After work today, I went to the gym for a quick workout before going home. After my workout I went into the locker room for a weigh in and there was a worker I’ve never seen before cleaning the gym lockers. I set my stuff down on the counter and as soon as I do he starts trying to talk to me, and I cannot understand this guy at all. When he smiles at me for a response (I had no idea what he just said) I say "I’m sorry sir I cant understand you." and he starts getting visibly upset and yelling at me. I have no idea what he thought I said but hes acting like I insulted his mother, he starts following me around the locker room still shouting and thats when I get freaked out so I grab my stuff and head over to the front desk. He stops following me when he sees where I’m heading to and I notify them of the situation. Turns out the guy has special needs and a severe speech impediment, which makes me feel really bad. I told them I dont wan’t to make a report or a huge fuss about it because I grew up around people with special needs and so I understand.
I keep replaying what happened in my head and wonder if there’s anything I could’ve done better. I don’t like upsetting people.
NTA. It’s not his fault he has a speech impediment, but it’s not your fault that you couldn’t understand him. You weren’t rude to him, just honest.
NTA – this guy (if he had all his faculties) would have realised by now that his speech impediment means that even the most well-intentioned people won’t always understand him.
YTA. You should have made an actual complaint. His special needs could be taken into consideration regarding what to do, but this guy was upset and yelling at you for absolutely nothing that you can figure out. You were in the locker room to use the locker room as a locker room. And he’s harassing you, following you around and yelling. It’s inappropriate. People deserve to feel safe in the locker room, and you not reporting this helps allow it to happen again to other people.
This ^
It’s special needs not special privileges to scream and shout at patrons. Likely they will be moved to a sperate station or be given a work buddy.
I would so also for his own sake.
If the gym says nothing to him about that behavour he could do it with someone who wont just go to the front desk but is much more confronting.
And that could end badly.
Or the what if, what would have happened if OP didnt walk away?
So for all people involved there should be a follow up.
NTA because you didn’t make a huge fuss about it. He may be special needs but that gives no excuse for anyone to behave that way.
NTA, but you should have made an official report. Being special needs does not give you carte blanche to be an ahole
NTA. You were being polite and honest when you said you couldn’t understand him. It sounds like he overreacted.
NTA. Might be a common and frustrating experience for him, but that ain’t your fault.
NTA, you can’t help not understanding someone and it sounds like he just had a really rough reaction to it.
NTA. His response is not proportionate to the situation. Instead of clarifying he stalked you around the changing rooms shouting at you. Absolutely not.
NTA. But that guy was in the wrong for going off on you, especially if he was working. He knows he has a speech impediment and why he didn’t understand that you couldn’t understand him is beyond me.
You did nothing wrong. His extreme reaction was not your fault at all.
NTA Look, I don’t know why you are beating yourself up. You were polite to this guy and did nothing wrong. You had no way to magically understand what he was saying.
He may end up being let go — not because of you specifically, but because if this is a common thing where the slightest thing has him angry and yelling at customers, and following after them as they try to move away from him, then it comes down to a matter of customer safety and comfort.
>I believe I could be the asshole for not picking up fast enough a worker at my gym had special needs and then being rude by telling him I can’t understand him.
Do you really think everyone should just tolerate being treated as he treated you, and rush to get out of his way or do whatever to placate him? It’s not a reasonable expectation — for you or others to have to do that.