I blew up at my gym today.

[raccoon]

I blew up at my gym today. I was not in a good place to begin with. Then while we were exercising, some people were talking. There are some that are big talkers well we exercise and usually they just say harmless stuff and jokes. But sometimes they say political stuff. And today they did.

Someone said something that I didn't catch about the national anthem. Then some people were saying love it or leave it and I couldn't stop myself. I said "I'd leave but some places won't take you when you're old. "

One woman kind of said oh I guess not. I think she's a right winger too. Most of them are.

Then when we were putting away the mats I heard some man say that the left doesn't know what they're doing. I stormed out and said to him the right doesn't know what they're doing either. He said something about Australia and the gun laws – – he was actually talking to this other woman – – and I said so you're OK if somebody shoots up everybody they can see. He seem like he was laughing and I wanted to smack him but luckily I didn't. I said How would youfeel if it was somebody in your family and then I said I've had it with this shit and left. I don't know if I'll ever go back.

I talked to some people who I trust after I left. Regardless of whether I go or stay at that gym, I'm going to communicate with whoever runs the joint and tell them I go there to destress, not to get my blood pressure up. And that they are driving people off with this political shit.

Can anybody relate?

[Not Ruth]

1. There is a reason that almost every single person in a gym wears earbuds

The world is a scary place

[ecstatic]

42. Lol. Personally, the music helps me to run longer

Of course, it's been years since I've gone (despite paying every month).

[DUgosh]

2. I spoke up

On a cruise ship last month. A total stranger butted into my private conversation about Hurricane Harvey back home. She said she heard "on the news" that North Korea would attack our borders now that we were weakened by the storms, but Don would protect us. I said in the most loudest voice ... Where did you hear that Fox??? Then I pointed & laughed at her. I'm never going to keep my mouth shut again.

[LisaM]

10. Ha! That is funny.

Maybe I'll practice it.

"Where did you hear THAT? FOX?" Then I'll point and laugh.

That seems as if it could be highly effective.

[DUgosh]

14. It felt great

And two other people eavesdropping started pointing and laughing too.

[Brainstormy]

11. Good for you!

RESIST!

[ecstatic]

43. That's a good one. They should be embarrassed but instead,

the media has them feeling like they run the place with all the stupid opinion panels of trump voters, etc. They should be made to feel like the idiots they are. I really hate to say that, but it's true.

[Meowmee]

46. Fantastic

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[ProudLib72]

3. I'm sorry to hear about this

Yes, you ought to be able to consider the gym a place that is safe from these kinds of conversations. Honestly, this is one of the reasons I hate going to any gym: I don't want to deal with weird/obnoxious people. Given the current political climate, I hope you do talk to the manager and he/she does take the matter seriously. The only other thing to do is consider going at a different time of day, but you still run the risk of encountering someone else who is just as nasty. Maybe go with a buddy who will be able to talk you down?

[Loge23]

4. Complain to the management

Granted the management of gyms is usually on the intellectual level of an unused cinder block, but it's worth a shot.
The gym I go to is similar without the talk. There are three TV's - some days all three are tuned to you know what.
I bring my phone and a pair of bluetooth ear plugs and listen to music.
Some days I get lucky and there's no TV on Fox, like today.
The thing is - and I know this is difficult sometimes - they are (in the words of the Secretary of State) fucking morons and it's not worth an intelligent persons time and stress to argue with them. In your example, I may have just asked them to knock off the political crap in the gym. We all need safe zones these days where there is no politics or religion being discussed (discussed is a stretch).
Don't let them get to you.

[MichMan]

51. What do you expect management to do ?

Forbid any talking?

You overheard a conversation you didn't agree with and took the opportunity to argue with other people.



Jeez

[Binkie The Clown]

5. Do what I do. There's a gym about 3 miles from my house.

I walk there, then turn around and walk back home. Exercise accomplished and I don't even need to go inside the gym and be subjected to troglodytes.

[ChubbyStar]

22. YES! I gave up my gym membership years ago

I run in the lovely old cemetery near my home, and when I feel compelled to talk I chat to the gravestones.

[Binkie The Clown]

38. I always talk to the most intelligent person around.

Most of the time, that's me!

[MoonRiver]

6. I try not to talk to anyone about politics unless I know they are liberal.

There's no point. None of the cretins are going to change based on what I might say, and it just gets me upset.

[bobbieinok]

7. It's my family

And I have rheumatoid arthritis and need their help. I can't walk out. Other than their politics they're v kind and helpful. We just don't talk politics.

[Eliot Rosewater]

8. I relate very well.

The ones who really piss me off lately are the ones who love trump because they want a tax cut.

Willing to watch the country turn to shit, possibly have nuclear war, just to get a tax cut.

[MyOwnPeace]

17. What?

You have friends who are millionaires?

They're the only ones gonna' gain from Orange Cheat-o's plan!

Imagine how long the line will be at the "RETURN" counter for this past election!

