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Feminism: chat

Am I over reacting over PT in the gym

50 replies

Bellex · 23/10/2021 21:54

Today I have attended the gym at around 12 and was using the upstairs weights area to do my Hit workout. Whilst doing my workout this Pt walked across me to tidy up a ball that was under the frame. This caused me to stop my workout to let finish ‘tidying’ the area around me. I gestured with my hands up to him doing this and from what I head due to having headphones on he said ‘what’ and told him to leave it as he walked off. I then carried on my workout to be disturbed again GM to find out The Pt had complain about me apparently being rude and she needed to hear my side of the story. I explained the situation and how I did not think it was necessary for The PT to be tidy that area in that moment as well as getting into my personal space to do resulting in me having to stop. This particular PT personally makes me uncomfortable and I tend to avoid him whilst on the gym. I find him adding me on Facebook inappropriate and a breach of GDPR as he has clearly gotten my name from the Gym database. I have had discussions with other members all female that have said This or has also done the same to them. I mentioned this in the conversation to GM and she did question why I found a member of staff that i don’t engage with was inappropriate. I explain for me personally that unprofessional and crosses boundaries. At my work that was lead to people being sacked due to reasons slated above and do find that gyms lack the same standards of professionalism as every other workplace.

I go to the gym put my head phones on and go to workout. No to engage with people which I also stated in this conversation. I have had issues with inappropriate Male behaviour on the gym floor several times told PTs and nothing has come of it. I’ve not really persuaded as I just want to go the gym and leave. The gym is meant to be something I do for myself to relieve the stress’s off my job not a place of unnecessary drama.

I’m not happy the way in which this situation was handled as I feel as GM may have approached me to hear both sides but favoured the PT. I also find it bizarre she needed to approach me for such a minor incident. For me personally it was bizarre that in that moment the PT felted the need to step over me and reached to tidy a ball a way that was not effecting anyone in and an area in use. For me him stepping over whilst working out could be taken as rude but I would not of gone to complain about it to management. It would nice to clarify what I said to The PT that was deemed so ‘rude’ considering the situation.

I then went back to the gym to make a formal complaint and said PT has told the GM I swore at him which 1000% did not and she is refusing to accept that is was bizarre for him to get into my personal space to tidy a ball away that didn’t need to be move in that moment. The GM also brought up a complaint I made last year prior to the old GM as the staff were aggressively selling PT’s and telling me it was his instruction which he denied and apologised. I no point did anyone call me rude. I also spoke to said PT after my meeting the GM and she has confirmed there was no issue with me being rude.

The GM has concluded I’m a drama queen. What are your thoughts?

OP posts:
DocFree · 23/10/2021 23:22

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Ozberry · 23/10/2021 23:25

I think I’d move gyms. It all sounds like a lot of unnecessary drama

Bellex · 24/10/2021 08:14

I think that’s what I’m going to do. Explain to the GM that this whole situation had caused a lot of drama over a 20 second incident

OP posts:
ChateauMargaux · 24/10/2021 08:52

Change gyms.

JingleCatJingle · 24/10/2021 08:56

Change gyms.

Reptar · 24/10/2021 12:10

YANBU.
I find him adding me on Facebook inappropriate and a breach of GDPR as he has clearly gotten my name from the Gym database.

You tried complaining to the gym and didn't get any response, so raise a complaint with ICO. It will help if you can get other women who have had the same problem to add their names;
www.gov.uk/data-protection/make-a-complaint

RipMeKnickersOffYaRandyOldGoat · 24/10/2021 12:15

I agree, you sound like extraordinarily hard work.

MrsRobbieHart · 24/10/2021 12:24

You don’t sound like hard work at all OP! Hmm @RipMeKnickersOffYaRandyOldGoat why don’t you just come straight out and say “sit down and shut up woman”?

@Bellex complain about the data breach. Definitely. That’s very much a predatory thing to do -to search a work database for the name of someone you have no business with just to add them on FB??

daisypond · 24/10/2021 12:30

Him adding you to Facebook is very poor. Who or what is GM?

TomAllenWife · 24/10/2021 12:31

God so much drama! Who cares if he adds you on fb, you can decline

Why is everyone so uptight 🙄

MrsRobbieHart · 24/10/2021 12:31

I think GM is gym manager.

HouseyHouse21 · 24/10/2021 12:31

I'm with you OP. But I think you need to leave the gym, and get a refund for any unused membership fees if relevant. He's behaving inappropriately and clearly the GM isn't going to do anything about it.

Elieza · 24/10/2021 12:32

If someone stepped over me I’d think it was a bit bizarre and potentially a H&S issue, but I’d let them off the first time. The next time I’d be asking if they could please not step over me and wait until im finished and point out my concerns politely and respect fully. After that he’d be shouted at and I’d be the one at the general manger taking a wtaf stance.

