Are you anal?
Sep
02
2006

Are you anal? Now, when I say anal, I’m not referring to the bodily orifice - so if you came here looking for a sex related post, apologies (though my stats package will forever love you). No, when I say anal I mean ‘being anal’ the behaviour - being detail oriented borderline with maniacal and preciousness which I think invariably leads to grumpiness (mind you the grumpy part is probably a facet I have adopted from reading too much of Steve’s blog).
As you might have a read in a previous post, I have become a jogging addict, with my lungs screaming out for me to take them running at least twice a week. This is an activity I do at my local gym - my local gym being the source of recent apoplectic fits. So here is what most irritates me at the gym.

  • People who show up at the gym thinking that since they are going to sweat, they need not bother with a shower. Some people probably show up carrying more than 24 hours of sweat and dirt on them - and I do not know of a deodorant that works that long!
  • People who fart - I have always wished for my gym to be better ventilated, but that is not what I meant. This can be very embarrassing especially as your neighbour always thinks its you. To solve this I now blow very heavily and wave my hands in front my nose to show my disgust. Last time I did this, my neighbour followed suit, probably not wanting for me to think it was her!
  • People who stop running to answer their cell phone yet stay on the machine (and don’t give a shit about the swarm of people waiting for a machine to be vacated).
  • People who will put an item of theirs on the treadmill as to say ‘it is mine’, yet wonder off to do God knows what.
  • People who will switch off an equipment, making it look as though it was out of order and switch it on when they are ready to use it!
  • Last but not least, people who do not clean the equipment (the biggest culprits being the gym staff that use the equipment). This just sends me through the roof. You work out, you sweat, you scratch various parts of your body, you touch the equipment…but don’t clean it before you leave it! I can’t help thinking that these are people that probably don’t wash their hands after a visit to the toilets - beurk!!
  • I think I’m going to have to go to a gym where people pay a bit more attention to detail in the hygiene and savoir vivre departments.

    One Response to “Are you anal?”

    1. Gravatar of Isabelle Isabelle

      You have to know that Pascal’s best friend confided that Pascal actually irons his underwear, how is that for anal? ;-) Anyway, I believed him easily, but apparently it’s not true… I have a solution: a home gym! I know I am going to order some Pilates apparatus pretty soon… how about a bike and a treadmill, my love?? :-)

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