Envy or Racial Profiling?
Complaint
Kinda Anonymous for now!
Country: United States
I ask in advance to please pardon any typos and/or misspellings.
Though I am loathe to and greatly disappointed to travel this route, it is appears that this is a path I have no choice but follow. I am a member of a LA Fitness gym in the West Houston area. I have been a member of LA Fitness for many years now and with the exception upon my relocation to Texas I have not had a problem as a member in any of the LA Fitness (Bally's) facilities. Despite coming to the West Houston location for greater than a year...I am now being harassed and charges of training are being leveled against me...most egregious, I have been asked to come to the gym, workout and leave, and here's the kicker, "do not talk to too many people" for I am "too social and you don't want to give the perception that you are recruiting people. Because, perception is reality."
The greatest irony, is that I have assisted with the retention of members, at a less than stellar facility, and have successfully encouraged up to four persons to actively seek training from those who are qualified to do so (I am always clear with my friends and others who have made that inquiry that I am indeed not and far from being such), and further I have given the sales staff leads from my personal life who I have been unable to inspire to come to the gym and "cut-up" with me and others. And, an even greater irony is being told that maybe my friends and I should go and workout at a different facility or even different gym (meaning franchise). Essentially, go be someone else's problem--at least that is my take away!
The background relative to this charge is that since August 2014 to present, I have come to know many people (same gym and often same faces over time) and workout and have worked out with untold numbers of men and women (young and old and very few of whom are reflective of my African-American heritage/ancestry, including my son who for all intent is part and definitely looks Hispanic), consequently many are drawn to my exaggerated and off the cuff antics to motivate and humiliate (from a place of good-nature and humor) my friends old and newly familiar. By way of example when I told a friend and employee at this very facility of being harassed, yet again, he shared the following with me, just his evening: "They think you're taking their business. You're not asking for money, you're not asking for anything. It's all out of your kindness and they hate that (me)." He and others further acknowledge that this "black suit" meaning skin I am wearing does not help. And, let me add that the Whites, blacks and Latinos I have worked out with also parrot this observation, and have warned me that I would get in trouble for working out while black...now there's a hashtag worth tweeting.
So imagine, that as I am leaving the gym, today, Tuesday, November 03, 2015, I am asked for my phone number in order that management (White) can attach a note to my account to "cover my ass, because I have talked to you before"...(meaning harassed me about working out with people aka deemed training, and talking to too many people and being too social aka being popular and likable, and not working out enough aka being lazy.
Though I am feeling, and am being harassed I am greatly disappointed by the motivation of such harassment. I am actively working to remain calm, and to regard and treat those who have approached me with respect and not drop a lot of of "F-offs" as all have suggested I do, especially in the face of overwhelming and disrespectful "old negro treatment' from tainting my perception (remember perception is reality) of the LA Fitness franchise/brand in the West Houston, Texas area. It is unacceptable, and I do not walk alone in this vision nor version of the treatment I am receiving and the veiled venom and threats I am receiving relative to my membership and access to the facility.
I've been on a few blogs inclusive of posts to LA Fitness, and I found real fast the following incident, which is not dissimilar to my own experience when I was once accused in the West Houston facility of not being friends, and my son not my son because he looks Hispanic, with these guys because I am black.: "My son is african american and they even questioned that he was our son. I have never been so insulted." So, as you can imagine. In order that this "thing", this should be "not a thing" in 2015 from escalating I really, sincerely and genuinely, need to understand what I need to make happen to head this off at the pass. It has the potential for getting really ugly. Not what I want to have happen!
I need someone who actually has a voice within, a verifiable corporate structure of, LA Fitness to address my concerns and give me answers to some fairly basic questions. How many friends am I allowed to have (at a LA Fitness facility)? Is it envy or racial profiling? And, more importantly should I continue the dialog of working out while black at a LA Fitness gym with a broader/larger audience?
A response is requested ASAP. I choose to remain anonymous at the moment. I can be reached via return email at mndrsn@gmail.com.