Re social media, I agree they have breached GDPR and should not be adding personal info to a private social media unless permission was given for this. You may wish to take this further.

However I’d be leaving as once you have bad feeling it spoils your fun.

Gooseberrypies · 24/10/2021 12:35

@TomAllenWife

God so much drama! Who cares if he adds you on fb, you can decline

Why is everyone so uptight 🙄

Is this a joke? Men shouldn’t be allowed to steal data to bother a woman on fb. Ffs.
daisypond · 24/10/2021 12:37

@TomAllenWife

God so much drama! Who cares if he adds you on fb, you can decline

Why is everyone so uptight 🙄

What is wrong with you? You genuinely think that’s an OK thing to do?
CovidCorvid · 24/10/2021 12:38

Gym manager or general manager? Is it DL? If so and it was the gym manager I’d complain to the general manager. But sounds to me if they were discussing previous complaints (which had no bearing on this) it was the general manager. If it’s DL I wouldn’t bother complaining to head office, they won’t care and will always side with the GM. If the PT is prepared to lie and say you swore at him the GM could boot you out for abusing the staff if he chooses to. Depends how much you like this gym. Personally I’d look elsewhere.

Elleextra · 24/10/2021 12:41

He was probably pissed off you were using the weights area to do a hiit workout?

Unless I've misunderstood what you mean by hiit then it's not an appropriate place to do it and you would be in the way of people needing to use the equipment.

He should have spoken to you professionally instead of being passive aggressive but you do sound like a bit of a diva.

WaltzingBetty · 24/10/2021 12:43

@TomAllenWife

God so much drama! Who cares if he adds you on fb, you can decline

Why is everyone so uptight 🙄

So you're totally fine with professionals illegally breaking GDPR to search a work database so they can stalk women on social media?

Bizarre that you think illegal and predatory behaviour is ok Confused

TenThousandSpoons · 24/10/2021 12:45

I read this whole thing thinking of grandmother for GM.

Not ok to add you on Facebook BUT doesn’t necessarily mean he looked up any private records, phones near each other in the gym means Facebook may have suggested you as contacts for each other.

Weird to step over you.

Agree to moving gyms if you feel uncomfortable and tell grandmother why you are doing so.

SirChenjins · 24/10/2021 12:51

Change gyms and raise a complaint with the ICO - totally inappropriate behaviour from them. I presume this isn’t a chain of gyms for you to be able to complain to their HO? Sounds like one of those gyms where women are seen as fair gym for the testosterone filled boys.

@TomAllenWife - your little attention seeking comment has been noted as boring. You can sit down now.

SirChenjins · 24/10/2021 12:52

*game not gym

Disfordarkchocolate · 24/10/2021 12:54

Definitely change gyms.

Did collecting the ball mean he go a 'better' look at you?

Disfordarkchocolate · 24/10/2021 12:54

Got not go.

candycane222 · 24/10/2021 12:58

Ugh TenThousand does Facebook really do that? So creepy :( Mind you I think iPhones do it to each other too. But people really ought to be more aware of it if that's the case.

And no OP it absolutely does not jutify the trainer trying to add you, that is very unprofessional and all in all the behaviour of PTs and management are making customers feel unsafe. Even if you CBA to pursue a refund, at least give them a disgusted review on Trustpilot / local Google or similar too, stating your issues (I would do so anonymously and after a short interval) to give other women the heads up that they don't take creepy behaviour seriously there.

It's all so unecessary. Stupid and self defeating of a business to allow this to occur.

Bellex · 24/10/2021 12:59

The area I was using is hard to describe without seeing. But there is basically 12 matts out and at the side light dumbbells so it’s not the weights area but a separate area to do your own thing. The actually weights area in downstairs.

He’s come across me as I was doing burpees with donkey kicks, so I could of actually kicked him.

I actually didn’t report him nor was I was going to as it rude and annoying but took about 20 seconds. He reported me for being rude and she came up to me which is still weird to me that a staff member complained about me as a paying member

GM - general manager

Another member of staff actually escalated this to the area manager after I left as he felt the general manager (that is a women) didn’t listen to me.

The area manager has reviewed the CCTV and the position of the cameras cover my face was the whole period and it’s confirmed it’s clear that I did not swear at the PT and nothing of what he has said was true as well as questioning to why he needed to tidy a ball away that wasn’t bothering anyone. There has been over 20 complaints about this PT adding other females on Facebook and all of them have pretty much said the same thing. They’re coming through the turn styles and he adds them shortly after. He’s been suspended pending an investigation and the GM given a warning as it’s not process to confront members on this incidents

OP posts:
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