[Eliot Rosewater]

18. True the rich get the biggest cuts, but based on what little has been released

I think middle class get a cut too, problem is the cut is far outweighed by the loss in services and overall health of the nation and at the end of the day even with a tax cut most will have less.

But to your point, even Forbes agrees

In 2018, all income groups (although not all families) would get at least a small tax cut, with the bottom 95% seeing an average 1.2% increase in their after tax income, compared to a hefty 8.5% increase for the top 1% (defined by TPC as those with expanded cash income of $732,800 or more).

But what i am telling you is many in the middle class think they are getting substantial tax cuts, even though it is a lie.

And lastly the people I know who are going to get some cuts are NOT friends. They are lots of things, but friend aint one of em.

[MyOwnPeace]

20. I thought......

about my response to you and was afraid you'd take it as an attack - certainly NOT what I meant!
Your response is JUST what I was think about - they're gonna' get screwed and it'll all be too late - left standing on the curb holding a bag of shit - while the SHIT STAIN goes down the road for another weekend of golf!!

[Eliot Rosewater]

21. I understood you, for sure. We are in this together, take care!

[ProfessorGAC]

50. I Read The Earlier Report

Based upon what i see, the cut is disproportionate by a factor of 6. IOW, i dispute the Forbes clip you pasted because it grossly differs from the actual line items in the proposal.

[treestar]

54. and they won't

unless they are part of the 1%

[KT2000]

9. happened with my neighbor

a few days ago. He sat down on my porch and said "Now they say I am a white supremacist." After I said it was FAUX that called him a white supremacist I was off and running. He didn't say much and went home.

[ffr]

12. Our gym plays Fox Entertainment talking heads most of the time.

Personally, I'm with you. It's offensive and disgusting to hear the repeating of talking point propaganda. I just ignore it, but mark in my mind who the followers are who are standing in front of the TV absorbing it. Just in case I see them again. I want to make sure I don't give them any courtesies.

[dembotoz]

15. Reason I quit the y

Fuck em

[OceanChick]

13. I confronted one of them

We have a great gym where I live. If I walk in and the TVs are on Faux Fake News with the sound on, I immediately put them on Mute. If no one else in there, I turn them all off. One guy objected and I told him that I come to the gym to de-stress and he can get on the elevator and go to his apartment if he needs to watch that crap.

We also have a guy that never stays in his apartment and lurks in the common area like the concierge desk and the "Cyber Cafe" where there are 3 computers you can use for free. He is supposedly a retired engineer but everyone knows to never get in to a conversation with him because he never shuts up because he's an expert on everything.

Last Sunday, a fellow progressive friend and I were in the Cyber Cafe area while I helped her with a computer issue she had. I saw him lurking over by the computers but ignored him. He suddenly jumps up and walks over to interrupt us to say that the Samsung phone is just as good as the iPhone, which we had been discussing. We pretty much ignored him and he went back to the computer.

Then my friend said the word "Trump" and how fucked up he is. The guy jumped up and barged right in to our space started telling us we didn't know what we were talking about because we didn't "know how to use Google properly" to find out how great Trump really is.

In one of my proudest moments, I said to him, "Hey, I've walked past you many times while you're using the computers and you're always reading The Drudge Report. Therefore, any opinion you have on any subject is invalid to me." He was shocked and started telling me how he had connections with secret military people. I told him that he should stop looking for sources that just agree with whatever Drudge and Fox feed him every day and start thinking for himself.

He finally got frustrated and left.

I saw him the next day and said hello and he refused to speak to me.

Giant victory! Now I never have to worry about him trying to talk to me ever again!

I have zero patience for idiots any more. Fuck them all.

[RhodeIslandOne]

31. You must live in the same building as one of my coworkers

He can never shut up and loves Trump and turns red when the rest of us shit all over that con.

[OceanChick]

35. I'm in Denver

Most of the residents here hate Trump and if they don't, I don't hang with them.

Life is way too short to spend time with dumb fucks!

[RhodeIslandOne]

36. There aren't many Trump fans in RI

The ones that are of course massive assholes.

My co-worker from Puerto Rico and I were happily screaming Fuck Trump when no one was around the other day.

[ecstatic]

44. Lol! nt

[jodymarie aimee]

16. 3 years ago I was kicked out of my gym

for politely telling this dame to keep her hate speech INSIDE her mouth. She went around ragging on Obama, ACA, and poor people. she never worked out, just cornered folks....One day I had had it with her.....And I got kicked out by the Republican management. I am 4'11" and 93#. I was polite and said it and walked away. I was in no way threatening her.

I did use this incident in my next letter to the editor....

[Raine]

19. I don't talk politics

except with people I know well and who I know are on the same wavelength. Save yourself the aggravation and tune them out.

