A List on Gym Etiquette, Continually Updated

My last post focused on Fire Marshall Bill, the mysterious character at the gym. Writing about him got me thinking about my own experiences in gyms and how there should be a list of rules that everyone should follow:

-Cell Phones are not allowed in the weight/cardio rooms. The gym is an oasis from your everyday world, so why bring your world to the treadmill or weight room? And it is a disturbance to hear you yell over your machine, others' machines, the televisions, and so on. If you cannot leave your cell phone in the car or locker, then kindly answer the phone and step away from your machine.

-If you have to constantly interrupt the person beside you on how to work a treadmill, then you shouldn't be using the treadmill. Most gyms have indoor walking tracks or a gym, so take your power walking elsewhere.

-If you are not coordinated enough to walk on a treadmill, then you shouldn't be on a treadmill. I'll admit, it is kind of funny seeing a "treadmill virgin" try to figure out the machine, but save yourself the embarrassment and possible injury and resort to the walking track.

-No grunting allowed. I don't care to see how many 45 lb. plates you can benchpress, just don't draw attention to yourself.

-No toboggans allowed. This is a new one for me, but there's a couple of guys who are notorious for their toboggans in the cardio room. Maybe they like to trap a really good sweat, but I'm confused about wearing them indoors. If these were elderly gentlemen and their heads get cold, then I could understand but when you are in your 20s leave gangster look outside.

-All televisons should be left at a reasonable volume. If they are all equipped with closed captionining, then why does anyone need his or her tv louder than a jet engine? This rule is really a matter of common courtesy.

-If anyone has an mp3 player, that's a good indication that they don't want to be bugged when they are working out. Leave them alone and allow the mp3 listener to initiate conversation.

-The last one for today. If you look/sound like you are days away from kicking the bucket, then you probably shouldn't be working out. I'm not trying to be tacky here because I'm serious. Just last week, this guy wore a bib of paper towels during his workout so he could hack up the crud on the spot instead of going to the bathroom. It was totally disgusting and I honestly thought I might have to save this guy's life.

If you know of any other rules/courtesies to add to the list please feel free. Here's to a better gym experience!