At The Gym

The gym that I work out at caters to alot of working professionals. That however never gave me a so called upper class feeling or whatever, I first joined that gym chain back in 2001 and to me, the higher premiums doesn't mean anything social status wise or what so ever.

But apparently some people think it's a pretty big deal. From the messy ways they use the equipment to loudly demanding service at the front counter to the snobbish attitudes over the selection of lockers, it's like as if being a gym member very hoity toity lor.

Today something classic happened in the gym.

I was just finished with my workout and I sat on the bench in the locker room, catching my breath. (Fine I'm fat and I pant slightly more now after every work out.) Now throughout the day at the gym, be it peak hour or whatever, the average profile of the gymmers are rather much the same. They fancy themselves as high flying professionals, constantly checking their Blackberries on the treadmills and discussing stock options on the gym floor, loudly comparing COE prices for their latest 2-litre cars and which gym acquaintance they saw at the last condo open house whatever. It's so trite you really wanna laugh over the silly poseur-ness of it all.

2 such typical corporate types were hamming it up at the locker room bench, loudly proclaiming to each other whatever stock market crap deal they had observed etc. Down the row of lockers I saw an Indian guy walking towards us. I really didn't give the oncoming guy much thought.

The taller of the talking pair, a Chinese guy, already dressed back in work clothes after his shower, was clutching his bag ready to leave with his wet towels in the other hand. Out of the blue he turned round and tossed the wet towels (2 of them usually, a bath and a work-out hand towel) at the Indian guy and said "Thanks mate!".

He thought the Indian guy was a cleaner! Now I really don't understand how that mistake could be made cos' firstly, he was dressed in basketball shorts and a tee shirt; cleaners in the gym have a kind of obvious polo green tee shirt and pants outfit. Secondly, well.. there is no "secondly"! He didn't resemble a cleaner in any way! Duh!!!

There was like, 5 secs of awkward silence as his conversation partner, the Indian guy and I came to the above conclusion. The sheer cheek of it!

I couldn't help it, I burst out laughing in a bwa-ha-ha-ha manner on the spot.

The Indian guy dropped the wet towels with this utter digusted look expression and said in a tone that lowered the air-conditioning by another 10 degrees, "The towel bin is that way."

I couldn't contain my laughter as the Chinese guy red-facedly scooped up the towels, inched past the indignant Indian guy and practically dashed for the bin and the way out, leaving his flummoxed friend behind in the locker room.

And they claim I'm racist. Pfft