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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:
Smashingspinster · 24/10/2021 13:00

In any workplace, you dont inconvenience customers because you want to tidy. or you should not. Sounds like the GM does not want to see there is a problem with him.

CoffeeAndKittens · 24/10/2021 13:01

How close did he actually get to you, as in did he actually step over your body to pick up a ball or did he walk across your path closer than you felt comfortable with? I would think it very strange for any PT to actually get so close to a customer that it stopped them working out.

On a separate point, but, as someone pointed out, were you using the weights frame to do a HIIT workout? Were you actually using the weights or just the area? If you were just blocking the area for regular non-weights exercise, please don't, it's very frustrating!

SirChenjins · 24/10/2021 13:03

Sounds like a more positive outcome as a result of the area manager investigating - v good.

CovidCorvid · 24/10/2021 13:03

So has all that happened (the area manager and the investigation and suspension) since you posted last night? If so it sounds like they’re on top of it, not sure you need to do anything else.

Elleextra · 24/10/2021 13:04

@Bellex

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

Sounds like you were in the right area and not overreacting then.

Hope your complaint gets taken seriously.

There are good gyms out there, mine is excellent and the owner is a woman who fosters a great atmosphere for everyone.

MrsRobbieHart · 24/10/2021 13:05

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.

Yep. Predator.

Theunamedcat · 24/10/2021 13:06

I would leave personally and take the other 20 women with you

SpookyPumpkinPants · 24/10/2021 13:10

Well, that progressed quickly & on a Sunday morning too!

Rainbowheart1 · 24/10/2021 13:14

I wouldn’t leave the gym,,,don’t sound like he will be working there much longer so you’ll be fine.

Bellex · 24/10/2021 13:20

I was quite grateful the other PT got involved tbh. Clearly a bigger problem them myself. I think that’s why they’ve resolved it so quickly.

He stepped over me when I jumped down and then brushed me as he got the ball which caused me to stop.

It’s not a weight area but one that has maths and lighter weights.

OP posts:
Etinoxaurus · 24/10/2021 13:21

You don’t sound like a diva.
There’s a particular dynamic in mixed gyms and you’re on the receiving end of a lot of microagressions and PA putting you in your place.
Are you neurotypical? I ask because many people who aren’t would have just said fuckem and found another gym and you’ve quite methodically gone through the process and engaged with them.
Flowers
Find another gym- female?

candycane222 · 24/10/2021 13:33

Seriously Etinoxaurus?? 20 other women have had the same issue, the gym has investigated and found the PT and the GM were not doing thier job properly, and you think it's something to do with the way the OP behaves???

FWIW, how she was treated would not be appropriate for any customer - and indeed, if no-one else was treated that way, it might even be considered bullying.

It's 100% on the gym, as most of us here could plainly see

candycane222 · 24/10/2021 13:35

And yeah, some people take their responsibilities to fellow customers seriously enough to complain. I hope being an adult and standing up for yourself even while female isn't considered non-neurotypical these days?

candycane222 · 24/10/2021 13:38

(apologies if I have phrased that clumsily)

SirChenjins · 24/10/2021 13:47

Are you neurotypical

Fucks sake 🙄

Are you? ‘Cos most people wouldn’t ask that question in this context - wouldn’t even enter our heads.

MrsRobbieHart · 24/10/2021 13:56

He stepped over me when I jumped down and then brushed me as he got the ball which caused me to stop

That’s a really fast escalation. He was determined to either make you move away from where he was or to increase his contact with your body “accidentally”

KayKayWat · 24/10/2021 21:56

I’d imagine it’s about health and safety and mitigating claims. I.e. you slip on the ball and then sue them for it having been left lying there. A sad product of the claim culture we live in.

KayKayWat · 24/10/2021 21:57

Just saw that 20 other women have complained so doesn’t look too good to be fair!

Etinoxaurus · 24/10/2021 22:07

I’m sorry! The 20 people info came after I’d posted and my nt comment was only in relation to the op’s engagement with the gm and their hamfisted he said/ following procedures palaver. I certainly didn’t mean to suggest that anything @Bellex had done prior to the complaint wasn’t completely understandable.
Sounds like sleazy pt is leaving not op, which is a result.

Snoozer11 · 25/10/2021 12:45

Tidying around you and walking a bit too close is always irritating but is inevitable in a public gym. They have to clear the floor from a health and safety perspective. You making a fuss over someone doing their job would have raised an eyebrow.

A lot of personal trainers add people on social media as a way to try to drum up business. I agree it's intrusive but you can always decline the request. If you don't want to receive a friend request either get rid of Facebook or make your profile invisible to the public.

Brefugee · 26/10/2021 14:04

How did he add you on Facebook? Surely he asks and you click no?

SirChenjins · 26/10/2021 14:06

Why would he have her name? He’s not her PT.

Valeriekat · 09/11/2021 07:40

Wow what a creep! In 40+ years of gym going I have never had ANYONE invade my personal space to tidy up much less touch me. I would have been livid and probably would have sworn at them. How dare he! Cearly not just tidying up as some apologists have said.
Some PTs are just weird and creepy.

MrsGeralt · 09/11/2021 07:48

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

so... Rather than do what he did, (get in her space, add her on facebook Hmm make a complaint and lie to the manager about what happened) why wouldn't he just say "excuse me, this is a weights area, the space over there is for hiit workouts".

Since when is what he did remotely ok, in response to a woman minding her own business doing a workout?

Gwlondon · 09/11/2021 20:58

Well done. I did wonder about cctv. Thank god someone else was near you to back you up. It’s very out of order to touch you while you are exercising. I think he complained because he was trying to get a complaint in first.

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