So there I was, minding my own business on treadmill # 3, listening to podcasts on my iPhone when the young lady at the counter comes walking toward me. She make eye contact. I avoid eye contact and keep running. She gets closer and makes a motion to take out my Yurbuds. I avoid eye contact. She is standing right front of the mill waving at me.
I relent.
She tells me to stop running. Why? I ask. She says I can't run barefoot. Why not? I ask. She says you just can't. Is there a rule? I ask. She says yes. Show it to me. I say. She says ok, but please stop running.
I relent.
I slip my flips back on and walk over to the desk. She and another woman tell me I can't run barefoot. Why not? I ask again. It's the rules they say. Show me, I ask.
Well, I'm pretty sure it's in the contract. OK, show me then, I say. They sort of ignore me for a bit while they flip through the contract and shuffle some papers. The second lady comes back and says it's a health issue. Show me where it says it's a health issue. Well what if you have *-----* on your feet, and it gets on the treadmill, we can't have that now can we. What about the locker room, I ask. Well, you are supposed to wear flips in there. Show me, I say. Then the first girl says it's a safety issue, that you could catch your toe on the edge and there would be blood everywhere. Uh, ok. There are a thousand ways to injure yourself in a gym, and I'm pretty sure I signed a waiver when I signed up.
So. They pull out this MASSIVE book and tell me they are POSITIVE the rule that requires me to wear shoes in this gym is in there somewhere, but they can't take the time to find it today. Ok, look it up and let me know tomorrow.
I left my email, telephone number and blog address.
I went and changed into my vibrams and went to wait for another mill as my got stolen as I was getting scolded.
Ok, they are worried about my health or the health of others. I won't walk barefoot in the change room, are you freaking kidding? At least the treadmill has shod runners on it! haha! And if they were so worried about the health and safety of us patrons, they wouldn't have a shared floor and drain trough in the showers…
If they don't get back to me by tomorrow like they promised, I am going to go for a barefoot run there, because obviously they have no problem with it.
I personally think, they just decided that this CAN't be right and there must be a rule somewhere. My question is… Aren't the Yoga classes all barefoot?
Seems like a pretty solid double standard!
I won't say the name of the gym, but i'll give you a hint. It starts with a ‘G' and ends in a ‘oodlife Fitness McKenzie town'.
That's all I have to say about that. For now. Dammit. Does this make me a zealot?
I relent.
She tells me to stop running. Why? I ask. She says I can't run barefoot. Why not? I ask. She says you just can't. Is there a rule? I ask. She says yes. Show it to me. I say. She says ok, but please stop running.
I relent.
I slip my flips back on and walk over to the desk. She and another woman tell me I can't run barefoot. Why not? I ask again. It's the rules they say. Show me, I ask.
Well, I'm pretty sure it's in the contract. OK, show me then, I say. They sort of ignore me for a bit while they flip through the contract and shuffle some papers. The second lady comes back and says it's a health issue. Show me where it says it's a health issue. Well what if you have *-----* on your feet, and it gets on the treadmill, we can't have that now can we. What about the locker room, I ask. Well, you are supposed to wear flips in there. Show me, I say. Then the first girl says it's a safety issue, that you could catch your toe on the edge and there would be blood everywhere. Uh, ok. There are a thousand ways to injure yourself in a gym, and I'm pretty sure I signed a waiver when I signed up.
So. They pull out this MASSIVE book and tell me they are POSITIVE the rule that requires me to wear shoes in this gym is in there somewhere, but they can't take the time to find it today. Ok, look it up and let me know tomorrow.
I left my email, telephone number and blog address.
I went and changed into my vibrams and went to wait for another mill as my got stolen as I was getting scolded.
Ok, they are worried about my health or the health of others. I won't walk barefoot in the change room, are you freaking kidding? At least the treadmill has shod runners on it! haha! And if they were so worried about the health and safety of us patrons, they wouldn't have a shared floor and drain trough in the showers…
If they don't get back to me by tomorrow like they promised, I am going to go for a barefoot run there, because obviously they have no problem with it.
I personally think, they just decided that this CAN't be right and there must be a rule somewhere. My question is… Aren't the Yoga classes all barefoot?
Seems like a pretty solid double standard!
I won't say the name of the gym, but i'll give you a hint. It starts with a ‘G' and ends in a ‘oodlife Fitness McKenzie town'.
That's all I have to say about that. For now. Dammit. Does this make me a zealot?