Smokers at the Gym :p RANT

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RNGRZulu
RNGRZulu Posts: 3,964 Member
edited January 2015 in Chit-Chat
Gotta say, I am cheering them on and hoping for the best. It must be horrible to be hooked on such a damaging habit.
Hopefully getting to the gym will help with quitting.

But, you're coming to the gym at 6:00am and you STINK of cigarettes. I don't know, maybe it's a cigar. Either way, you get on the treadmill next to me and I have to move to the other side of the room to escape the smell. That doesn't work. Soon the whole room smells like a bar.

So, I head to another part of the gym and finish up. Go to the locker room and...eeegad! It stinks like an ashtray in here!

Do you really have to smoke before you go to the gym or is that just leftover from the night before?

Sorry, it's nauseating and I'm pretty intolerant.
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Replies

  • blueeyesgrace
    blueeyesgrace Posts: 407 Member
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    I can't say I've had this happen to me, yet, but I work in healthcare. We have patients who come in smelling like an ashtray. To the point where we have to "shut down" the patient room for a certain period of time so it can deodorize. The smell of smoke is an allergen that can potentially send someone into an asthma attack, so we have to be super careful with our other patients.

    I understand it's a habit, an addiction. I understand addictions are hard to break. However, just as people who wear excessive fragrances, the smell of smoke (and even body odor) is something that affects other people.
  • RNGRZulu
    RNGRZulu Posts: 3,964 Member
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    And I'm not subtle about showing how gross it smells.

    Perfume...that would be the same, but usually only a problem in the afternoons. Not a the crack of dawn.

    Other smells...B.O. - seriously dude, wash your shirt. In a spin class with the fan wafting your rank into everyone else's faces. Ugh.

    Beyond that...lady, I know you're upping your protein, so I can't fault you too much.
  • Sinistrous
    Sinistrous Posts: 5,589 Member
    edited January 2015
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    I'd be the person spraying perfume in every corner just to make them get away from me.
    Only problem.... I'd irritate other people's breathing problems... #LoseLose

    ETA: My guy smokes, but he doesn't stink of it. He smells quite nice, actually. The people that you're smelling are just very nasty and disgusting.
  • blueeyesgrace
    blueeyesgrace Posts: 407 Member
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    Oh yes - the smells enhanced by sweat. Yummmmm. NOT.

    The ones who let it drop in the middle of a run. Yea, I get it - it's a natural body function. Some are still rank, though... Some still make me gag when I'm on the treadmill behind them...
  • RNGRZulu
    RNGRZulu Posts: 3,964 Member
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    Holy stink!!! The guy came and did it again! I did my interval weight training and went to the cardio room to do that. Walked in there and it smelled like a frat house. Worse, it smelled like my amplifier would smell after playing a gig when they used to smoke at the bars.

    I got on the dreadmill, started it, and literally jumped off and slid on out of the room. I just couldn't take it. So I jumped into the middle of a spin class. Did that for 20 mins and did some more barbell complexes.

    As I was leaving, I complained at the front desk. They knew who it was. I said that if they weren't going to say something to him, they should put up some American lung association posters and make it very obvious.
    Nasty
  • Delilahhhhhh
    Delilahhhhhh Posts: 477 Member
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    Sinistrous wrote: »
    I'd be the person spraying perfume in every corner just to make them get away from me.
    Only problem.... I'd irritate other people's breathing problems... #LoseLose

    ETA: My guy smokes, but he doesn't stink of it. He smells quite nice, actually. The people that you're smelling are just very nasty and disgusting.[/quot]
    You just looove your mans pheromones and he digs yours, how cool is that.
  • Delilahhhhhh
    Delilahhhhhh Posts: 477 Member
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    Hopefully with him getting healthy the cigarettes will go.
  • kjm3579
    kjm3579 Posts: 3,975 Member
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    I haven't had that happen at the gym but it has happened on the train commuting to work -- a very attractive young lady has taken the seat next to me several times and she smells like a dirty ashtray! It's so bad you want to hold your breath..... don't they smell it? I can't imagine being a part of these peoples families, especially a spouse.... how do you kiss someone that smells like that or have sex with them???
  • lisalsd1
    lisalsd1 Posts: 1,520 Member
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    I've had to move away from people, b/c of smell. If they are offended, oh well. It would be more offensive to throw-up b/c of someone's perfume.
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
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    This is interesting. The last time I was complaining about smokers on this forum, it was like the entire community came out and attacked me, saying that smokers should have the freedom to smoke whenever they wanted, where ever they wanted, and I should bend over backwards to accommodate them.

