GTFO "my" elliptical machine

Sunday morning I went to work out on the elliptical machine at the local gym. The gym is a pretty friendly place, but on Sunday mornings it can get a little crowded.

All the ellipticals are often in use.  But people come and go.  You can't stay on one of those things forever.

I had 5 minutes remaining on my workout when the young woman from the front desk interrupts me to report there is another member who would like to use the specific elliptical I am on.  The attendant tells me the other member has said that I have been on the machine for over 50 minutes which is beyond the limit.

It was also just plain made up fiction.

Pointing to the digital time display I show her I have only 5 minutes remaining, then it will be free.

Hearing this, the other member flies into a public display about how valuable her time is and she shouldn't have to wait.  By now, after the outburst, the clock is ticking and I explain I will be off in 2 minutes. When I get off the machine, she announces to everyone how rude and inconsiderate I am.

The attendant apologized profusely and explained this member was adamant that she be given that machine.  I explained to her when people behave this way it is in fact possible to turn to them and ask them to be patient for 5 minutes rather than indulging their bad behavior simply cause they are making the biggest scene.

It is not uncommon for your machine of choice to be occupied at the gym.  It happens in the city all the time and usually people wait patiently.  Somehow out here this person chose to let us know how valuable her time was.

Funny enough, as I finally finished those last 2 minutes, two other machines became available simultaneously.  An unpleasant way to start a beautiful Sunday which could have been easily avoided.

-L