A man’s insistence on using the gym during women’s hours has sparked a debate about gender equality and safety. Some people believe that the man’s actions are disruptive and disrespectful, while others argue that he has the right to use the gym whenever he wants.
An internet user asked, Am I a jerk for going to the gym during “women’s hour”? We want to hear your views.
Backstory:
OP recently moved into this particular apartment complex because it’s a lot closer to his work, and it has a pretty spectacular gym.
Gym Fees Are A Part of Rental
The gym fees are built into OP’s monthly rent payment, about $40, and are optional.
He elected to pay it because he’s an avid gym-goer. He’s been going to the gym at his usual time of around 6:30ish, and at first, he was oblivious to the fact that during the times that he goes, it’s all women – who usually give him pretty dirty looks, but he thought nothing of it.
The Women’s Hour
OP made a friend in his complex, and when she saw him at the gym, she was super surprised to see him. Unbeknownst to OP, there is a women’s hour every weekday from 6 pm-9 pm.
“Now look. I know that us dudes can be big creeps and it can be annoying for a woman to try to get off a workout in peace. But I think that 3 hours is far too excessive. I ended up leaving that day to keep the peace, though.”
Why Are Other Timings Incompatible For OP?
Those times make it incompatible for OP to go to the gym which is open 6am – midnight. He works from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm and he usually comes home at around 5:30ish, depending on traffic. Usually, OP likes to chill for about half an hour after getting home to decompress and he either makes food for later or just browses Twitter or Reddit.
“Now I know that I could wake up early to go….but I am going to be real honest and say that I’d rather not do that because I like my sleep. What makes it even worse is that the nearest gym is a 40 minute drive away. Which is a no bueno for me.”
What Did OP Do Next?
So, OP thought about it and escalated this matter to the strata manager OP asked her about the women’s hours because he was not informed of this prior to signing his lease.
Apparently, it’s not a policy instituted by the strata, but the tenants (who are primarily women) agreed on this policy as a community and the strata neither endorse nor discourages this policy.
OP Goes To The Gym
OP was prepared to give up and make do with the other gym, but first, he inquired about getting his monthly gym fee waived if he won’t be going there. The Strata manager said that she can’t do that until OP’s lease is up for renewal in a year. So he said eff that, he won’t be paying for a service that he won’t use.
So OP goes to the gym. He makes sure to go out of his way to not look at or talk to any of the women there because he wants to leave them alone, and vice versa. He just works out and keeps his head down.
What Happened Today?
Today, one woman tapped OP on the arm (“more like hit me if I’m being real”, says OP) and said “You know it’s women’s hour right” and OP said, “Yeah, I know that, but the window makes it pretty much impossible for me to work out at other times so I have to go now. Oh, and please don’t touch me.”
She got frustrated and told OP to get out. He refused and ignored her and continued his workout whilst all the other women gave him extremely dirty looks.
“Am I the jerk?” Asks OP.
This Is Completely Unfair
“Not the jerk. 6p – 9p is prime gym time at a residential gym; that’s a ridiculous amount of time.
“Women’s Hour,” if it were an hour, would probably be alright. 3 is too much, and 3 of the most accessible gym hours for a working person is completely unfair.”
3 Reasons Why It’s Absolutely Crazy
“Not the jerk. I was so ready to go off on you, but it is absolutely CRAZY that they
(1) didn’t tell you about this before you signed a contract and
(2) won’t let you out of your contract early.
(3) Three hours of prime gym time is too long; they should find a women’s-only gym in the area, as it seems like that’s what they want anyways.”
Imagine If Men Did That
“Not the jerk at all. “Women’s hour” during the literal peak time to work out— and they made the rule themselves? So crazy.
Just imagine if men did that. The screams of misogyny would be never-ending. I am a woman by the way. This culture of crybabies has got to stop.
Plain and simple— it’s gender biases. Women’s hour can be when they set their alarms a bit earlier and go to the gym when no one is there. It is not when another paying customer decides to go during peak hours.
So obnoxious. And SUCH a bad stereotype. Please know not all women are like that!
Keep us posted!”
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This article was originally published on Mrs Daaku Studio.