Saturday, September 15, 2007

At the Y

I'm standing today in the "adults only" locker room at the YMCA -- you know, the one with big "18 and over only" signs on all the entrances. That's located a whole 50 feet away from the small "family" locker room and perhaps 100 feet from the all-ages women's locker room.

I hear outside the door some little kid's voice and a mom saying, "If they kick us out, they kick us out."

And mom drags her very embarrassed 7- or 8-year-old daughter into the adults-only locker room.

I just glared. I thought of several appropriate remarks to make, none of which were very kind or helpful, so I kept my mouth shut. And left.

6 comments:

LBTEPA said...

that poor kid.

A Wild Celtic Rose said...

Wow...

That so falls into my "It's only one Cheeto" theory...

http://www.wildcelticrose.net/lisasplace/cheeto.html

~L

Downhillnut said...

She's raising a rule-breaker. I suppose the kid could choose to follow rules and totally disrespect her mom later, but either way, the mom's setting herself and her daughter up for bigger disappointments.

I probably would have done the same as you did, though. Would it really have helped the daughter's embarrassment or respect for her mom if you'd spoken up?

Fe-lady said...

See it all the time....and it's the kids who are embarrassed for their parents. But then when they "grow up" they will do the same thing....
I used to comment on things like this...but I only found it ruined MY day and didn't change anyone's behavior, so I shut up now.

Vickie said...

"Rules are for other people, not me." You've got that right, especially at the Y! I finally quit our wonderful, state-of-the-art Y because of this and many other problems they either can't or don't bother to control. When the locker room says "Women 18 and over" it does not mean, regardless of what your problem is, that you can bring your children, boys and girls, in with you. And they always have "valid" excuses! These are the same people who let their kids play in the hot tub and flood the women's locker room too.

ShesAlwaysWrite said...

That is SO uncool. My dinky little gym only has one, and I'm always biting my tongue at the moms who let their kids (usually boys who are FAR TOO OLD to be in the lady's locker room) stand and blatantly stare at us trying to change. I figure if the kid is old enough understand and stare, he's too old to come into the lady's room with mommy.