Everything else you said was spot on. I’m going to look to see if you have any etiquette for the locker rooms. For example, at what age is it no longer appropriate for boys to change with their moms in the Women’s Locker room?

Somehow, the orange analogy just doesn’t seem relevant–sight and sound are two different senses.

With regard to banging weights, I wasn’t talking about lifting anything. I was talking about people replacing weights in their designated spots, and banging.

Peace, dude! No sense walking around with an authoritative viewpoint. I was only offering polite observations, and, brother, did I get shot down.

I’m so tired of people thinking they can tell the rest of the world how to behave, and where we can talk.

If you think banging weights is rude, you’ve obviously never lifted anything so heavy that you couldn’t easily put it down gently. Have you ever seen real weightlifters?

I have to take exception with two of your observations. One is that I strongly feel that cellphones have no place on a gym floor. If you feel a pressing need to talk to a friend or relative, then do so, but don’t disturb people who have come to the gym for the express purpose of working out; we don’t need to hear your personal goings-on. It’s obtrusive, and you should go outside or somewhere more secluded to conduct your electronic communication.

Also, banging weights is supremely rude. It’s annoying, and no one wants to hear a noise like that at any time of day.

My gym actually allows cell phone use, as do most of the gyms in this area. I was addressing the issue of other gym-goers complaining about people talking on the cell phone while in the gym, specifically stating that it is poor etiquette to do so.

I think if the gyms around here cared about safety, they’d allow the use of chalk.

Your suggestion that cell phones can interfere with heart rate monitors intrigued me enough to do a quick Google. Here are the results, which seem to suggest that this is not a big problem, at least with the latest devices: http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4ADBR_enUS237US237&q=cell+phones+interfere+heart+rate+monitors

It appears that a television or even electronic cardio equipment could provide at least as much interference as a cell phone.

I definitely think the use of a cell phone in the locker room should be a huge no-no! Only because of the photo capabilities, though. I still don’t consider it rude to talk on a phone in public.

1. Most phone have camera and/or video functions these days, and they don’t want the liability of someone taking unwanted photos of their members.

2. Cell phones can interfere with portable heart rate monitors. I know I’d be upset if suddenly my Polar exercise computer suddenly started fritzing out mid-run.

3. Safety. Using a phone while on a treadmill might distract a person enough to take a dive. That could lead to liability against the club.