Friday's Unscientific Poll: Video calls in changing rooms

[nanila]

Today's Unscientific Poll is purely hypothetical, of course!

Poll #21109 Is It OK

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: Just the Poll Creator, participants: 79

Conducting a video phone call in the changing rooms of a sports facility: acceptable?

Yes, that's fine.
0 (0.0%)

Dear goodness me, no.
79 (100.0%)

Earlier this week, I entered the changing rooms of the gym to see someone sat on one of the benches having a video phone call.

Now, for me this is completely socially unacceptable. I won't answer a voice call in the changing rooms as I find even that to be rather creepy, given that all phones have cameras on them these days. I can almost understand how the person might have come to the conclusion it was OK in this case given that (a) the changing rooms were empty at the time (b) a percentage of the people who use the changing rooms are students, and come into them already wearing their gym clothes and/or return to their dorms to shower and (c) different cultural norms.

HOWEVER, as soon as someone else came in, I would have expected them to terminate the call and leave. Did they do that? No, they carried on, oblivious to myself and another person who came in behind me, also wearing office clothes (as I was).

I summoned up my bolshiest inner American, went over, and politely asked them not to conduct a video call in the changing room. They ended the call and apologised, with an expression that clearly said, "I'm not sorry and I'm upset that you think I'm doing something wrong." So I put on my, "I am deeply unimpressed with you and I do hope I never see you doing this again" face. Because NO.

Comments

[attie]

If they're sitting on a bench and have the phone held up in front of them presumably there's not much visible besides a bit of wall just behind the person. But YEESH, what if you fat-finger and accidentally change to the rear camera? What if you drop the phone? What if you stand up without thinking? What if you're actually a creep and using this as a ruse to hide that you're filming people?? There's just SO many ways this could go wrong! Maybe just DON'T!

[attie]

Also for what it's worth, at my uni all the changing rooms have big "NO PHONE USE" signs everywhere. I guess now I know why.

[nanila]

Yes, I suspect we're not far off those in this gym as well. I mean, I've only been a member for a month but it worries me that I've already seen this happen. :/

[worlds_of_smoke]

yeeeah, no. Not okay.

[nanila]

Yeah, I was all, "I'm about to strip off here, the last thing I want is a stranger with an OBVIOUSLY ACTIVE CAMERA ANYWHERE NEAR ME." AHEM.

[bryangb]

Mobile phone use has gone a bit bonkers of late. I see people walking down the road making video calls, if someone did that to me I'd probably feel seasick! And I see *so* many people holding their phones in front of them as if they're walkie-talkies, presumably in speakerphone mode. At first I thought maybe this was a cultural thing, among people who'd not had much experience of actual telephones, but now it's everywhere. It's weird!

[davidgillon]

Whether videophone or reading text, I had about three different people almost run into me while walking though crowds while oblivious to those around them the other day, and that was just in negotiating the entrance to St Pancras station. It's a problem for everyone in crowds, but even worse for those of us who are wheelchair users, or kids, so completely blocked from sight by the phone.

[annofowlshire]

There's a light pole on the pavement outside of our house. I can't tell you how many people I see a week accidentally walk into it while staring into their phones.

[nanila]

I make myself stop and stand still when I'm using my phone. The one exception: when I'm playing Pokemon Go. ;)

[cmcmck]

Absolutely not acceptable but then a lot of what passes for mobile phone 'etiquette' isn't- not in the slightest.

I wish people would get a clue as to when it's a good idea to TURN THE BLOODY THING OFF- OFF, NOT SILENT MODE!!

[nanila]

The screens on phones are so bright that even in silent mode they can be disruptive.

[annofowlshire]

Not acceptable.

I summoned up my bolshiest inner American, This made me laugh, because I sometimes do what I call "getting American on [people/situation/thing]." Sometimes forthrightness or blunt-but-(usually) polite speaking out is needed in a situation and everyone else is being too British to do it. XD

[delight]

Similarly, sometimes my husband asks me to 'be a New Yorker' at people for him, because he's Kansan and naturally very polite! Now that we live in NYC it's flipped the tables; I ask him to frighten people with his OTT Southern kindness routine.

[cmcmck]

Being English married to a Scot has similar advantages- they are far more forthright that we are! :o)

[annofowlshire]

An Aussie friend of ours was showing me and two English folks her outfit for NYE, and upon asking our opinions, all three of us replied "fine."

She looked at us one by one, and said "I'm going to need some cultural translations of those 'fines'..."

