Missing CA Gym Towels: 42,000 Replaced A Year
'I wouldn’t accuse any of our members of stealing towels, but 42,000 towels a year is how many we buy.' – Bob Bellamy, Columbia Association director of the sports and fitness division.
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A total of 42,000 towels need to be replaced each year from Columbia Association gyms, including those that are frayed or worn out and others that just "walk out the door," Columbia Association officials said Wednesday.
The issue of towel theft in Columbia is back on the forefront of local conversation after the Wall Street Journal included the CA’s $500,000-a-year costs to replace and maintain towels in a national story about "terry-cloth bandits."
The CA operates several community amenities, which include three fitness centers: The Columbia Athletic Club, Columbia Gym and the Supreme Sports Club.
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It costs between $50,000 and $60,000 to replace the towels, which are provided at CA-operated gyms, CA officials said. The rest of the towel maintenance money is spent on washing, drying, folding and bleaching them, officials said.
“I wouldn’t accuse any of our members of stealing towels, but 42,000 towels a year is how many we buy,” said the CA’s director of the sports and fitness division, Bob Bellamy.
“You could say it’s a cost of doing business.”
In context, towel replacement is a small percentage – 0.04 percent --- of the gyms’ total annual expenses. In fiscal year 2013, the CA estimates $13.8 million in fitness center expenses.
There are a total of 23,000 memberships to CA gyms, with an estimated 50,000 people who have access to the facilities, Bellamy said. Towels are not provided at CA-operated pools, he said.
Two years ago, Columbia Association staff proposed eliminating gym towels, saying in the long haul, not having to wash, dry, fold and replace the stolen towels, would save nearly $5 million in 10 years.
Community outcry squelched the proposal and, at the time, membership rates were raised $2 a month to “take the sting off towels,” he said
Columbia Association officials were unable to provide cost ranges for memberships Wednesday.
“How much anger are you willing to take from the community?” Town Center representative Suzanne Waller was quoted as saying in Explore Howard in February of 2010. “They have spoken, loudly.”
In the meantime, fitness club officials have tried a variety of tactics to stem the practice of people walking away with gym towels.
At the exit of all three clubs, there’s a “last chance towel bin” where people can drop their dirty towels, Bellamy said.
Gyms have held “towel amnesty” days over the years, in which they get back some, but not a significant amount, of towels, he said.
As for whether the Columbia Association will talk about eliminating gym towel service again?
“What is it that James Bond said?” Bellamy said. “Never say never.
‘[But] I don’t see an appetite for it with our board at this time.”
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In This article
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Columbia Association
10221 Wincopin Cir Ste 100, Columbia, MD -
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Columbia Athletic Club
5435 Beaver Kill Rd, Columbia, MD -
Columbia Gym
6151 Daylong Ln, Clarksville, MD -
Supreme Sports Club
7080 Deepage Dr, Columbia, MD
edb
8:10 am on Thursday, April 26, 2012
I've been a member of various gyms throughout my 20's, 30's and 40's. Not a single one provided towels for patrons. If I wanted to shower after my workout, it was my responsibility to bring my own supplies, including towels. Why do the patrons of CA gyms feel entitled to this service?.....and I don't want to hear about how much money they pay for services because I've been a member of some pretty nice (and expensive) gyms over the years. Get over it folks and bring your own towels to the gym!!
Tom
10:38 am on Thursday, April 26, 2012
I am in complete agreement, the towels are only good for wiping sweat anyhow, invest in a nice soft hand towel from dicks (thread count is higher, thus softer), and bring your own towel.. They can still offer the plastic bags (or you can bring your own). Bringing down these costs can lead to MUCH better things than a towel. Better equipment, other things like a Juice bar (where the huge area is to house the towels and washing machine)... Why waste money on towels that are cheaply produced, when you can easily bring your own towel from home... you know who has used it, and it hasn't been bleached to death.
Joe Columbia
11:31 am on Thursday, April 26, 2012
Why not do what resorts do. Allow members to "check-out" towels when they check-in to the club (update CA software with check box and quantity for towels) and have a fee if they are not returned. Problem solved.
Michaelwritescode
3:18 pm on Thursday, April 26, 2012
Definitely brings up the inevitable annoyance of getting a letter in the mail with some random bill asking for your to pay for towels checked out on a day that you returned but for whatever reason weren't checked back in. Plus it would be very inconvenient to have to wait in line to ensure your towels are checked in.
Though to be honest I would be happy if this sort of rule encouraged people to pick up their freaking towels off the floor. I never understand how people are able to leave towels just sitting on the floor everywhere - in the workout area. on the workout equipment, floor of the bathroom. Heck I half expect to see people going out of their way to leave towels in increasingly odd places like some sort of fad.
Tom
3:49 pm on Thursday, April 26, 2012
There are a few problems with the "check-out system"... Number 1: People will swear up and down that they did in fact, retrun the towel. Their will also be an long line to leave, and when the member gets a bill, the argument will persist that the attendent did not "clear" his/her account when they returned the towel.. