Iron Pol

To anyone it may concern,

We can all agree that gyms around the country might FEEL like home.  Many of us spend a great deal of time there.  Often, we take more showers at the gym than at home.  For those of us training in the morning, it occassionally feels like we don't wake up until we've been working out for a while.

We can probably also agree that it is both guaranteed and acceptable that some amount of exposed skin will be seen in the locker rooms.  With some many people in relatively confined spaces, nobody expects to get through a day at the gym without seeing at least a bit more than they may have wanted to see when they woke up in the morning.  We're all adults, and we've been through gym class in school.  We can deal with it.

As someone who spent 10 years in the US Navy, I've lived through more confined, less private circumstances.  In fact, open bay showers and bathrooms without stall doors are a fact of life in boot camp.

There are, however, some lines we should consider drawing.  Common decency, really.  Just a few little courtesies we can show others using the same facilities.

Because let's face it, few people sharing the locker room with you are really keen on seeing your ________ body hanging out there for everyone's pleasure (please insert your favorite: fat/hairy/sagging/perfect/bulging/etc).  And this applies to everyone, from the completely out of shape to the completely perfect.

When you exit the shower and head right over to the sinks to complete your morning routine, you walk right by the lockers and your clothes.  You're usually carrying at least one or two towels.  And yet, somehow, you manage to stand there, completely naked, and brush your teeth, shave, style your hair, trim your nails, and perform any number of other number of hygiene tasks.  And just to keep things interesting, you sometimes wander around the locker room, still naked, while brushing your teeth.  The time you brushed your teeth while making a pit stop at the urinal was particularly disturbing.

Yes, you pay to use the facilities.  But let's be realistic.  The building cost millions to build, furnish, and staff.  Your monthly payment probably ranges from $50-300/month.  How do you manage to gain access to a multi-million dollar facility for such a low payment?  Because I also pay to be there.  So do lots of other people.

If you want to complete your entire morning ritual in the buff, perhaps you can pay the millions of dollars needed to build your own gym and locker room.  Until then, a bit of humility (or at least decency) will go a long way.  I'm not asking for a lot.  Wander from the locker to your shower (and perhaps back) naked all you want.  But the other 20-30 minutes of the morning, consider donning your underwear, or at least a towel.

Sincerely,

The rest of us

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