Who was wrong?

Question

I attend a gym a few train stations away from my school, where I also work as a tutor. Well, after work I usually spend an hour at the gym. Before I left work, I changed into my gym clothes and jogged to the train station about six blocks away, all the while I'm drinking from my new water bottle, which stores the recommended eight cups of water. While I'm on the train I have a sudden urge to do relive myself, the water had done it! I get off the train, gym bag in arm, book back in the other, and run three blocks to the gym. I still have to wait in line to sign in. Then I speed away to the bathroom, and entered the stall, bags and all. I barely sat down when an older woman begins to knock ferociously on the door. She say's, "Change in the locker room! There are people waiting to use the restroom!" She must have looked under the stall, seen my bags, and assumed I was changing. She continued to yell like that until I flushed and came out. Everyone was staring at me! I avoided eye contact.

During my visit I kept overhearing her tell others of the rude girl in the locker room!

I guess I was to embarrassed to do anything, I just wantig to leave.

Answer 1

You have nothing to feel ashamed about. The bags were on the floor, remained closed and you were doing nothing wrong.

Yelling back or otherwise responding to rudeness is not a solution. Smile pleasantly, wash your hands when you're through and take an extra minute to check your lipstick and tighten your earrings. It's still OK to straighten your appearance in the mirror, isn't it?

If the old lady that was so upset with you is outside the stall when you emerge, a pleasant smile with a question would be suitable. "Are you having a bad day, dear?" before continuing on your way.

Make a point to make eye contact with your accuser whenever possible, and be sure to suggest they have a nice day. Nothing will infuriate them more.

Answer 2

She was wrong to assume you were changing. And even if you were maybe you were on your period and didn't want to show the rest of the gym. Does your gym have a policy against changing in the bath room? I'm just curious because I've only been a member of two gyms and at neither one was that a policy. I'm just curious.

I wouldn't stress over it. If I was at the gym and some lady was going off like that, I would probably have thought she's crazy and obsessive and I would feel sorry for the person(s) she goes home to.

Answer 3

I think this was just a misunderstanding. I don't think it was wrong of you at all to run straight to the restroom with your bags, since you might not have been able to hold it much longer. I can also see how it could have seemed to others like you were going to change in there and that is annoying when there are others waiting to use the restroom for it's real purpose, but I think people shouldn't jump to conclusions and be rude like that woman was. I think she was unnecessarily rude and it was ridiculous of her to go spread her assumptions to others.

I think that in such situations it's best to just explain yourself. You could have said that you were only using the restroom, not changing, and would be out in a minute.

Answer 4

First she was in the wrong. I would have said excuse me I am going to the bathroom not changing.You gotta go you gotta go no ifs ands or buts. break the word assume down into thre words. thats what she did, made an out of you and her. next time I saw her i would approach her and say you did not like her doing that. you know juming to a conclusion and spreading rumors around the gym. I would think she would have more manners.That was a rude way to approach the situation on her part and I commend you on how you handled it.

Answer 5

She jumped to conclusions, as so many of us do in this hectic world. you were on the receiving end that day but I'll bet there's times when you jumped to conclusions about someone else. We've all done it. I know I have. But it certainly hurts to be on the receiving end. If you see her again, you should aproach her calmly, explain why you were in the bathroom and tell her honestly that you felt bad when she badmouthed you to people. If she's a decent person she will learn a lesson from it, and perhaps the next time something happens she won't be so quick to judge. If she goes off on you again, she's a whack job and you need to forget her.

Answer 6

Well she's wrong for assuming you were changing. Was she in there with you? Some people have a problem with thinking that the world revolves around them. Hopefully one day soon she will realize that it doesn't. And how immature for her to go running her mouth to others in the gym about a situation she got all wrong.

Answer 7

I know this is really juvenile, but she was asking for it when she began banging on the door and yelling. I would have sat in there for at least five minutes making the loudest grunting noises and dropping pennies into the toilet. It always makes me feel better to give 'em my two cents!

Answer 8

If she goes to this gym on a regular basis watch her from a distance. Right before she heads off to the bathroom get there before her and remove all of the toilet paper from all of the stalls. Then walk out with them all as she is walking in. HaHaHa.

Answer 9

That person was just being vulgar and crass. It is impossible to correctly communicate with someone like that. But all you had to do was tell her that you are using this facility and that she will have to wait until you are done utilizing this facility.. Sorry but there is nothing else that you could have said to her that would have made sense to her.

Answer 10

She's not the locker room police, she had not right to bother you while in the stall. I guess ignoring her was the best solution.