Reason I say for men especially is…well, you’ll see. I want to see what the ladies and parents would think too, though.
Full disclosure here; this didn’t happen to me nor at my gym - I heard it through a friend of a friend. Don’t ask me for names or places; I just want your thoughts.
What happened as I heard it - a paying customer is working out at his regular gym, which is separated into rooms which have windows looking in on each other. The fella I think is on a cycling machine which faced a window looking into a large open hall. As he’s into his workout a group of children around 5, 6, 7ish enter said hall for a sports session with the gym staff.
So far so boring - what happened next is what really perturbed the gentleman in question. The gym staff, seeing the man working out on the other side of the window, close the roller blind on the window so that he can no longer see into the other room where the kids were.
The inference is obvious and I reckon you’re sharp enough to figure out why I want the reactions of those of the same gender. If you were there, what would you think? If you were a parent of the kids in question, would you appreciate this privacy or think it was not worth the insinuation? He was really upset by the situation - is he just overreacting or is he justified?
I would not assume malice for what can more easily be explained by staff trying to be helpful but having it be misinterpreted.
Without getting into the deep dark motivations of people we don’t know in a situation we’re not part of, I would go with the gym staff giving the guy some privacy to focus on his workout and also not wanting the kids to be distracted by someone on the other side of the glass.
The dude chose to take offense where none was likely intended.
If I had to guess, I’d say the gym staff has gotten complaints from other members about kids distracting them or even mocking them when the members were working out, so now the gym staff routinely makes an effort to keep such distractions to a minimum.
I’m with QuickSilver. He overreacted. There are any number of reasons to pull the blinds on a fitness session - or a meeting of any sort. This is nothing.
Workouts are not meant to be spectator sports, the tendency of a hot broad on a thigh machine to draw a crowd notwithstanding. If the view through the window was all the subject could see, his choice was to watch or pointedly avert his gaze, both troubling.
Closing the blinds was sensible gym politeness, and if there’s a smidget of child protection in there too, I can’t fault it.
Even if I am a father of six who hasn’t held a baby in a long, long time for similar reasons.
Kids are very easily distracted If was teaching a gym class to them, I migh shut the blinds so that they will focus on the instructor, not someone in the next room.
That’s what I thought straight away too; although speaking as devil’s advocate the staff could have left them open until the kids started flicking him Vs or whatever then closed them to make it obvious that ‘it’s not you looking at them, it’s them annoying you’. Of course the retort to that is that prevention is better than cure, especially when it comes to kids and the staff didn’t even conceive that the person on the other side would take it in, how shall we say, a wrong way.
Last I heard there was actually talk of legal measures getting involved; I ain’t joking.
I would find it very annoying and awkward, if I were in the middle of a stationary bike ride, to find myself suddenly a captive audience of a children’s gym class. I’d spend the whole time wondering if I was staring, or if they were staring, or why I had to endure this awkwardness and I didn’t pay for this and isn’t this a grown-up gym anyway? Geez!
I’m a woman. I would very much appreciate the consideration of them closing the blinds for me.
On what possible grounds? His right to look through a window?
If you know this guy, you owe it to every sane and reasonable person on the planet to ridicule and berate him without mercy until he apologizes for being an idiot.
I *wish *I could actually link you to the letter written to the area’s paper on it (it would also prove that this isn’t “a friend of mine, wink wink” - if you’re thinking that it was actually yours truly); although it’s in public domain there’s privacy concerns for all concerned so I’m sure it wouldn’t be appreciated by the fella or gym, it’s not like he asked for me to discuss it on a website. I’ll try and paraphrase what was written in his words in a way that keeps the gym and those involved anonymous.
I made a mistake in the OP; according to the letter the group was a small group of toddlers and not older children, with some women (presumably the mothers) and one member of gym staff. Looks were made up to the window (I’ve not been to gym in question, I’m assuming the gym part is slightly raised above the hall) and the women seen speaking to the staff member, who then rushed up to the gym section and closed the blinds.
The mention of involvement of lawyers is for the trauma he experienced at thinking the blinds were being closed to prevent him looking in the hall and therefore the unsavoury assumption that would carry about him (again, I swear to Jeebus I’m not making this up).
The gym staff were probably just protecting the children from your friend’s undoubtedly perverted fantasies. Quite frankly, your friend ought to be arrested. Why is a single man “surveilling” a group of children at the gym in the first place?!? And who goes to the gym the same times as kids typically do? I’m sorry (not sorry), but it’s all very suspicious.
I wonder if the gym doesn’t have a policy about closing the blinds when classes for minors are in session, and the woman in question noticed it had not been done. I can certainly see that being the case. Anyway, I’m on Team Overreaction.
Should clarify that I don’t in fact know the individual in question (so am sadly unable to convey any messages). I heard of the upset from a friend who did go to they gym; furthermore by looking up the local paper (see the prior post for what the letter added to what I remember hearing).
