Arrogant exercise junkies

I thought I might add another rant topic and see if others have similar experiences.

We walk along the beachfront most mornings and over the years the number of 'boot camps' have increased seemingly exponentially. One of the things that annoys me is exercise junkies that seem to think everything in sight is a personal workout gym apparatus. Apart from the fact that the council has added all sorts of substantial exercise equipment along the track, the junkies still insist on using the picnic seats and tables as stepup and jump platforms with no regard to the general public who sit and eat at tables and expect them to be clean and sound. Why don't they use the council provide jungle jyms and step platforms?

This morning there was a personal trainer urging on a couple of clients hanging off a clearly unsuitable tree branch for exercising. Usually I write off the broken tree limbs I see to hoons and the graffittista but I think the junkies might have more to do with it than I expect.

i think there may be a way of slowing them down at least by querying the council on the insurance liability of these personal trainers who are using council provided amenities for profit-making unsuitable purposes.

In Sydney there is a definite move by local councils to charge 'personal trainers', dog walkers and similar users and abusers of public parks for the 'rent' of the public's assets. Maybe you could suggest that to your local council, seeing as they will be footing the bill for the damage to the park fittings as well as damage to trees and such (broken branches, holes and ditches in grassed areas).

Then they can afford to have the Council Rangers come around to check that their licences are current and also hand out fines for them using facilities that they are not authorised to use such as the picnic tables & seats.

I'm not so much concerned about the Council policing this. The Gold Coast City Council have considered charging personal trainers fees and they already have a lot of staff out cleaning and repairing the beach areas every day. Legislation is something that will change eventually to match community mores, slowly.

I just wonder about how these people have grown up. Why dont they bother to think through the fact that the seating is there for a certain purpose and the exercise equipment is there for a different purpose? Why don't they care that some other person is going to be sitting on the seat later that they have just muddied or bent? Why don't they consider that somebody is going to be eating later off the table they have just been spraying with their sweat?

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Originally Posted by Fuzzie

I just wonder about how these people have grown up. Why dont they bother to think through the fact that the seating is there for a certain purpose and the exercise equipment is there for a different purpose? Why don't they care that some other person is going to be sitting on the seat later that they have just muddied or bent? Why don't they consider that somebody is going to be eating later off the table they have just been spraying with their sweat?

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Its probably the same people who back into car parks :?

Cheers

Doug

On your side Fuzzie! I hate 'em.


I have often thought of "joining in" . Most of the groups around here (Terrigal, NSW central Coast) are 30ish something females in tights and tank tops. It's awful, well, not really awful, more just a bit annoying, well not really annoying, in fact I kind of like watching, a bit, sort of - well JEEZ there's not much else to do around here on a Wednesday morning. Gimmee a break!

Sorry, I got carried away for a moment there.

I just wonder what the "leaders" would do if a 60 something, short, fat, bearded bloke just joined in.

but I can never find a short , fat, bearded bloke when i want one... hang on, I think I may have just solved the problem...

See you at the beach

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Originally Posted by doug3030

Its probably the same people who back into car parks :?

Cheers

Doug

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Nah. That would be everybody in NSW. Ever been to a NSW country town? If you want to see true chaos try driving in forwards there! :U

edit: BTW how do you go about reverse parallel parking? (Maybe answer in the other thread)

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Originally Posted by Avery

On your side Fuzzie! I hate 'em.


I have often thought of "joining in" . Most of the groups around here (Terrigal, NSW central Coast) are 30ish something females in tights and tank tops. It's awful, well, not really awful, more just a bit annoying, well not really annoying, in fact I kind of like watching, a bit, sort of - well JEEZ there's not much else to do around here on a Wednesday morning. Gimmee a break!

Sorry, I got carried away for a moment there.

I just wonder what the "leaders" would do if a 60 something, short, fat, bearded bloke just joined in.

but I can never find a short , fat, bearded bloke when i want one... hang on, I think I may have just solved the problem...

See you at the beach

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I wouldn't say you are entertaining wicked thoughts, more like they are entertaining you.
:wink:

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Originally Posted by doug3030

Its probably the same people who back into car parks :?

