We loved going to the YMCA. Swimming laps became something that became a part of our senior fitness routine. We experienced a class or two here and there throughout our years as members. In October of 2024, after swimming laps for 20 minutes, our Chevy Tahoe was stolen from the parking lot of the YMCA. Wallet, phone, (all credit cards etc......) The police were called and they came and worked with the people at the front desk and my husband. We are taking COMPLETE responsibility for this careless mistake ( the thieves taking of the keys from the POCKET of the pair of my husbands workout pants hanging INSIDE the locker IN the men's locker room at the YMCA). Our house keys were on the car key fob that was stolen. (We had an attempted break in at our home the same week as the stolen car). Co-incidence?
That being said here is my concern. Being that this is the "Young Men's CHRISTIAN Association, - is there NO compassion, concern, empathy with anyone from the YMCA front desk or upper management that was part of this interaction with the police and my husband on how we are? My husband used the Y phone to call me as his was stolen. SOMEONE at the front desk now knows that at least his phone is gone. Is there not a report at the Y and concern within the YMCA team "meeting" about theft and what they are going to do about the members involved (to support them for a minute?
I thought there would be some kind of follow up phone call to see how we were doing. Maybe that is the mom in me coming out. To be so violated at a place that you FULLY trust, because you KNOW they watch WHO comes through the front door and make certain ALL MEMBERS are scanned, then a member, it can be assumed, stole the keys -- is VERY VERY unnerving. Certainly they checked all the video to help us/police find the
persons who ENTERED the Y, checked in, entered the mens locker room, left the mens locker room, got in OUR car, in the YMCA parking lot, exited the parking lot etc. (?)
I called after one week to ask why there wasn't a phone call to check up on two members of several years, who had their lives turned upside down at their facility? How we were doing? Were we ok? Here is what I heard. They were very sorry they didn't call us. Ironically, I did get an email reminder that our credit card wouldn't go through for our dues. Hmmm. I called and reminded them that this was the first outreach from them since the theft. The credit card on file had been in the stolen wallet that was in the stolen vehicle. I cancelled that stolen credit card. Oh sorry!
Placing reminders in the newsletters about locking car doors, lockers in the locker room are all very helpful. We bought a lock for our locker for our next fitness center. What needs to be added to that little bit in the newsletter is this:
"We will always be here to support our members if you are in need of us here at the YMCA. We will check on you, our valued members, if you are robbed at our facility and have your lives totally disrupted. We care about OUR MEMBERS and want only the best for them."
A large part of a fitness facility if feeling safe and secure. Even without using the woman's locker room myself, (very often) I would find myself always looking over my shoulder. Needing to always make certain my car was locked. The Tahoe WAS locked. Locker - not. Probably needing to shorten my swim to leave and check that my car was still in the parking lot. I am not certain what it would take to feel safe at this facility. For now, I am still nervous. How can a person pass through the "security at the front" and then get away with taking property from the facility. read more