Hello everyone, I’m on mobile so apologies in advance.
I work at a gym and have been working there for several months so I’m fully integrated on the rules and regulations I need to follow, one of these rules is no photos or videos in the locker room as it is generally frowned upon as we have a designated area for this activity. I go into the locker rooms to start cleaning and overheard another patron telling the teen in question he was uncomfortable with him taking photos in the shower area as he is currently naked and would like for him to follow the rules and go to the designated area. The teen tells him to “fuck off I’m not taking pictures of you on purpose, if you don’t like it wait till I’m done to get in your shower”
I interject at this point and inform the teen he does infact have to move and that this is completely unacceptable behavior and against the rules. I understand that this is a gym and you want to show off your progress but you can’t do it at the expense of the comfort of those around him. The teen then tells me “you are annoying me and I’m not doing it on purpose so what does it matter” I again informed him more sternly and less customer service-like that he’s being a creep and needs to follow the rules. Why would you argue to have the right to photograph naked men who have expressed discomfort when you can simply move 20 feet and take pictures unobstructed with no pushback.
The teens friends in the locker room are taking his side arguing that I am being unreasonable and shouldn’t care about the situation, I expressed this incident in its entirety to a coworker who is on the younger side aswell and they claimed I was infact being an asshole so I bring this to yall to let me know if I am indeed doing too much. But I feel I was in the right for enforcing the already established policy after a member expressed their discomfort at being potentially photographed naked and having their privacy violated. So AITA?
NTA. Report this shit to the manager.
I left a detailed report in his personal incident inbox through our system, I hope that we can honestly get this kid banned. I hate taking away a comfort spot and somewhere someone can improve themselves but we just can’t have this behavior in the gym
YTA – for not banning him on the spot.
That’s fair tbh, we gotta go through the manager for finalized bans though unfortunately. We used to be able to ban on the spot but a coworker let that power go to her head and started banning anyone she deemed rude
NTA and you need to seriously look into this and talk to management. If no one says anything or protects the members, and someone is filming them naked, the gym management is open to getting a horrible suit against them.
100%. I recall there was an incident a few years ago when an ‘influencer’ took a photo of an older lady in her gym locker room and shared it on social media, to mock and humiliate the poor woman. The influencer got into serious legal trouble for breaching privacy laws, and copped a permanent ban from every franchise of that gym chain in her city.
Your gym could definitely face legal action too if there are no consequences for these kids. What if that other member, or someone else, decided to sue? The gym has a duty of care to all its members – that includes protecting their privacy.
NTA – the rules are there for a reason. The photo area you mentioned is there for a reason. Teen should have done his v-flexing in the designated area. Might suggest to the higher-management that a general announcement (for members) and re-training (for staff) in photo policy is in order.
NTA, but I would have went further. He should have been tossed out when he started arguing.
NTA, definitely push on the manager to get this guy banned.
NTA. You are upholding the rules of your workplace and protecting the privacy of other gym members. This entitled brat and his friends need to have their memberships cancelled. I’d be complaining against your coworker too – there’s no excuse for supporting that behaviour. Who knows what your coworker is letting people get away with?
NTA and ban this guy or be taken over by these buttheads.
Your coworker doesn’t agree with you doing your job?
Um, a teen (or anyone) who is taking photos in the gym locker room full of naked people needs to have his (or her or their) membership revoked. Period. Finished. Should management have a problem with this, I have one word for them: Liability.
I would suggest that a sign stating that anyone who takes photos in the locker rooms will immediately have his membership revoked without refund be posted in that locker room. Let the teen be as annoyed as he likes.
You did the right thing.
NTA
Are you seriously asking if you’re the asshole?