So I recently joined a very cheap gym. I'm excited because (a) it's $6.25 a month, (b) it's really close to me and (c) my previous, $89.00-a-month gym could NOT do billing. For some reason they got it into their heads that I had 2 different memberships (at 2 different rates) and billed me accordingly. I had to explain that I'm 1 person and only needed 1 membership. Then they did it again. Then I told them I was leaving unless they fixed it. They fixed it, but I ended up leaving (a couple months later) anyway. Because the lure of $6.25 a month (with an Olympic-sized pool! 3 blocks away from me!) was too much to turn down.

Well, I had a minor embarrassment there this morning. Some of the lanes were very crowded, so I picked the least crowded one (1 other person in it). Well, this dude was apparently Greg Louganis, because he was swimming so fast it was scary! I got tired watching. Then the lifeguard came over, smiled and said hi (I guess to soften the blow), and gently directed me to the "slow" lane. I noticed there was one even slower (called "slow/rec"), where nice old ladies were basically walking around and floating. I'll do that on days when I'm tired :)

Comments

Roxanne said…
Wow, that is a really good deal.

Heehee. I like to hang out with the old ladies, too. It makes me feel so young. :)
8:28 AM
Bearette said…
Isn't it?

It makes me forgiving of everything they do. Once I used the cardio room on the 3rd floor. They insist you lock everything up in the locker room. So I did. Then I came out of my workout to find they had locked the locker room! I had to call for someone to unlock it (someone else was waiting too), but I was thinking, "It's ok, it's only $6.25."
9:03 AM
This suzy said…
At least the lifeguard was polite about telling you to switch lanes. And that's a really good deal!!
9:54 AM
Caro said…
I enjoy life in the slow lane myself.
11:24 AM
Bearette said…
I almost called the post "Life in the Slow Lane" ;)
11:54 AM
Caro said…
Now you've got an Eagles song running through my head.
7:19 PM
Anonymous said…
I've never heard of a gym so cheap. Wow. Is there a catch?

I've never been very confident when it comes to lane sharing with people I don't know. It was nice of the lifeguard to be so helpful.
7:44 PM
Bearette said…
Kitkat - no catch, except the crowded slow lane, and sometimes gaffes like locking the locker room. It's subsidized by the city - I guess they were dismayed by the lack of inexpensive workout options in the city (until now!)

I feel strange lane sharing, too -- sometimes your hands make contact with other people's hands unexpectedly, which can be jarring. But I kept thinking, "What the heck, it's only $6.25."
8:33 AM
Anonymous said…
Go for the slow/rec lane. Then you can feel like Greg Louganis. :)
10:42 AM
Bearette said…
Not a bad idea :)
1:54 PM
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