Andy picked up the new key for the Jeep yesterday, so he has a spare in his pocket in case the Jeep decides to lock him out again.
I had my own adventure with a different kind of key at the Y yesterday. I was using a treadmill after my Silver Sneakers class and was gently winding down, walking downhill on a 2.5% grade when suddenly the machine started going 6.3 miles an hour. Say, what?!!!
I was afraid to take one of my hands off the handles long enough to push the buttons to slow the machine down, and then it hit me. Aha, that’s what the safety key is for! Fortunately I had been required to plug it in a couple of times before the machine would start, but mostly it was plugged in and I wasn’t even aware of it. Anyway, I quickly grabbed the cord and pulled, and went back to hanging on while the machine stopped.
I think I’ll use the treadmills in the other room for a while. If they don’t have safety keys I will make sure someone else is in the room so I can yell for help if anything goes wrong. Like Andy, I do like to have contingency plans!
December 1, 2018
oh my gosh! THAT is not a safe situation!
there should be someone in the room anyway I would think.
wow. glad it turned out alright. xo
I think there may have been a person or two in the room using the weight machines, but I was listening to my audio book and wasn’t paying attention to them. I will definitely notice in the future. It was a good warning, just like Andy’s experience with the Jeep. An easy adventure since it turned out so well!
Our Dad uses an elliptical at the gym all the time. He would freak out if that happened to him. We aren’t so sure he would even know about that safety key. We are going to tell Mom to be sure he knows about it. Glad you were able to get that treadmill under control.
Woos – Lightning, Misty, and Timber
All of the elliptical machines I’ve seen are propelled by the users so can be stopped any time. My manual treadmill here at home is the same way, but the motorized ones have a moving belt and the user is supposed to be able to control the incline and the speed. I used them often in the past and never had any problem so this was a big shock. We just talked to our daughter and she told me she has seen people attach the safety key to their clothing so all they have to do is lean backward to pull the cord and stop the machine. I will see if that’s an option for me. It’s a good way to do it!
thank goodness, your memory kicked in on the key – you might’ve still been trying to keep up with your machinery forever!
I used to be a gym bunny, but I can’t remember much about how the treadmill worked, I remember the day when I found I could “jog” and actually my pal was stunned as well, as no one ever expected me to find that stride…
maybe you need a safety pin in your pocket to attach the key to you…
I’m considering joining a local (not chain model) gym next year…where it’s personalised to the max and nearly always someone to help. The pal above now goes to this particular gym; he got a bit of a fright the other week, when Tom was showing me around! And I think he’s keen to see me get fitter again…but he also knows I’ve medic things on the horizon…
Yes, I’m glad I didn’t panic but went into a problem solving mode. Kaitlin said she has seen people clip the key to their clothing, and I’m pretty sure that’s what we’re supposed to do with this one. I have seen a clip but thought it had to do with checking our pulse — I didn’t know how it worked and didn’t take the time to find out. I will look again and figure it out the next time I go — Monday or maybe tomorrow. Lifelong learning!
Glad your quick and calm thinking kept you from getting hurt! You see and hear about accidents on a treadmill from just this kind of thing, and if they don’t have that safety button, they should. Not only would it keep users safe, but since we live in a litigious world, it would keep the facility “safe” too.
I had never heard of all the accidents and was clueless, but I now understand. The ones I used to use were motorized but not computerized. The new fancy ones have all sorts of programs you can use but if the computer makes a mistake you can be in trouble. I’m going to check the other ones they have, they’re not nearly as fancy, I think, so they may be safer. It was a fascinating experience.
I was prescribed a new antibiotic for a viral infection and three hours after taking it, I developed an allergy and suffered for a few minutes before I remembered that I had some anti allergy medicines in the medicine box and took some. It took a few minutes for it to act but, act it did and I got back to normal. I have now been taken off that particular antibiotic and given another one with no side effects.
I’m sorry you were sick and had the reaction, but I’m glad you were able to stop it before it became too serious. Kaitlin is allergic to a lot of antibiotics and carries an epipen for anaphylactic shock — a hazard when she eats in restaurants because she’s allergic to chickens that have been given antibiotics. She never orders chicken, of course, but restaurants aren’t always as careful as one would like.
I’m so glad you found the safety key!!!
But, if you hadn’t, maybe you could have done this –
https://youtu.be/4M7H96B7p9U
LOL!
He’s good. I’m not! LOL!
He’s no more my role model than 41 was — going skydiving for his 90th birthday. I’m impressed but not stupid enough to try to follow their lead!