Thanks for the mansplain, asshat - (No)NaBloPoMo Day 12
I cruise over to an empty bench at the YMCA and put a weight down on it. Just as I lean over to start a set of rows, I hear an "excuse me."
I stop and turn around.
"This is my bench," says a twenty-something bro.
I stare at him. It's the only free bench. The gym is busy. The bench had sure looked unoccupied from all angles.
"So can I work in?" I say in my most snotty voice.
"Uh sure," says the bro. He looks surprised that I hadn't just pushed off. He clearly doesn't realize I've been lifting since probably before he was born. I probably joined this YMCA when he was in kindergarten.
As I'm finishing my set, another bench opens up. I turn to the bro and motion toward it.
"Oh no," says the bro. "That guy is coming back. You can tell he's coming back because he didn't wipe down the bench. You should only use equipment after someone lets you know they're done with it by wiping it down. It's like an unspoken rule."
Ha ha. Yeah right. This is the ratty YMCA we're talking about, where only the rare soul wipes down equipment and it's kind of a pain in the ass when they do anyway. There's always a line for things and the wiping just smears around years of germ buildup while prolonging the down time.
I leave to go do lat pull-downs or something.
I come back for my next set. The other nearby bench -- still empty. I roll up to it and do a whole set. Then I decide to do a couple of bicep curls. I do another set of rows. I rattle around a whole lot on that bench.
Bro looks over.
I shrug. "Guess that guy left," I say. "Thanks for the tip though."
I stop and turn around.
 |
| photo credit: Workoutlabs.com |
"This is my bench," says a twenty-something bro.
I stare at him. It's the only free bench. The gym is busy. The bench had sure looked unoccupied from all angles.
"So can I work in?" I say in my most snotty voice.
"Uh sure," says the bro. He looks surprised that I hadn't just pushed off. He clearly doesn't realize I've been lifting since probably before he was born. I probably joined this YMCA when he was in kindergarten.
As I'm finishing my set, another bench opens up. I turn to the bro and motion toward it.
"Oh no," says the bro. "That guy is coming back. You can tell he's coming back because he didn't wipe down the bench. You should only use equipment after someone lets you know they're done with it by wiping it down. It's like an unspoken rule."
Ha ha. Yeah right. This is the ratty YMCA we're talking about, where only the rare soul wipes down equipment and it's kind of a pain in the ass when they do anyway. There's always a line for things and the wiping just smears around years of germ buildup while prolonging the down time.
I leave to go do lat pull-downs or something.
I come back for my next set. The other nearby bench -- still empty. I roll up to it and do a whole set. Then I decide to do a couple of bicep curls. I do another set of rows. I rattle around a whole lot on that bench.
Bro looks over.
I shrug. "Guess that guy left," I say. "Thanks for the tip though."
Comments