    How times have changed.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    edited January 2015
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    One thing I noticed is that it is much worse in winter. Their house and car are closed up tight so the smoke does not dissipate and seems to cling to their clothes even more.

    There have been time I have been stopped at a stop light and the smoke from the smokers in the car ahead of me would waft into my car, even with windows closed. Yuck!

    To be honest, I am not sure what the gym can do about it except revoke his membership.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
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    Some smokers can't tell how bad they smell of smoke, much like people can't tell how rank their BO, perfume, breath, and farts are.
  • HunterKiller
    HunterKiller Posts: 361 Member
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    zyxst wrote: »
    Some smokers can't tell how bad they smell of smoke, much like people can't tell how rank their BO, perfume, breath, and farts are.

    This is true. I have not smoked since the start of the new year and i can now smell how bad it is and how bad i must have been.

  • jpaulie
    jpaulie Posts: 917 Member
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    I am allergic. Get skin rash, itchy eyes, harder to breathe and headaches.
    Was at the bank yesterday and a woman came in to the teller next to me. It was brutal. then she spoke and her voice was so low and gravelly it was obvious she was ill.
    Had to leave the teller mid transaction and come back 20 mins later.
    Unfortunately have the same reaction to perfume
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    edited January 2015
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    HunterKiller wrote: »
    zyxst wrote: »
    Some smokers can't tell how bad they smell of smoke, much like people can't tell how rank their BO, perfume, breath, and farts are.

    This is true. I have not smoked since the start of the new year and i can now smell how bad it is and how bad i must have been.

    I don't know if this is true or not, but I was once told (by my father who quit after almost 50 years of three packs a day) that when other people's smoke starts to smell bad, your body is now clear of the toxins from the smoking you did and can start to heal itself.

    ETA: Congratulations on quitting! That is a wonderful thing you did for yourself!

  • RNGRZulu
    RNGRZulu Posts: 3,964 Member
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    earlnabby wrote: »

    ETA: Congratulations on quitting! That is a wonderful thing you did for yourself!

    Agreed!

  • ItsMeGee3
    ItsMeGee3 Posts: 13,255 Member
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    I find it really odd when I'm running on a trail and see cigarette butts. Makes me sick. (I'm a former smoker). Seems like a lifetime ago. So glad to be done with that!
  • hbrittingham
    hbrittingham Posts: 2,518 Member
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    earlnabby wrote: »
    HunterKiller wrote: »
    zyxst wrote: »
    Some smokers can't tell how bad they smell of smoke, much like people can't tell how rank their BO, perfume, breath, and farts are.

    This is true. I have not smoked since the start of the new year and i can now smell how bad it is and how bad i must have been.

    I don't know if this is true or not, but I was once told (by my father who quit after almost 50 years of three packs a day) that when other people's smoke starts to smell bad, your body is now clear of the toxins from the smoking you did and can start to heal itself.

    ETA: Congratulations on quitting! That is a wonderful thing you did for yourself!

    No, that's not true. I quit smoking 8 years ago and I still like the smell of a freshly lit cigarette. I can't stand the smell of old smoke, or the smell that clings to some people (not all smokers stink if they wash their hands regularly and wear clean clothes daily), but I couldn't stand that smell even when I was a smoker.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    hbrittingham wrote: »
    earlnabby wrote: »
    HunterKiller wrote: »
    zyxst wrote: »
    Some smokers can't tell how bad they smell of smoke, much like people can't tell how rank their BO, perfume, breath, and farts are.

    This is true. I have not smoked since the start of the new year and i can now smell how bad it is and how bad i must have been.

    I don't know if this is true or not, but I was once told (by my father who quit after almost 50 years of three packs a day) that when other people's smoke starts to smell bad, your body is now clear of the toxins from the smoking you did and can start to heal itself.

    ETA: Congratulations on quitting! That is a wonderful thing you did for yourself!

    No, that's not true. I quit smoking 8 years ago and I still like the smell of a freshly lit cigarette. I can't stand the smell of old smoke, or the smell that clings to some people (not all smokers stink if they wash their hands regularly and wear clean clothes daily), but I couldn't stand that smell even when I was a smoker.
    It sounded a bit "iffy" to me too, but I wasn't going to argue with my Dad after he achieved such an almost impossible task. I was so proud of him!

  • kmash32
    kmash32 Posts: 275 Member
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    chivalryder wrote: »
    This is interesting. The last time I was complaining about smokers on this forum, it was like the entire community came out and attacked me, saying that smokers should have the freedom to smoke whenever they wanted, where ever they wanted, and I should bend over backwards to accommodate them.

    How times have changed.

    I think the difference maybe that none of us are telling them not to smoke we are asking them to do something about there smell when it is really bad.

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