Irrational Bitching

Post by **GORDON** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 5:36 pm

Old people, amirite?

Malcolm · Post by **Malcolm** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 6:34 pm

GORDON wrote:<s>Old</s> people, amirite?

Yep.

Post by **GORDON** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 8:16 pm

Ok here is what is pissing me off about old people:

I have a spot in the morning in the gym where I put out my mat, and I can put my feet just so against the wall and do my stretching... I need that extra support because I still have major, permanent nerve damage in my ankles, and I need to keep my feet in the proper position to get a proper stretch. And I have used this stretching spot for the last 3 months. Another guy, probably 70 years old but in decent shape, is against a different wall doing his old-timey shit like knee bends and medicine ball and big iron dumbells or whatever. I don't watch him.

But the last week there is a brand new old man there, and the fucker keeps stealing into my spot while I am hanging up my gym bag and shit. So then my spot is gone and I have to drag a fucking mat out into the hallway to get a good spot where I can do my ankle support thing. He is an old man and I hope he has a fucking stroke or something and stops taking my spot. This does not seem irrational to me at all.

Post by **GORDON** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 8:19 pm

And then there's the fucking trainer that is on duty at that time in the morning, Mr Studly McHardbody, and stubbly and rugged, and he ignores the 20 old people in the gym and spends the entire hour that I am there chatting up the most likely reproductive partner who happens to be there that morning. There's usually 1 attractive woman there at that time... but only one. And not the same one from day to day. It's weird.

But yeah, he ignores everyone else. Not that I need him for anything, but still.

Post by **GORDON** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 8:20 pm

Then a few weeks ago there was some hot woman who stole my spot right as I was heading to it. She put out her mat, put down her iPod and huge water bottle on it, then stood there for 40 minutes not doing anything, chatting up Mr. Studly McHardbody while I glared at her from out in the hall. Bitch.

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Post by **thibodeaux** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 8:22 pm

Don't know if this goes here or in the workout thread, but I guess here.

See, I have a routine, and I like to stick to it. Saturday I was at the point in my routine where I needed a certain machine. I walk over to it. There's an older man sitting there; I figure mid to late 60s. I say, "do you mind if I work in?" Well this pisses him off for some reason!

Him: "I never understood that concept! I just started! Isn't there anything else you can do?"
Me: "Well, actually, this is the last thing I want to do, so...no."
He walks off grumbling. I see him on another machine flopping around. He goes to a couple different ones while I finish my sets. I walk off to get my hoodie from the locker, and I pass him on the way out.

Me: "If you have a second I can explain 'working in.' It's basically taking turns."
Him: "You really couldn't do anything else?"
Me: "That was the last thing I wanted to do."
Him: "What? Bull! Why are you still here?"
Me: "I'm leaving right now."
He walks off grumbling.
Me (to his back): "You know, you're probably going to get asked this again. It's protocol"
Him: "I'll do something else! I don't have an ego problem!"

WTF man. I'm gonna assume he was in Korea or something and has PTSD.

Post by **GORDON** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 8:22 pm

Then one day I was done stretching and was going to start my lifting circuit, and right on position 1, the tricep extension, this 90 year old guy was sitting there with his eyes closed. I passed it by and kept my eye on it so I could go back and do it, and after 20 minutes I figured I better check for a pulse, and as I walked up to him he opened his eyes and left. Fucker. Just napping on the fucking exercise machine.

Post by **GORDON** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 8:29 pm

Then there's the old man who wears jeans and a button shirt and suspenders every morning.... something about him screams "farmer." I don't know if his doctor told him to exercise, or what... but you can tell he's just a tourist getting in the way. When he's doing a machine correctly, he's doing 10 pounds. When he isn't, he has it set for a 2-inch range of motion, doing nothing but getting in everyone's way. Fucker.

Post by **GORDON** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 8:31 pm

There is this groovy old woman, though.... she's looks 85 and walks serious power laps a lot of mornings on the track that goes around the room, wearing her earbuds. I'd love to know what she is jamming to.

Post by **GORDON** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 8:32 pm

Then on some mornings there is a group of 5-7 women in there with a female trainer, and they are doing some weird routine. The go position to position, seemingly at random, chatting to each other and not doing any serious work, just generally getting in the way. I want to tell them, "Go to Curves."

Post by **GORDON** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 8:36 pm

thibodeaux wrote:See, I have a routine, and I like to stick to it. Saturday I was at the point in my routine where I needed a certain machine. I walk over to it. There's an older man sitting there; I figure mid to late 60s. I say, "do you mind if I work in?"

I like my routine, too.

There are signs all over the my gym telling people to allow others to work in like that. Typically I don't bother pushing the issue... I have my "backup machine" to which I will jump ahead if someone is blocking my next thing.

I also don't get up while I am at a machine, though, either... unless someone is standing RIGHT THERE obviously waiting. Then I would offer, but it has never happened. I do my 3 sets on each machine, counting to 30 in between, then I am gone. Four minutes, tops. I'm not hogging anything.

I wish people would just start at the beginning and not jump around, though. No one would ever get in anyone elses way.

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Post by **TheCatt** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 9:03 pm

thibodeaux wrote:Me (to his back): "You know, you're probably going to get asked this again. It's protocol"
Him: "I'll do something else! I don't have an ego problem!"

