Oh, man.
This thread brings back memories of my former boss, who was a regular bike commuter. He had one of those free-standing clothes driers installed in the office kitchen. It was the variety which basically resembles a coat stand enclosed in a miniature tent, into which an integrated fan blows hot air. Natuarlly, you're supposed to hang your wet gear inside to dry.
Well, he did indeed hang his wet gear inside to dry, but not because it had been raining; he was just a particularly sweaty ****er.
I can vividly remember blearily walking into the kitchen of a morning, only to be rudely brough to my senses by the sharp tang of his atomised bollock-sweat.
^^^ that was my wife’s suggestion too!
(Before she complained about me leaving my sweaty cycling gear on the banisters!)
I was actually verging on sympathetic, but as you’ve got form and your wife has had to tell you your stuff stinks then I suspect your co-worker is right!
She said that 'tongue-in-cheek' after I'd told her the tale. 😀
Update. Have removed shorts and towel to a hanger hung over the shower cubicle. Left a note on the clothes rail thanking the anonymous person for drawing my attention to the issue, but also pointing out the general lack of options. Did suggest that instead of the passive-agressive anonymous note, I'd welcome the chance to have a restorative conversation in which we could identify the problem and work together to explore possible solutions.
I suspect that offer won't be taken up, but in the meantime will hang my clothes up in the shower room.
We have a small corner of the cloakroom for exercise gear and towels. I'm pretty sure it would smell less if:
a) people didn't wear stuff for quite so long and/or wore a merino base layer
b) a larger area was given so that things could actually dry.
Putting it in a locker or a plastic bag is properly bleurgh, so is putting it chamois out. Putting it next to someone's smart suit isn't unhygeinic but it might whiff sometimes and on a rainy day everything nearby will end up damp. I would reckon therefore a post it note with "exercise clothing here" would sort the problem. Nobody needs to be hanging around chamois sniffing.
People need to get over their "eeew sweat" bollocks, half of those walking from the train station will probably sweat more than you, and mope about in their sweaty clothes all day.
My last workplace did have a shower room and I alway left my manky towel and sweaty bibs and stinky bike shoes in there.
There were adequate other toilet facilities available to other members of staff and this shower room was used by all cyclists and runners in the office.
The only issue we ever had was the occasional workshy colleague hiding in it as the furthest toilet from their desk and causing holdups for people expecting the facility to be available for its designated purpose.
I've had from no facilities (i.e. just getting changed in a loo) and leaving kit in your rucksack/pannier, to changing facilities and a drying cabinet - that was great until the motorbiker who smoked like a chimney left his gear in there - wet, warm fag smell isn't nice.
Had a room to myself once, radiator and desk fan to dry everything. The drying cabinet was best but it was a pain - go get changed, get key from reception, walk to other side of building, unlock room, then take key back - we weren't allowed our own keys. Cabinet was no-where near toilets or changing spaces.
I've also been 'told' I'm not having my gear in the office in the past. Currently one of the lads just drys his kit out on an electric radiator.
A mate takes his weekend mountain bike kit to dry in the nuclear power station. No odour or bacteria problems if you use a 100 mega watt drier.
Wowzers. You should have seen the office at Sustrans when I worked there. 50 people on our floor. If it was vaguely hook-shaped, it would have something item of rank cycling clothing hanging off it. Apparently, visitors could see a green haze oozing under the door before they got there.
Happy days.
A mate takes his weekend mountain bike kit to dry in the nuclear power station.
A good one I used to get was 'will you be holding up the traffic all the way home again?' This was from a fat **** who drove a car (4x the width of a bike) 30 miles each way (couldn't get a job near his place). Obvs unable to make a rational decision about overtaking.
The request isn’t unreasonable. The way the request was made however, would probably make me unreasonable.
The request isn’t unreasonable. The way the request was made however, would probably make me unreasonable.
This is how I felt at the time, but having taken soundings from the STW collective and having some time to reflect, think I responded a bit more maturely and considerately than I might have done if I'd reacted straight away.
Bit of an update ... The following day (yesterday), I hung my shorts & towel on a hanger in the shower room instead, left my helmet (oo-er) and jacket on the coat-rack, with a neatly typed note to the effect that I would endeavour to find an alternative place to hang my gear, but that the options/facilities were less than ideal. I further remarked that I thought her anonymous note was somewhat passive-agressive, and would have preferred if they had taken the time to contact me directly, and we could have had a "restorative conversation, working together to identify the problem and explore potential solutions". Left my name and contact details should they have wanted to chat further.
Fully expected that to be the end of it ... But that afternoon, her manager rocks up to my desk, agrees it's all a bit of a fuss about nothing, but the worker has been distraught by the 'passive-agressive' label, and now wishes to meet!
So, this morning, we had our 'restorative conversation'. Both said our bits. Both acknowledged the other point of view. Both bemoaned the lack of facilities. I agreed to hang my gear in the shower room/accessible WC, and her manager agreed to look into getting more hooks put up in there.
So, everyone's happy.
(Until someone complains about it being inappropriate & unhygienic leaving my gear in the shower/loo ... 🤔)