[kydo]

23. Ear buds and I let my t-shirt speak for me

First, talking, like loud talking for way long time about really stupid shit or talking on the phone and especially on the cardio machines is so rude. I give them the evil stare and lots of "ahems". Then sing along with my tunes. I can't sing. But with ear buds on, I sound great.

But its rude still. And politics is worse.

So I wear my "not my president" or "resist". Its cool. The nutters stare and make snide comments that I can't hear with the tunes going, so like I care. I know they make the comments, their lips move. Then they realize I dont give two shits what they have to say and they move off.

Now many times I get the "awesome" or "cool" shirt comment. I take the ear buds off and talk. And if one of those nutters or loud rude peeps is around, I make sure to talk loud and my loathing for that orange fuck and his followers is laid out there.

But talking loud is distracting to someone working out. You had every right to not be pleased.

[bathroommonkey76]

24. Stand your ground and go back

wearing an anti-Trump shirt.

https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/1111022-fuck-trump-and-fuck-you-for-voting-for-him

Don't let those degenerates ruin the place you go to workout. Fuck them.

[Dawson Leery]

25. There is a local gym that is like that.

All the old teanazis use the weight room as their personal social room.
Management does nothing about it.

[Eko]

26. Every day I deal with upset people.

They yell, scream, curse, ask for outrageous things, no, I'm not in politics lol. Ive learned that my happiness is mine, why in the world would I want to let someone change that because they are having a bad day.

[cwydro]

32. I'd rec your post if I could..

No one is gonna mess with my day either.

[Eko]

40. Thanks!

I first came across it while researching Sun Zu. ‘The general, unable to control his irritation, will launch his men to the assault like swarming ants’.

[Trust Buster]

27. I set up my own gym at home years ago. Couldn't stand the average ego heads at the gym.

[YOHABLO]

28. My gyms have about 3 or 4 screens turned on to FOX. No MSNBC. A couple CNN. Fuck em

That would be LA fitness and Planet fitness. Down here in ATL GA. Go figure.

[brokephibroke]

29. We had that problem here too

Kept the pressure on the staff: community standards, anti-American programming etc. Offered to host a membership survey if Fox should be on. Ultimately I won and Fox was banned. Mind you, it was a YMCA in Boulder County, CO so I had most of the membership on my side....

[cwydro]

30. I've belonged to many gyms throughout my life.

Never had this happen. I cannot really even imagine it.

Very glad this has not happened to me. Pretty sure it will not. Ever.

[bluepen]

33. Earbuds instead of telling the teacher.

[LeftyMom]

34. Why did you keep interrupting people's conversations?

Have you considered investing in a decent set of bluetooth headphones? If you want to listen to conversations you agree with while you work out I suggest getting into podcasts.

[cwydro]

39. Yes.

[raccoon]

48. See my reply number 47. Nt

[Yupster]

41. My thought too

You see that every once in a while.

Some guy was telling his elderly mother that Trump is great at the grocery store and boy did I let them have it.

I think, god what a bore you must be.

Can't people just mind their own business anymore?

[raccoon]

49. see my reply 47. Nt

[raccoon]

47. How can I listen to music and listen to the instructor at the same time?

How can I listen to music and listen to the instructor at the same time?

This was in an exercise class. As in, the instructor was telling us what we were supposed to be doing. Instead of yapping about right wing trash.

These people were not having private conversations they were yapping in a exercise class about 15 people with one instructor where everybody can hear everything they said.

[treestar]

53. Well if we all do that

it lets it go on. Not sure engaging with them (they are talking loud enough to be heard, so it is not a private conversation) is always bad.

We have to quit being weak about it. Do we do that? Start talking about how bad Donald is so others nearby can hear? Right wingers do that to make him seem more normal and if we butt out all the time, they can say we must agree or we'd have said something.

[ismnotwasm]

37. Yes

Although right now I have no right wingers around in my life and I’m not particularly social, everyone who DOES know me or of me, knows I’m political and that I like politics.

The other day though, caught in a traffic jam with my husband driving, I was treated to the sight of anti-abortion protesters along the Aurora bridge in Seattle. I was pissed. They compared abortion to the holocaust. They compared abortion to slavery. The had the requisite dead fetus signs. I rolled down the window and stuck my arm out with my middle finger up as high as it could go.

I hear “That’s not an argument” more than once, was called a sinner, was told to ask for forgiveness from Jesus Christ—Crap like that. Since we were going slow, I was in a better and better mood as they’d yell something and tried to stay “Christian” about it, even though they were clearly irritated—and I’d just laugh harder.

It helped that a biker on the on-going traffic side was doing the same thing.

Fuck these people.

[Baconator]

45. Let it go and move to the squat rack...

It's a magical place...

[raging moderate]

52. A RWer at my gym referred to "Rachel Mad Dog."

I guess she must be scoring a lot of direct hits on their fantasies lately. I thought to myself, I wonder if Rachel Maddow would feel gratified to learn that they are calling her that name. Isn't there a US general who is called "Mad Dog" as a tribute to his battle prowess?