Young, Foolish and Free

While at the gym today, I noticed something disturbing – teenagers working out. There were several teenagers working out – something which I haven’t seen in the past.

Usually, anyone under 18 is accompanied by their parents – that’s the rule at the gym. And these kids clearly weren’t 18. Some looked like 14-year-olds, if that.

I asked one of the club’s managers what was going on. He tells me that they really don’t have time to enforce the parents with kids rule, and so long as they don’t cause any trouble, they usually don’t.

I’ve been at this gym now over a year, and I asked him how come there are so many so suddenly?

He told me they probably are all friends and came together.

GREAT!

Just what I need – a bunch of kids tying up the machines. Though these kid’s parents are members, I doubt the kids are full members.

Also I question the club’s lack of enforcement on the parental policy. Sure, today the kids are behaving, but kids will be kids. Not every day will be like today. And one day, when some kid seriously injures himself or someone else because he or she was horsing around, that’s when things go bad.

But I guess things have to get worse before they get better – that’s the natural cycle of life in our demented society. Seatbelts were not voluntarily placed into cars and trucks by the automakers, until governments did studies proving they saved lives. And still, it wasn’t until governments made laws forcing people to wear seatbelts which naturally forced automakers to include them in cars and trucks at no additional cost.

The same holds true for airbags, daytime running lights and many other safety related things we find on cars and trucks today. Most of these things would not be on our vehicles today, had it not been for those who died in horrible wrecks, and then having those wrecks studied by scholars and governments.

I’m somewhat pissed that I may have to wait until some kid is done showing off for his girlfriend for a treadmill at the gym. But, I’m more concerned that the kid showing off, will hurt himself, or worse, someone else, because the gym isn’t forcing parents to be parents.

Good thing I know first aid.