Gym-Goer Faces Unexpected Backlash After Their Innocent Treadmill Choice Derails Group Workout Session

“Who knew it was a crime to pick the treadmill in the middle?”

Jesse

• Published in Interesting
• November 26, 2023

Our narrator (Original Poster) was nuts about their cardio. They always made a beeline for the treadmills at their apartment complex gym. 

Within this decent-sized gym, three treadmills stood in their secret corner—away from the other equipment. Each with its own story.

The left one was like a seasoned warrior, worn down by use—everyone’s last choice. On the right was a state-of-the-art button-laden mystery. To date, OP has yet to discover the functions of some buttons. 

Now, the middle one was a sleek, modern marvel, one that OP just couldn't resist. Luckily, it was almost always open.

One day, OP was enjoying an exhilarating cardio session on his favorite treadmill when two mysterious girls entered the scene. Initially, OP were blissfully unaware as their earbuds were firmly in place, but they sensed a disturbance.

OP attempted to make eye contact, but the girls quickly pretended they hadn’t been glaring the whole time. OP could swear they heard one of the girls scoff, but considering the earbuds, it was a 50/50 assumption.

They continued to power through the workout, and the peculiar duo finally exited the gym. Thirty minutes later, as OP made their way out, they ran into those very same girls.

They immediately tagged OP as inconsiderate for hogging the central treadmill and hindering potential workout collaborations. Their parting shot? A nugget of wisdom, advising OP to use the side treadmills next time.

Caught off guard, OP mumbled a weary "OK”, but deep down, they found the whole thing ridiculous.

Was it wrong to stick with their favorite treadmill?

Let’s dig into the details

A bit of background

OP’s use of the middle treadmill was annoying to the girls, as it prevented them from staying close to each other while doing team workouts

OP’s sister seems to agree with the girls that choosing the treadmill on the side would have been the best option

Here’s how the Reddit community reacted to the story:

The fact that the 3 treadmills are not the same makes this matter quite complicated

“ I don't choose my gym equipment based on whether a hypothetical group of people want to exercise together.”

“NTA…Whoever came up with the ‘gym equipment = urinal rules’ idea was pulling sh*t out of their a**”

“NTA, you didn't pick the middle one bc it's in the middle but because you like it best.”

“They could have asked how long you had left on your run and done some squats while they waited.”

“NTA…I work out alone, so I would choose my favorite no matter its location.“

“NTA… Too bad they were not mature enough to ask you if you'd mind switching.”

Redditors stood with OP on this one. There were essentially three different pieces of equipment, and only one of each. If the models were identical, well, that would’ve been a different story.

It would’ve been a simple fix if the girls communicated instead of passive-aggressively hovering.

OP was there first, so they got the first pick—it’s only fair.

What do you think about this story? Let us know in the comments. 

Jesse