Cheers

Doug

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And what is wrong with backing into car parks? Makes it a lot easier (and safer) to drive out forwards.
At work there is often more vehicles reversed in, than driven in forwards.

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Originally Posted by Handyjack

And what is wrong with backing into car parks? Makes it a lot easier (and safer) to drive out forwards.
At work there is often more vehicles reversed in, than driven in forwards.

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Never mind, I came to the conclusion in the other thread where this was being discussed, that if you do not understand it instinctively you wont understand the explanation either. Feel free to continue unduly delaying other drivers and running a higher risk of an accident. Please don't do it in front of me.

Cheers

Doug

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Originally Posted by doug3030

Never mind, I came to the conclusion in the other thread where this was being discussed, that if you do not understand it instinctively you wont understand the explanation either. Feel free to continue unduly delaying other drivers and running a higher risk of an accident. Please don't do it in front of me.

Cheers

Doug

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First world problems hey. I'm reversing my way to happiness.

Defence Road Transport Instructions state that reverse parking is the preferred method. It's actually a requirement for emergency vehicles as it's faster and safer to drive out. I've always been taught to reverse park if possible due to the safety factor when driving out.

As for the exercise junkies, I can't really comment on what others do. I've taken classes in public places and modified existing equipment. Playground equipment is great for chinups and dips, sometimes platforms can be good for step ups & box jumps as well. I don't think I've ever used a park bench for anything and I sure as hell haven't used a tree. There's a lot of cowboys (and cowgirls) in the industry now so I enjoy watching other people work just for a laugh :wink:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by doug3030

Never mind, I came to the conclusion in the other thread where this was being discussed, that if you do not understand it instinctively you wont understand the explanation either. Feel free to continue unduly delaying other drivers and running a higher risk of an accident. Please don't do it in front of me.

Cheers

Doug

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Good on them for getting off their bums and exercising.

First world problem, with the rise of obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes any and all exercise needs to be encouraged.

If it pisses you off that much talk to the trainer and even hand them a rag to clean the benches when they are done. The trainers I know are pretty responsible and want to grow their businesses, not turn people off.

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Originally Posted by Sebastiaan56

First world problem, with the rise of obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes any and all exercise needs to be encouraged.

If it pisses you off that much talk to the trainer and even hand them a rag to clean the benches when they are done. The trainers I know are pretty responsible and want to grow their businesses, not turn people off.

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I think you might be missing the point.

I go to the beach and parks to relax, excersize and enjoy myself - often early mornings. It is a good place to be, except when groups of ten or more, with a leader take over the space . Often there are multiple groups. They tend to carry on as if they own the space and do not like others infringing - just try and walk through one of these groups. They are noisy, they are ugly (as a group, not the individuals), they are imposing, they are almost always arrogant, but mostly they are just in my way.

Why should the group leader be trying to "grow their business" at the expense of all the other good citizens in space that is public property. If they want to run this sort of business they can buy some commercial land and do what they like. There is an acre of land just down the road from me -it is for sale, it is zoned commercial use, I would have no problem with a bunch of people being lead in excersize all day for what ever price the leaders want to charge. Make as much noise as they want. i don't care.

Just get off my beach and out of my park!

My pet peeve at parks is when you park up and sit in your car for some lunch or a read and there is always someone who will park next to you and leave the engine running for the aircon - it may not sound much but its loud enough to be bloody annoying.

As for the boot camps at parks, these people are getting the use of a public resource for free and you can bet that for most of them it's a cash business.
What the government should do, is since obesity costs so much money in terms of medical treatment etc, allow a partial tax deduction (say 30-50%) of money spent on fitness activities - of course it will mean asking the trainer for a receipt which will force him to legitimise himself in terms of tax (IE actually pay some) so the government will probably get in as much tax as they give out.

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Originally Posted by Sebastiaan56

If it pisses you off that much talk to the trainer and even hand them a rag to clean the benches when they are done. The trainers I know are pretty responsible and want to grow their businesses, not turn people off.

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I have done so on several occasions. Unfortunately some of these "professionals" seem to have short memories and revert to their prior activities when the annoying public has moved on. Surprisingly attitudes seem to change faster if a mobile phone is available and it is suggested a photo could be sent to council.

I still would prefer to think that people could be socialized enough to be considerate of others in the first place.