Just because we all speak English doesn't mean we all speak the same language XD

[cmcmck]

I love the saying: 'two nations divided by the same language'! :o)

[nanila]

I know what you mean. I've done a lot of work over the years on assimilating/being non-threatening to British people, but every now and then I have to dust off my brash American persona to address a situation!

[ayebydan]

No. Just no

[nanila]

Your icon is perfect for this scenario!

[ayebydan]

I rarely break it out for obvious reasons but I felt this was a good occasion haha

[tree_and_leaf]

WTF!

[nanila]

Yes, indeed. o.O

[silveradept]

Unlikely to be acceptable, but I can see very specific situations where might be okay, but those are very specific situations.

[nanila]

I can see very specific situations too, but all involve dire circumstances (terrible accident, fire, active shooter).

[siliconshaman]

There's a good argument right there for cell phone signal jammers in the changing rooms..

[davidgillon]

Bar the fact they're illegal in the UK.

[siliconshaman]

Regrettably yes...

[nanila]

I think some Polite Notices would probably suffice. With pictures.

[omnipotent]

Nope. Absolutely unacceptable.

I went to the gym and was changing into my bathing suit in the changing area, only for a woman to wheel on by in a scooter on a video chat. Thankfully I had gotten the suit up enough to cover any intimate areas and was simply adjusting the straps.

Another time I saw someone IN THE SHOWER AREA on video chat. This is why I started dressing/undressing for swimming in the shower stall, and if I can help it, I just throw on my clothes and go home to shower after a swim (my car's seats are cloth so I just throw down a towel).

People are so rude and inconsiderate at gyms these days.

[nanila]

In the shower area?! That is beyond the pale. SMH.

[omnipotent]

I have noticed that many Floridians are exponentially self-absorbed and entitled. A most unfortunate combo. I'm guessing the woman in particular didn't notice the signs expressly prohibiting cell phone/video usage in the shower/changing areas (this was LA Fitness post-Dani Mathers taking a photo of a nude elderly woman and posting it online, so frankly, these folks can't pretend like they don't know what they're doing is inappropriate).

[lovepeaceohana]

I'd think the person on the other end of the video call might damn well mind seeing nude and partially-nude strangers though?!

[nanila]

Yes, you'd imagine so. My primary thought was, I am about to strip off here; the last thing I want in my space is A STRANGER WITH AN ACTIVE PHONE CAMERA.

[fred_mouse]

I'm pretty sure that not only is it against general etiquette here, but most change rooms that aren't beachside have signs about no phones to be used at all.

[nanila]

If I see this happen again (I've only been a member here for a month), I will be asking for signs to be posted.

[fred_mouse]

G'donya.

[lorigami]

this is even starting to be a real problem at my circus school. People film themselves and post to Instagram without being remotely conscious of who or what else is in the background of the shot...
not. ok.

[nanila]

UGH. Really not OK. I feel this particular phenomenon has previously been much less pervasive in the UK than the US, although clearly that is changing.

[emelbe]

Definitely NO.

There are signs all over my gym directing people to phone use spaces (one on every floor), asking that they not use their phones for anything longer than it takes to change their music on the exercise floor, and more signs depicting phones with red no-circle+slash practically wallpaper the changing room walls. It's part of the signups process/orientation ffs.

And yet. At least once a week I observe a staff member reminding someone.

[nanila]

Phone use spaces are a good idea. This gym doesn't have them, but it does have a quiet little corners with chairs in the reception area. I don't understand why this person, who was fully dressed, didn't just go to one of those.

[roarofsilence]

This could never be okay. Ugh.

[nanila]

I mean, I can imagine some very dire situations under which it might be necessary (e.g. person is trapped in a fire or hiding from an active shooter). But otherwise, IT IS REALLY NOT THAT URGENT, NO REALLY.

[paw_prints]

Completely inappropriate! And what's with the attitude afterwards? Somepeople have absolutely no regard for others.... grrrrr.

[nanila]

I was fairly taken aback by the 'tude but then again nobody likes being made to feel they're in the wrong, justified or not. :/

[paw_prints]

Fair point.

My comment was made right after a series of incidents illustrating how inconsiderate some folk are: just having had my car sprayed with left over MacDonalds food because the people in the car in front thought the motorway was a suitable rubbish bin (and I'd just washed it), people still letting off fireworks after midnight most nights (some times as late as 3am), neighbours deciding it's OK to come on to my property and use my rubbish and recycling bins because theirs are full (without even asking), etc etc etc. I was feeling a little sensitive to bad manners!

[nanila]

I was feeling a little sensitive to bad manners!

And no wonder. Any one of those things is pretty infuriating, but all together....grrrr!