Fume
 

I exercise after work.

We have an exercise room at work, in which there's a TV/VCR combo. Yesterday,
I went to the room to exercise, with my DVD player, and a particular person
was already in the room, using the TV. Okayfine. I left.

Afterwards, I realized I should have asked him when he figured to be done.

Today, I went in there and found him lifting weights. The TV was off. He
saw me, immediately jumped on one of the treadmills, turned the TV on, mumbled
something. I asked him to repeat. He said, I was watching this. I asked him
what his point was. He said it again. I said, so you'd have a problem if I
hooked up my DVD player? Yes, said he. I asked him how long he intended to
be in the room for. He claims 30 minutes. I told him I'll be back after that
time.

If I get more trouble from this guy, I'm bringing it up with the people who
administer the room. We'll see what happens after the 30 minutes are over,
as I already feel like he was really rude.

sounds like "he doesn't play nice with others"

Some people just can't get it into thier heads that other people are allowed to use public facilities.
Of course he was rude, and if he gives you any more problems, definitely let someone know.
I wish there was some kind of asshole test that you had to write before being allowed to use a public gym.

I went back in there about 35 minutes later. He took off once I actually started the DVD. It was only an episode of Highlander. (shrug)

I don't get it. He saw you had a DVD player so he felt he had to lay claim to the TV? Weird.

I don' t know if I'd call that behavior rude, exactly. Paranoid psychotic, more like.

Yeah, he's got a stick up his ass or something; there's no reason any average Joe has more rights to the features in a public facility than you...unless, ya know, he just so happens to own the place. =P

If the current show was important for him I would be understanding. But it couldn't have been that important if he turned the TV off, so I would be more confused than anything-
why did he want to lay claim to the TV? where is the motive?

We have a technical term for people like that. We call them douche bags.

It's been suggested that maybe he doesn't like the sound level I use. I'm going to ask him. I do, after all, have some headphones I could use.

I never did say how this turned out.

Seems there'd been some people in there earlier who'd put him in a bad mood. I managed to receive some of that. Given that I've done that myself at times, I can certainly understand. We're cool now.

i think the real question is, was it a good episode of highlander?

I don't remember. :(

This kind of problems are so typical in public areas where people have to share things, don't you agree?

Don't let it get to you, its not worth putting that amount of thought / emotion in to.