pyedwaket

I waited for the new gym to open at ponds forge with a bit of anticipation as i was getting a bit sick of the poor manners of some(not all) of the counter staff and the really bizarre people that go there. I have been going for well over five years. I went for the first time to the new gym and was welcomed when i entered the male changing room by a guy who was apparantly sexualy aroused and another that seemed to just want to stand naked and stare at a locker. I have officialy had it with this gym, i dont believe it is the fault of any of the staff or sales people, but i feel that it is no better than going to some seedy public toilet. Am going to take up jogging. It is a dissapointing end to well over five years though

Thanks jowebb, i did fill in that slip once but it made no differance at the time. Since posting these messages they do seem to be more polite though, wierd. Thanks for the advice on there great offers

I was speaking about ponds forge. Most of what i said was just flippant as i understand that how long people rest between reps is nothing to do with fitness unlimited or the smell in the changing room is no fault of theirs and is a universal smell to gym changing rooms (the toilets are next to the showers though). But i do stand by the fact that the counter staff, the guys you buy your tickets off and let you in to the pool area down the stairs, are the most impolite people you will ever meet. As i have mentioned above, i have been going a while, and when you go to the gym after a long day at work and are facing a long session in the gym its a cherry on the cake when the person you talk to cant even say hello or hold eye contact. Im not one of these people thats obssesed about customer service but isnt it just civilised to say 'thanks' or 'hello'. I am willing to wear a wire to prove what i am saying. I think the last time one of them said thanks was 2 years ago

Further to the discounts id like to point out a few other benefits of being a fitness unlimited member as i have been for nearly four years. The desk staff have absoloutley no concept of basic politeness and will never ever say 'please' or 'thank you' (not the gym staff though, they are all very profesional) The gym gets so busy at peak times you might, and an accent on might, get on a bike The mens changing room stinks of some mysterious cheese smell The highlight for me though is how people rest between reps on work out equipment for epic periods. I saw one bloke, while i was on a bike (lucky me) rest for over 15 mins It is cheep though

Thank you Lindos. I made the same point a while ago as i tried to deal with some kids playing up on the bus. Nobody did anything to back me up and i think everyone came away looking degraded by the incident. When i posted the incident alot of comments complained that the government should be doing more. My point was that the government should not have to be responsbile for all aspects of our lives and that we should, as a society, be trying to deal with these issues ourselves. I am in no way advocating violence, but if the people on the bus with me had all stood up together and objected it would have been harder for the kids to misbehave and would have made them think twice before trying it again.

I remember somebody telling me it was sign made when a student had been mugged or beaten up. Almost definatly an urban myth. Im glad its a band sign. It reminds me of the urban myth about theives leaving discreet signs outside houses that would be good to rob. Urban myths might be a good new thread

I think cartav makes a good point. While it is important to make sure that racism is challanged and stopped at every opportunity people must not be stopped expressing there fears and concerns about other cultures and immigration. Simply shouting them down as rascist is, to say the least, unfair and will make them resentful. It is not a good idea to reject peoples feelings and worrys as the rise of far right political groups clearly indicates. Everyone, on both sides should be allowed to air there views.

No probs. I just wanted it to be understood that the lack of understanding at both ends, from the middle class liberal side and the working class side could eventualy cause lots of problems

My point is that the whole issue was ignored after a very short description of the people concerned as being racsist. I think it is very important that there thoughts are heard and addressed. Do you think it is a good idea that these people go to the poles angry and bitter

The BBC recently did a study and found that white working class people are resentful of people seeking asylum in there citys. As i watched it most of the pundits dismissed this as rascism and the whole debate disapeared from the news. I felt frustrated as this did not address my concerns or those of the people that i know. I think Bangsta probably feels the same way. It might feel the same way. Shutting people up is never a good idea.

There is an Itallian restaurant next to Hillsborough park (sorry i dont know the name). Its not cheap but on the other hand its not very expensive but its always empty. Does anybody know why?

I used to work in catering when i was about 20 so have alot of basic knowladge of catering. Ive just got into cooking again and want to learn to cook well so wanted to know if there are any restaurants out there that are willing to teach a 34 year old bloke how to cook in return for a nights work. I do have a full time job so it would just be for one or two evenings a week but i can work hard and will be very commmited and enthusiastic. I have cooked a wide variety of things like chicken and pork but dont have a great deal of sucess with pastry (i am willing to learn)

What youwhatref says is basicaly the problem, he/she makes a flipant comment about beating up the trouble causers(which he/she dosnt intend to do) then calls on the police to solve the problem. youwhatref then goes on to blame the parents, another knee jerk response. I am sure there are many parents pulling there hair out over unruly children, but victimising them while there children feel they can act without any care for the law is like saying 'hey the kids have no responsibility for there actions lets blame the parents' The police, as can be seen, are either unwilling or unable to solve the problem and people need to stand against the thugs to at least show them that there is resistance to them. Again i am not advocating violence of any kind

Responding to Nightriders comments on my post. I think that objecting to the anti-social kids behaviour every time they do it would give them the feeling that they cant do what ever they want without a comeback. I have on quite a few occasions stood up to anti-social kids and had members of the public spring to there defence. A friend of mine was on a bus and a few kids got behined the wheel of the bus when the driver got off for a second, he was shouted down when he objected to them driving the bus off. Again im not advocating any type of vigilante behaviour but i am advocating objecting when they behave badly and perhaps supporting each other when we do it.

While i agree with Toms point that it isnt down to the parents he seems to be falling into a very familiar trap, that its the courts responsibility to deal with everything. Perhaps the people on the bus should have stood up and protested at having paper flicked at them. If kids are walking around hurling abuse and smashing up property perhaps people should stand together and protest. Im not for a second saying that people should be violent, but we shouldnt always look to the government or the law to sort things out for us. If people came together (and by this i mean people act together and not vigilantie groups or lone people taking on mobs of kids) at least the anti-social kids wouldnt think that there behaviour was going unchallenged. I think the problem that we are in at the moment is that weve handed responsibility for our place in the community over to the law/government and stopped sticking up for ourselves and our comunnities.