Originally Posted by
Mark E. Hurling
An uncharacteristic event occurred at Gold's this morning. They have a stretching station there kind of like monkey bars that I use. There was a sweatshirt rolled up on the platform inside but no one apparently around using the station, so I started in. I finished up and another regular who uses that station was using some chin-up bars to do his stretching. I know he uses this same station so call over to him I was done with it. He thanks me as he comes over and asks about the sweatshirt. I said "I dunno, maybe we should sniff it to see who might have laying down a territorial marker." A few seconds later a shaven headed 6'3" guy about 240 stalks over and ostentatiously picks up the sweatshirt giving the full glare. There are a few ways to respond to that, but backing down by looking away is not in my DNA. So I return the direct eye contact with a half step back on my right foot. He swaggers off to put away the sweatshirt. I swear, primate dominance rituals are a trip. Just like in a band of chimps or gorillas. I guess that doesn't speak to highly of this old silverback for letting himself get drawn like that but . . . This was the same guy who had put is towel down on the bench press station earlier in my session and ignored the thing for the next 20 minutes even though he never benched.