Q: I was at the gym earlier this week, and halfway into my workout I smelled what I thought was possibly a sewage problem. The person on the equipment next to me smelled horrible, and eventually I had to move. Why do some people not know proper gym etiquette?
A: The same reason people talk with their mouth full or don't thank you when you hold the door open for them. They were more than likely raised in a barn or by wolves. Somehow, along the way, they were never taught about common courtesy. My advice is to workout on your lunch break or early in the morning when less people are there. You could also complain to someone on the gym staff if the smell continues.
I call that gym personality you mentioned the "Polluter." That is typically the person who keeps their gym clothes in their bag and recycles them all week allowing them to marinate for an extra potent stench. These people are also the ones who refuse to wipe down their equipment after slopping their sweat all over it.
Another gym behavior that makes me nuts is when I am on the treadmill in a nearly empty gym and someone chooses the treadmill right next to me to workout. I call them the "Space Invader."
The "Don Juan" or in some cases the "Donna Juan" turns the gym into their personal pick-up spot. I laugh out loud when I see a woman walk in the gym in expensive workout clothing with perfect makeup and hair wearing her diamonds. Really? You are there to sweat. I also hate that some people can't get the hint that most visitors don't like to be approached at the gym. Wearing headphones and avoiding eye contact should be a clue.
And finally...one of my favorites: The "Amplifier." Excessive grunting, yelling and screaming while lifting weights much too heavy for them in an attempt to garner attention.
