Many people believe they have never stolen anything, at least not in their own minds. Theft is often understood as the unlawful taking of someone else’s property. However, those who train at a gym without paying don’t often see it as theft, and as a result, such cases occur surprisingly often.
As a gym owner, it’s easy to think: “In our town, no one would ever train at the gym without paying. We have upstanding citizens here.” And it’s great if that’s true, but often the reality is quite different.
The following four things always hold true:
- The easier it is to abuse something, the more likely it is to happen.
- The bigger or more impersonal the entity being stolen from, the less it feels wrong.
- The greater the chance of getting caught, the bigger the hurdle to committing the act.
- Doing something without permission isn’t such a big deal if no one is witnessing or seeing it.
Let’s compare two unmanned gyms, both implementing the four points mentioned above in two different ways:
Gym 1
In a large city, there’s a gym with over a thousand customers, and no one knows who owns it.
The gym can be accessed through an unlocked outside door, and it’s possible to walk straight into the gym through a dark and secluded hallway. The hallway is out of view from anyone in the gym, and there’s no indication that using the gym without paying is illegal.
Gym 2
In a small town, everyone knows the friendly gym owner who runs a small gym with a few hundred members. The owner is sometimes present in the gym.
The gym is accessed through a controlled entrance. After entering, there’s a full-height turnstile, and before the turnstile, there’s a sign stating that the area is under surveillance. The camera can be clearly seen above the turnstile. The entrance area is well-lit, and it’s visible from inside the gym, where the equipment is located, and there are always people around.
Near the turnstile, there’s also a notice that entering the gym without paying results in a monetary fine.
In the second case, it’s highly likely that there’s no misuse at all. In the first case, it’s likely happening every day.
The gym in the first case is rare, but such a setup is entirely possible.
If the gym hasn’t tried to prevent unauthorized access, it also gives users the impression that no one minds if they occasionally train there without paying.
If you want to reduce staffing costs or make the gym fully unmanned, you may want to read the article “Starting a Gym: Several Options for Implementing an Unmanned Gym.”
