Planet Fitness — Attraction in Temple Terrace

Subject: Concerns and Incidents at the Gym

Dear Whomever, this may concern .

I hope this letter finds you well. My name is Stanley, and I am writing to you as a concerned member of Planet Fitness. I have been a loyal and dedicated customer for quite some time now, and I wanted to bring to your attention a few incidents that have occurred recently. About a few weeks ago, there was plumbing work being done in the men's locker room, and a sign was posted stating that the shower would be out of service. After my workout, I needed to gather my belongings, including my carry-on bag with my passport, as I had a flight to catch. I entered the locker room to simply change my clothes, not to use the shower. However, the manager approached me and insisted that I leave, even after explaining my situation. This escalated to the point where she called the police on me and wanted to have me arrested for trespassing, which was unnecessary and caused distress. I want to emphasize that I have always been a respectful and responsible member of the gym, and I have never been informed of any policies that would prevent me from being on the premises. It is disheartening to have this incident occurred, especially when I was in a rush and needed to catch my flight. I believe it is crucial for the gym to have clear communication and policies in place to avoid misunderstandings like these. As a paying customer, I expect to be treated with respect and understanding, especially when I am following the rules and not causing any disruption. I kindly request that you investigate this incident and take appropriate action to ensure that such situations are handled better in the future. It is important for the gym to create an inclusive and supportive environment for all its members. Secondly, I was having a conversation with another gym member about nutrition and healthy eating. We were discussing our fitness goals and sharing some tips. However the The manager instructed a staff member, who happens to be my friend, to approach us and informed us that we weren't allowed to discuss nutrition with other members. This surprised me, as I believe that sharing knowledge and supporting each other is an important part of the gym community. I understand that there may be guidelines in place to ensure a positive and safe environment, but I would appreciate some clarification on this matter. It is my belief that encouraging healthy habits and exchanging information can greatly benefit all members. As a dedicated member of Planet Fitness, I value the positive atmosphere and sense of community that the gym provides. I believe that open communication and support among members contribute to a more fulfilling fitness journey. Thank you for taking the time to read my letter and addressing these concerns. I trust that you will look into these incidents and take appropriate action to ensure that the gym remains a welcoming and inclusive space for all...

RESTATING ILLEGAL ACTIVITY: I was laying my head on the table. This black guy “Asher” with glasses came up to me and said I couldn’t sleep there and asked me where I used to live. He kept smiling which was suspicious then stood behind the counter and started texting on his phone and I could obviously see. He scared me , I felt like he knew me and was trying to intimidate me. I had a decent response and am still a loyal customer to Planet Fitness but I will report him if needed. Edit: today July 1st this same black man “Asher” comes back today, as I’m leaving he works hard to stop me from leaving and asks me lots of questions, tries to stop me while I’m leaving the gym and says “I saw the review you left” gets some lady to start harassing me too and asks for my name. They make me feel uncomfortable. Not everyones workout routine is the same so me resting in the women’s locker room and getting ready to workout again is normal it is a 24 hour gym I am a member and there should be no problem. He was stalking me and closed the equipment I was using. A random hispanic guy came in the women’s locker room. Asher gets the women to tell me I can’t be in the women’s locker room for a long period of time but I seen a light skin woman sleeping in there. Edit Today: July 4th 2024 this same guy “Asher” as I’m leaving at 7am in the morning is walking with a police to look escort me out the reason being that I was sleeping in the Gym. When instead I was resting after my workouts and taking a moment before I started my next workout. He says that I couldn’t rest at the gym after my workouts when three other employees said I could sleep in the back on the massage chair. I called speaking with an elder lady and explained that my membership was canceled and that the policy online doesn’t say we could not sleep at the gym. All planet fitness follows the same policy and you cannot legally change the policy for one person. She responds “I don’t know” then says “I’m going to have to let you go” which is unacceptable behavior and hangs up on me. This same lady kept trying to talk to me in the Women’s bathroom every time she saw me in there. Which could be written in as harassment. I saw other women sleeping there too and this man tries to he tells me I’m the only one banned and closed the equipment for everyone so I wouldn’t use it which can be put in as harassment. When I was talking to the police who was escorting me out Asher admits he showed up at my old job and randomly mentions that planet fitness is lgbt friendly so I’m seeing he was discriminating against me because I’m...

TLDR: Place is dirty. Staff are nice. Manager is nowhere to be seen. Equipment is lacking and not equipped for weight training.

To start off, the only positive I can think of is that the staff have always been nice. No problems coming from them.

Now, for context: I've been going to this gym consistently for over a year. I've probably checked in over 500 times.

Firstly, there is 1 water fountain/refill station. The fountain itself looks unkept. The water tastes disgusting and probably isn't up to health standards.

Secondly, the men's bathroom is consistently gross. I remember an occasion, probably spanning over a week, where NO ONE flushed one of the urinals after they peed. The smell was putrid. A growth of bacteria started lining the inside rim of the urinal. For over 7 days it went uncleaned and unflushed. Toilets look clean, but who knows. I used the showers once, and it was fine. Side note - ive witnessed several male members at this gym not wash their hands after they use the urinal. There's no signage anywhere in the bathroom promoting cleanliness.

Thirdly, this gym is FILLED with cardio machines. If you want to weight train, go somewhere else. 70% of the floor space is dedicated to cardio (to which it is NEVER close to being filled by members). The other 30% is dedicated to weight training. With this being said, currently there are only 2 sets of 20lb dumbbells, 1 detachable rope, and 4 Smith machines. There are no free weight benches and the 50lb curved barbell went missing about 6 months ago and has not been replaced for some reason. Also, the carabiners from the equipment occasionally go missing? And the manager doesn't have the foresight to buy them in bulk for such occasions? The planet fitness policy that members need to clean off equipment after use is extremely lame too. But I guess that's the norm for gyms after COVID.

Final thoughts; I've never seen the manager physically in the gym. And if I have, I didn't realize it. About 10 months ago, I received an email from this gym to fill out a survey on my experience. I took the time to write down all my concerns about the gym's current state before I submitted. A few days following, I got a response.

In short here is how the manager responded (over email):

'Thank you for your feedback. The water dispenser is cleaned regularly and does not taste bad. The staff cleans the bathrooms regularly. All the equipment is ready to use at your convenience. Please come in and show our staff proof of survey completion to get a complimentary water bottle for your...