matter. I moved gyms. The leisure industry needs all the customers it can get, teenage boys won’t keep them afloat. I am sorry you were insulted: one day he’ll do it to the wrong person.

Fundays12 · 14/01/2026 07:01

This is awful. Put in a formal written complaint to the manager and if they dont follow it up go higher if its a bug company. Gyms cannot afford to be complacent about things like that as it isolates other customers.

Original poster

Upthejunction45 · 14/01/2026 07:04

Thank you. The issue is also that the teens weren't gym members, they had managed to get into what is supposed to be a secured members only building where people enter individually with a PIN, so somebody had possibly let them in.

OP posts:

PennyLaneisinmyheartandmysoul · 14/01/2026 07:05

Northernparent68 · 14/01/2026 05:53

Why is it your space and not theirs

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And here we have the answer as to why these dc are so entitled.
is that what you think @Northernparent68 ?
is that what you’d tell your dc? “Yeah! How dare she get to decide about her personal space! You want to be aggressively intrusive do it !! You got RIGHTS!!”

FaceDownInAPuddle · 14/01/2026 07:12

@Northernparent68 how dare she ask some kids to just move over a bit. They were totally within their rights to call her a mental bitch, maybe they should have spat on her and threatened her with a knife too. They she would think twice about calmly requesting a bit more space.

Seriously what is wrong with you?

ticklyfeet · 14/01/2026 07:34

Firebox64 · 14/01/2026 06:56

I had this at a local gym. I played hell about it: long letter of complaint, meeting with manager and I reported them to Trading Standards as I wasn’t getting the facility I’d paid for. (Nothing happens but it upset the gym.) Yes, those teens have every right to be there but they will need staff support and supervision to understand how to use this adult space. It’s not a youth club, it’s a gym. One staff member patronisingly said they don’t tolerate discrimination and I responded the boys were discriminating against me because they certainly wouldn’t speak to the weight lifting blokes that way. She suddenly had no more to say on the matter. I moved gyms. The leisure industry needs all the customers it can get, teenage boys won’t keep them afloat. I am sorry you were insulted: one day he’ll do it to the wrong person.

I’m glad you moved, but isn’t it shocking you felt you had to!
The gyms really need to employ staff who have experience and knowledge of gym heath and safety together customer rights…but they don’t and regular users (who keep these facilities going) have to take matters into their own hands.

TorroFerney · 14/01/2026 07:35

Northernparent68 · 14/01/2026 05:53

Why is it your space and not theirs

Show quote history

It’s joint, which is the point. Consideration is how society functions.

you need my husband op, anyone swearing in public is very firmly told to give it a rest. He will get punched one day I expect.

Crazykatie · 14/01/2026 07:40

Complain to the gym owners then change gym, at mind there are times when it’s mostly men others mostly women , I go at 7.30 before work there is a nice mix certainly no toe rags they are still in bed.

AtomHeartMotherOfGod · 14/01/2026 07:47

I have voted YABU as your Q seemed to be whether 8pm was too late for teenagers to be out and whether they could cope with a 'busy road'.

YANBU to have acted the way you did regarding their language.

Brightlittlecanary · 14/01/2026 17:25

AtomHeartMotherOfGod · 14/01/2026 07:47

I have voted YABU as your Q seemed to be whether 8pm was too late for teenagers to be out and whether they could cope with a 'busy road'.

YANBU to have acted the way you did regarding their language.

Yes this confused me as well. I still can’t work out why 8pm would be too late for anyone to be out.

Glittertwins · 14/01/2026 17:34

Upthejunction45 · 14/01/2026 07:04

Thank you. The issue is also that the teens weren't gym members, they had managed to get into what is supposed to be a secured members only building where people enter individually with a PIN, so somebody had possibly let them in.

If you reported them at the time, the staff should be able to find out whose PIN was used to enter the building and speak to them.

ChimpanzeeThatMonkeyNews · 14/01/2026 21:54

DaftNoodle · 13/01/2026 20:59

I got called a fucking mental bitch a few months back at the gym when i politely asked a group of teenage boys that were just hanging around in the gym talking loudly and in my space If they could move over a bit, when I was trying to lift weights.
I complained to the gym manager and was told there is nothing they can do as the boys have as much right to be there as anyone else. I was fuming and haven’t gone back there.
But during the incident it was really intimidating and the weights section were full of grown men who just looked on and said nothing.
Im still annoyed about it all today!!

Edited

They might well be members, and have the same ‘right’ as you to be there.
But, they don’t have the right to verbally abuse and intimidate you.
It’s obvious that the manager’s too much of a pussy to stand up to them.