Respectfully submitted!
Though I am loathe to and greatly disappointed to travel this route, it is appears that this is a path I have no choice but follow. I am a member of a LA Fitness gym in the West Houston area. I have been a member of LA Fitness for many years now and with the exception upon my relocation to Texas I have not had a problem as a member in any of the LA Fitness (Bally's) facilities. Despite coming to the West Houston location for greater than a year...I am now being harassed and charges of training are being leveled against me...most egregious, I have been asked to come to the gym, workout and leave, and here's the kicker, "do not talk to too many people" for I am "too social and you don't want to give the perception that you are recruiting people. Because, perception is reality."
The greatest irony, is that I have assisted with the retention of members, at a less than stellar facility, and have successfully encouraged up to four persons to actively seek training from those who are qualified to do so (I am always clear with my friends and others who have made that inquiry that I am indeed not and far from being such), and further I have given the sales staff leads from my personal life who I have been unable to inspire to come to the gym and "cut-up" with me and others. And, an even greater irony is being told that maybe my friends and I should go and workout at a different facility or even different gym (meaning franchise). Essentially, go be someone else's problem--at least that is my take away!
The background relative to this charge is that since August 2014 to present, I have come to know many people (same gym and often same faces over time) and workout and have worked out with untold numbers of men and women (young and old and very few of whom are reflective of my African-American heritage/ancestry, including my son who for all intent is part and definitely looks Hispanic), consequently many are drawn to my exaggerated and off the cuff antics to motivate and humiliate (from a place of good-nature and humor) my friends old and newly familiar. By way of example when I told a friend and employee at this very facility of being harassed, yet again, he shared the following with me, just his evening: "They think you're taking their business. You're not asking for money, you're not asking for anything. It's all out of your kindness and they hate that (me)." He and others further acknowledge that this "black suit" meaning skin I am wearing does not help. And, let me add that the Whites, blacks and Latinos I have worked out with also parrot this observation, and have warned me that I would get in trouble for working out while black...now there's a hashtag worth tweeting.
So imagine, that as I am leaving the gym, today, Tuesday, November 03, 2015, I am asked for my phone number in order that management (White) can attach a note to my account to "cover my ass, because I have talked to you before"...(meaning harassed me about working out with people aka deemed training, and talking to too many people and being too social aka being popular and likable, and not working out enough aka being lazy.
Though I am feeling, and am being harassed I am greatly disappointed by the motivation of such harassment. I am actively working to remain calm, and to regard and treat those who have approached me with respect and not drop a lot of of "F-offs" as all have suggested I do, especially in the face of overwhelming and disrespectful "old negro treatment' from tainting my perception (remember perception is reality) of the LA Fitness franchise/brand in the West Houston, Texas area. It is unacceptable, and I do not walk alone in this vision nor version of the treatment I am receiving and the veiled venom and threats I am receiving relative to my membership and access to the facility.
I've been on a few blogs inclusive of posts to LA Fitness, and I found real fast the following incident, which is not dissimilar to my own experience when I was once accused in the West Houston facility of not being friends, and my son not my son because he looks Hispanic, with these guys because I am black.: "My son is african american and they even questioned that he was our son. I have never been so insulted." So, as you can imagine. In order that this "thing", this should be "not a thing" in 2015 from escalating I really, sincerely and genuinely, need to understand what I need to make happen to head this off at the pass. It has the potential for getting really ugly. Not what I want to have happen!
I need someone who actually has a voice within, a verifiable corporate structure of, LA Fitness to address my concerns and give me answers to some fairly basic questions. How many friends am I allowed to have (at a LA Fitness facility)? Is it envy or racial profiling? And, more importantly should I continue the dialog of working out while black at a LA Fitness gym with a broader/larger audience?
A response is requested ASAP. I choose to remain anonymous at the moment. I can be reached via return email at mndrsn@gmail.com.
Respectfully submitted!
Comments
Get the Hell out of there as soon as you can! Yikes!
"...from a friend of mine..."
&
"...One, it is..."