Editor,
I’m a student at ETSU and have been going to the gym [Center for Physical Activity] on campus for 2 years now.
A few months ago, ETSU started the Plus 1 program so that students’ significant others could come to the gym and use the state of the art facility, previously open to students and staff of ETSU only.
I thought that would be a great idea and quickly jumped at the opportunity to get my other half in to start working out with me, like many others did.
Unfortunately, this is where the story takes a turn. I taught my Plus 1 how to use the machines properly and how to take care of the gym, but I’m not sure anyone else did.
Some of the new Plus 1 people seem to have absolutely no respect for this fantastic facility.
Anyone that has been going [to the CPA] since before this program was implemented has noticed the not-so-subtle changes I’m about to mention:
1. Parking. People are parking on the grass and at the end of the parking lot, trapping others so they can’t get out. I’ve yet to see one ticket for this.
2. Mud. It’s everywhere – on the floor, the machines and even on the martial arts mats. Everyone has seen the yellow barrier to keep people out of the mud, and yet, people sill walk around it or move the barrier.
3. Towels. They are left everywhere – on the machines, on the floor and all over the locker room. There are laundry baskets conveniently located in the gym.
I’ve belonged to gyms for 25 years, and even Balley’s doesn’t supply sweat towels to their customers. This is just one more of the services that the wonderful staff at the CPA provides.
4. Weights. Everyone knows (or is supposed to) that when you use a weight, you put it back. You don’t leave it on the machine when you’re done. You don’t mix the weights on the racks. I’m tired of searching and digging for equipment someone else has been too self-centered to put back correctly.
5. The machines. People aren’t bothering to ask how to operate the machines correctly, and I’m sure you’ve seen proof of this. The maintenance workers are often present, having to repair abused machines.
6. The locker room. Towels, shoes, clothing and trash lying around. The most disturbing to me was a huge brown pile of waste in a toilet with at least a whole roll of toilet paper thrown in on top of it. It clearly wasn’t an accident, clogging everything so it wouldn’t go down like that.
Guess what? Whoever thought that was funny to do wasn’t the person who had to clean it. How much more disrespectful could someone be?
I need to stress here that this is no reflection on the staff at the CPA. Many have worked there since I’ve been going and do a great job. I feel bad for them. It must be hard to continue to take the kind of pride that they do in their work.
If you are so inconsiderate you can’t park your car like everybody else, so lazy that you can’t take 10 more steps to stay on the sidewalk, so sloppy you can’t pick up after yourself, you are just not ready to be going to a gym this nice in the first place and you simply do not belong here.
So what’s to be done?
I would like to see a warning/kick-out program implemented. But, I’m sure the majority of new people that have been given the privilege and opportunity of membership appreciate what ETSU has done for them.
I suggest a more practical approach. Every time you see someone disrespecting your gym, tell them the correct way to do things and that the people who do respect it don’t appreciate such inconsiderate behavior.
Joseph Hunt
Jonathan Wilder

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