Bally's has 63 Year Old Woman Arrested in Exercise Bike Dispute

[RamboLiberal]

CARROL SHANNON had the simplest of intentions when she walked into the South Philadelphia Bally Total Fitness on Feb. 1.

The 63-year-old grandmother said that she expected to spend about 45 minutes in a cycling class, riding a bike that she had reserved two days in advance.

What happened instead sounds like something out of the Twilight Zone.

The evening started with a dispute over a new health-club policy on reserving bikes and ended, Shannon said, with two Philadelphia police officers assaulting her and tossing her into a jail cell overnight.

The encounter left Shannon, who suffered a cervical spine injury during an operation in 2008, with a broken left thumb and numerous bruises.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/20100209_EXERCISING_HER_RIGHTS__Jailed_for_night_in_bike_dispute.html


Carrol Shannon with her husband Mike

Sounds to me like the club overreacted. IMHO should've let her finish the class then either gave her a hard copy of the new rules or calmly eplained to her that night or at next class.

[HipChick]

1. a lot of Spinners are hard core..stick with the first come first serve..

People reserve bikes and never show up...

[Lil Missy]

2. "aggravated assault, disorderly conduct, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person"

She doesn't sound so innocent to me.

[HipChick]

3. I guess that because cops always tell the truth right?

:sarcasm:

[emilyg]

4. How do you know they're not telling the truth.

[Lil Missy]

5. same could be said for the person arrested. Obviously the police were summoned, and it's not like

they went barging into the health club looking to arrest an innocent bystander. With numerous witnesses.

Assaulting an officer is just stupid.

[RamboLiberal]

6. Yeah she got angry and probably overreacted

But cops also tend to pile on the charges as well to justify an arrest. The whole thing started with the club's policy change after this woman had made the reservation and paid her money under the old rules. I think the club and maybe some members escalted this. Like I said let her ride the bike that night then calmly explain the rules after. And if she didn't agree ask her to talk to management the next day when everyone has a chance to calm down.

[KittyWampus]

16. Ballly took her $2. IMO, that implies a contract regardless of any other potential rule changes.

[Robb]

17. Perhaps. But her remedy for a broken $2 contract would be $2. nt

[Gormy Cuss]

20. That certainly does sound dangerous

but with the exception of the aggravated assault charge they're misdemeanors that can result from common reactions to being manhandled, which she was when the cops removed her from the machine. For that matter, PA has a special second degree aggravated assault statue for "menacing " law enforcement officers, so even that charge may be related to this woman simply trying to stand up for herself.

The devil is in the details.

[Taitertots]

26. "Trying to stand up for herself"

That wasn't standing up for herself. That was throwing a temper tantrum.

We already have a court system for people to stand up for themselves. We don't need adults acting like spoiled brat children wasting police resources.

[Gormy Cuss]

27. You were there? You witnessed what happened?

Here's a bulletin: standing up for yourself isn't a temper tantrum. The news story linked at the OP is not enough information to make an assessment on what happened. Neither are the charges filed.

[Taitertots]

29. I based that on what the witnesses reportedly said

Including her own statements.

Someone told her "No", and she threw a tantrum. When the police show up and tell you to get off an exercise bike there is NO excuse not to. You are not "standing up for yourself" by refusing lawful orders by the police and the legal property owners.

By refusing to leave she was committing a crime against Bally's and by refusing to cooperate with police she was committing a crime against the state.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[dmr]

8. She had a paid reservation that Bally's should've honored.

They should've kept their end of the bargain, then explained the new policy would be in effect in the future.

I don't know if she was obnoxious. I don't know if the supervisor and patrons over-reacted. I don't know if the cops over-reached their authority and trumped up the charges.

What I do know, is I'd either reprimand or fire the supervisor for implementing a new policy without regard to customers who had a paid prior arrangement.

You just don't go and make immediate changes without a plan on how to address concerns that may arise from the old plan.

Anyone running a business should know that you don't escalate a situation with the police unless there would be true immediate harm or danger. This woman posed no immediate harm or danger. She just wanted to ride the bike she pre-paid and reserved, and validated with a supervisor the day before the appointment.

What do you say to the other patrons? You simply tell them the truth. She paid in advance to reserve the bike. You explain it's a minor hic-up in implementing the new policy.

[RamboLiberal]

9. Exactly - in retail you defuse the situation

They were on the cusp of a changeover in policy. Sorry Mrs. Shannon, we've changed the policy starting this week but I understand you made a reservation under the old system you were used to. We'll honor that tonight but understand that after tonight we'll be under a new system and you can no longer reserve a bike. Members will now get bikes under a lottery.

