pissed

Today a blind woman came into the gym with her guide dog. She was fumbling around, feeling for machines. I wasn't sure what she was trying to do, and observed her from my elliptical. Instinctively I wanted to approach her and see what I could help her find, but I remember hearing a lot of anecdotes from blind people where they are actually very capable of doing things on their own and hate it when people help. Ughh ethical dilemma ensues.

A middle-aged man comes over to the woman and offers her his elliptical machine. WTF #1. She says she's fine on the bike and thanks him anyways. He walks away feeling proud that he performed his moral deed of the day.

The blind woman gets on the bike and attempts to sit on it. The seat is way too high for her and she is feeling around for the lowering handle. There is a lady to my right, also on an elliptical, who has been watching as closely as I. The lady says out loud "She (the blind woman) needs help." The lady continues to elliptical as her comment lingers in the air. WTF#2.

By this point I am already off my machine and going to the blind woman. I help her feel around for the lever and resume my workout.

I feel so disgusted with this entire situation that I lose my desire to work out and just leave the gym.

First, I admit that it is very difficult to find the balance between wanting to help people in need, and figuring out when people actually need help when they do not ask for it. In this case, the woman couldn't even ask for help because she couldn't see the people around her to ask anyone in particular. Moreover, she didn't seem entirely frazzled. Maybe she wanted to do things on her own. Who knows. WHO REALLY KNOWS? Sometimes an overzealous person such as myself would jump in to assist with minimal warranting of need. It is a huge struggle for me to find the determining factor of when someone could benefit from my help and would not resent the offer.

Second, I am absolutely appalled by the behavior of the adults that were witnessing this situation. I concede that it was a kind gesture of the man to offer her his machine. Perhaps he believed that his beloved elliptical was highly coveted and that his "giving it up for a blind person" made him a better person. Perhaps he knew that she would have much difficulty on a bike and also knew that she would have an easier time on the elliptical. Or (this is the situation I prefer) perhaps he had seen her at the gym before and knew that it was her favorite machine. But if you are going to help, I would suggest doing it in a more rational way. Just because you think you are doing a selfless thing does not make your aid helpful in any way, if it is irrelevant to the situation.

The most disgusting event to me was the lady who announced "She needs help", yet continued to elliptical. Stating an obvious fact yet no taking any action is what plagues so many people. Acknowledging a problem is the first step, but you can't expect anyone else to solve it unless you do your part. Sure, it's not really *your* problem. A blind lady fumbling around has no effect on *your* workout. But it aint a show, either. You're just stating the obvious, and as the person next to you, I felt like she was saying it to me! Who are you, to sit on your moral high horse, and send people around to help? I'm sorry, do you need to burn more calories than me? Is it going to trouble you that much? You know English, you have legs, why don't you go and do something?

So I went over and helped the blind lady lower her seat. I was glad to see her begin biking, but I also saw that she was pressing the buttons on the machine to no avail. I wanted to help her do the settings, but I couldn't bring myself to it. I couldn't tell if she appreciated my help, and I didn't dare intrude in her space. I am disgusted at machines for not having Braille. I am disgusted with myself for not helping her earlier, and not doing more. Mostly, I am disgusted with the gym-goers of Union City Sports Center for failing to set a good ethical example for each other.

Such are the dramas that haunt my existence.