Gyms can be intimidating places.
While some people find them excellent for flirting and socialising, the vast majority of us just want to be left alone.
After all, who wants to be chatted up when they look like a sweaty tomato struggling for breath?
Not everyone gets that.
Maybe it’s the testosterone, maybe it’s the pumping music system – whatever, every gym has a few sharks that’ll go to any length to interrupt your workout in a bid to try and chirps.
But according to author and Twitter user Olivia Cole, there is one fail-safe way of protecting your privacy, space and time when you’re trying to get fit.
She was down the gym the other day and saw two women working out together when a bloke started approaching.
Rather than bothering to enter into conversation, one woman immediately told him that she’d just farted so might want to keep his distance.
GUYS. Just now. In gym.
*guy approaches two women working out, with flirtatious eyebrows at the ready*
Girl 1: UH you might not want to come over here, dude. I just farted. It’s bad.
Guy: *looks horrified. leaves.*
Girl 2: omg did you really?
Girl 1: psh no.
— Olivia A. Cole (@RantingOwl) January 10, 2018
And that was the end of the potential encounter.
Needless to say, Oliva enjoyed it
And she was only like 21. The CREATIVITY. THE FINESSE.
— Olivia A. Cole (@RantingOwl) January 11, 2018
I literally screamed in the gym. Turned it into a cough so I didn’t give her away.
— Olivia A. Cole (@RantingOwl) January 10, 2018
As did her followers
And apparently, it’s a fairly common deflection tactic
But it does also throw up some more serious questions about why women have to resort to this kind of puerile behaviour in order to be left in peace
I actually just joined there, because my previous gym was so bad that I had to file a complaint against an EMPLOYEE….who still works there. My sit-down w/ their new GM did nothing.
— Valerie Hall Stinnett (@Noobvember) January 12, 2018
@RantingOwl It's a great strategy. Nevertheless, women should not need to resort to these actions for us, men, to l… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…
—
Ludvik Herrera (@ludvikherrera) January 11, 2018
@RantingOwl I'm SO doing this. Had guy approach me to tell me my form was "off" & if I did it his way, I'd also be… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…
—
Amanda Louie (@AmandaLouieTX) January 11, 2018
Food for thought.
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