[dmr]

10. Or they could've offered her something for the confusion

a discount or something in return for her time & trouble & understanding.

What gets me is that she verified her appointment the day before with a supervisor - and that is what makes how they handled this even more serious. You just don't turn around and call the police when you don't know how to handle glitches in simple policy changes.

[eShirl]

12. +1

[Gidney N Cloyd]

18. I don't think Bally's is known for dealing with customers in good faith. nt

[Taitertots]

32. Reread the documents you sign when you join

I'm willing to wager there is specific language that covers something like this.

[HipChick]

11. at my gym, lottery did not work so well

bikes get 'saved' for same set of friends,people you know at front desk..after much complaints..went back to first come first serve..

[Libertas1776]

13. Shit!

If it were me, those cops would have to drag me out kicking and screaming 'cause knowing me, I wouldn't leave until I got my goddamn 2 bucks back. Plus, I'd probably curse out the manager, staff, and whoever else was there.

[Taitertots]

25. And they would deservingly throw you in jail

And I would uproariously laugh at you.

[Libertas1776]

33. Laugh all you want...

at least I'd have my 2 buck back.:P

[Taitertots]

35. I don't think she got her two bucks back n/t

[dustbunnie]

14. I'm in the health club business. People have no idea how insane some members can get.

We've had fights break out over tv channels and volume. I mean physical fights. Women fights. We went from reserved spaces in class to festive spaces because of precisely this kind of insanity. People get so weird about their programs... they can't possibly fathom deviating from their set routine even once. That would take the world off its axis. I've seen people sit for fifteen minutes waiting for a piece of equipment rather than be creative and do something else in the interim. I know the kind of customer depicted in the OP so well, that all this story does is make me laugh. She knew there were changes to the policy but rather than go with the flow and do something else or ask for her money back, she clung to that bicycle by her toenails. :rofl:

[dustbunnie]

15. Hey, somebody sent me a smile Valentine. :-)

Thank you to whoever you are! :loveya:

[RamboLiberal]

19. I'm a usually go with the flow at the gym type of customer

but I have to admit I'm secretly steaming inside at the equipment hogs. The ones who go way beyond the time on equipment limits like the treadmills and bikes with a sign clearly staring them in the face. If they just have to get that hour cardio workout come when the equipment is less busy or obey that 20 or 30 minute on equipment maximum sign. Or buy your own damn treadmill or bike.

[dustbunnie]

22. Lol, I get steamed too sometimes. Like when someone is doing arm curls with 2 pounds

for thirty reps and has to stop between each curl to deep breathe, AND won't let anyone work in with their ten minute sets. They'd be better off walking outside than doing those lame movements. :P But honestly, if it happens once or twice, you just go and do something else. If there's a constant issue with equipment hogging, or there are a few troublesome members, the thing to do is complain to management.

I don't know what it is, but gyms/health clubs and grocery stores seem to be the two places people revert to childhood. :D

[RamboLiberal]

21. Update: Grandmom to be tried in Bally dust-up

The 63-year-old grandmother, who was arrested Feb. 1 after a brouhaha at a Bally Total Fitness in South Philadelphia, was ordered to stand trial yesterday on charges of aggravated assault, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person, said her attorney, Joseph Green II.

Green said the two officers stated in court yesterday that Shannon had punched both of them numerous times during the confrontation.

The attorney contended that Shannon had not struck the cops, adding that several witnesses support her version of the encounter.

A Bally's member who said he was at the health club on Feb. 1 told the Daily News yesterday that other members vouched for the cops' version of the events.

http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/83995317.html

[Gin]

23. before I knew what a "spinning class" was...I thought it was like

the spinning of the whirling dervishes...and the new fad was to spin and get some sort of high. Ha Ha

[jxnmsdemguy65]

24. Check ebay for used spin bikes...

I bought one years ago from a gym that was closing for about $175.

[timtom]

28. "I think the officers were unfair," Shannon said.

Gosh. Ya think so? How about brutal mother------s? How about nazi pig-dog bastards? How about subhuman scum?

[Tailormyst]

30. I would want to hear from other witnesses at the club

Not her and not the club, just other people who saw what happened and have no stake in it. Police can over react, Managers can over react and even customers can over react. Sounds like things got way out of hand.

[tammywammy]

31. Ditto here n/t

[Stevenmarc]

34. Exactly, Im sure there a lot of blame to go around from all parties.