Finally! I Write a Letter to the Y

"I'm mad as hell and not going to take it anymore!"

Dear Linda:

I was given your card by the front desk as the right person to whom to direct a complaint.

I have been a member of the LIC YMCA for about 2 years now. I am a runner, and I love that the YMCA has an indoor track so that I can train in the winter without risking the weather. It also gives me a safe place to run year round, as there are no safe places to run outside in the Sunnyside area because of all of the trucks and fast drivers.

I prefer the track to the treadmill because I train for races (including the NYC Marathon), and it is important for training to be able to adjust your speed as needed, instead of having to punch a button up and down as on a treadmill.

I am writing because on a number of occasions I have found the indoor track to be a very unsafe place because of the inconsiderate/oblivious nature of some patrons of the YMCA. Although the rules say to stay single file unless passing, and to only go in one direction, many people simply ignore these rules and do as they please on the track.

For those of us who are running, this makes the experience potentially very dangerous. Here is a list of the dangerous actions I routinely observe on the YMCA indoor track:

- Groups of teenagers walking slowly 2 or even 3 across, paying no attention to runners coming up behind them
- Unattended children during family time on Saturdays and Sundays
- Teenagers and adults who stop suddenly without looking behind them to see if anyone might run into them
- Groups of teenagers hanging out on the backside of the track where the windows to the pool are. This is especially dangerous because the corner near the punching bag is a blind corner.
- Teenagers and adults who walk the wrong direction and ignore requests to walk in the right direction

I visit the Y 3 or 4 times a week to use the track, and observe this behavior almost every time. It's especially troublesome in the busy after-work hours, which is the only time that a lot of us can come work out.

I love that the YMCA is a place where teenagers can come and be in a safe place, and I also love that it is a family-friendly environment. However, I would appreciate it if the rules of the track were strictly enforced so that we can all be safe and enjoy our workouts.

The staff upstairs is kind and well-intentioned, but I have never seen anyone actively monitoring the track. Those of us who come to the Y to train and improve our fitness should NOT have to interrupt our workouts because of rude patrons and an inattentive staff. I am growing tired of having my time at the Y characterized by feelings of frustration, annoyance, and even anger.

On a side note, there is one other small thing that really only applies to runners. The track is set up so that the directions change every other day. However, most runners train every other day, meaning that if I come Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I am running the same direction all three days. On a very small track, this can lead to injury. It would make so much more sense and be much safer for runners if the track went one direction Sun-Wed, and the other direction Thurs-Sat. That way, somebody coming on alternate days will get the benefits of the alternate direction.

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to your response.