WTF man. I'm gonna assume he was in Korea or something and has PTSD.

Ugh. I swim a fair amount (although taking a break right now).

I was swimming solo in a lane. Well, I pretty much look straight down when swimming, and was in the middle of the lane. Some woman hopped in, started swimming and nearly hit me. I waited at the end of the lane then got her attention.

Me: So common swimming etiquette is that you hop in, and wait at the end of the lane to be acknowledged before swimming.
Her: What? I've never heard of that before.
Me: Well, it's so that people don't run into each other like you almost did today.
Her: Where is this etiquette written?
Me: I dunno, the internet?
Her: I've swum lots of places, and have never heard of this.
Me: Well, ma'am, I've been swimming 20 years, and pretty much everyone but you does it.
Her: (swims off in a huff)

(30 minutes later, I'm done, playing with my kids in the kid portion of the pool)

Her: I want you to know that I have NEVER needed to make people aware, you should swim with your head UP and be aware of your surroundings.
Me: That'd be bad swimming form.
Her: It's YOUR fault.

She was like... mid-50's I think.

Post by **TheCatt** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 9:04 pm

GORDON wrote:Then there's the old man who wears jeans and a button shirt and suspenders every morning.... something about him screams "farmer." I don't know if his doctor told him to exercise, or what... but you can tell he's just a tourist getting in the way. When he's doing a machine correctly, he's doing 10 pounds. When he isn't, he has it set for a 2-inch range of motion, doing nothing but getting in everyone's way. Fucker.

Lot of Indian people in our area, and other Asians.

1) (Many) Indian people wear a lot of clothes when working out, they look horribly uncomfortable. Full pants, trying to jog, etc.
2) (Many) Asian people apparnetly don't believe in rules. Not taking turns, not waiting their turn, playing in the swim lanes.

Post by **GORDON** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 9:30 pm

TheCatt wrote:I was swimming solo in a lane. Well, I pretty much look straight down when swimming, and was in the middle of the lane. Some woman hopped in, started swimming and nearly hit me. I waited at the end of the lane then got her attention.

Me: So common swimming etiquette is that you hop in, and wait at the end of the lane to be acknowledged before swimming.

Actually, tomorrow I am going to start swimming laps in my lifting off-days. Got my goggles in my gym bag, and errything. I always wondered at the proper etiquette for sharing a lane.

So you jump in and wait at the end and make eye contact then start after the other person is out of your way?

I bet a dollar no one else does that, but I will.

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Post by **GORDON** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 9:31 pm

TheCatt wrote:(30 minutes later, I'm done, playing with my kids in the kid portion of the pool)

Her: I want you to know that I have NEVER needed to make people aware, you should swim with your head UP and be aware of your surroundings.

Took her a while to think of a comeback?

Malcolm · Post by **Malcolm** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 10:08 pm

Going to the gym is like driving. Awesome except for all the other assholes around. I could do an HBO comedy special on the stupid/weird shit I see and hear there. The fucking grunters and droppers, fucking pricks.

Grunters: dudes who are lifting but sound like they're fucking

Droppers: assholes who do shoulder shrugs, deadlifts, etc, with like 400 pounds and drop that shit at its apex to the tune of a 150db spike.

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Post by **GORDON** » Tue Nov 03, 2015 10:04 am

Sometimes I grunt on the last few reps. I try to keep it down, though.... I'm not one of the scream grunters.

And I just found a previously unused muscle group.... Fuuuuuuuuck. Used to be totally paralyzed there, so at least a little is better than nothing.

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Post by **GORDON** » Fri Nov 20, 2015 10:59 am

JESUS CHRIST YOU LUMBERING ZOMBIE OLD PEOPLE STOP CUTTING IN FRONT OF ME ON THE MACHINES AND THEN PRETEND TO BE EXERSIZING BY PUSHING 20 POUNDS FOR 8 REPS

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Fri Nov 20, 2015 11:26 am

I avoid shopping at the supermarket on senior citizen day. Occasionally I'll forget.

They move slow, when they stop they'll park their cart at an angle and in the middle of the aisle, and they stop and talk a lot with seniors going the other direction (who park their cart in the same way), totally obstructing the aisle.

Seriously, I think they consider the choke points (where a display or whatever obstructs the path of an aisle) to be comfortable parking spot. WHY LEAVE A CART *THERE* WHEN YOU WALK OFF TO READ THROUGH THE VARIOUS LABELS DOWN THE AISLE?

I have, on multiple occasions, skipped entire aisles because the senior traffic. No grocery item is worth that hassle.

Post by **GORDON** » Sat Nov 28, 2015 9:40 am

GORDON wrote:Actually, tomorrow I am going to start swimming laps in my lifting off-days.

I got my "bitching about old people" comeuppance in the pool this morning.

Lap lanes were about full, but there was an open lane at the far end... next to a couple girls sharing a lane, maybe 20 years old, full swim regalia, keeping logs, swimming hard, doing flip-kick turnarounds. They were swimming around and over each other like a couple dolphins, and were built like Greg Louganis, except chicks.... obviously on some swim team somewhere.

Anyway, I am doing some warm-up laps right next to them while they are doing power breast strokes, and I must have been in their wake when I turned my head to take a breath because I was still under fucking water and got lungs full of water.

So in this scenario, I guess I was the old person.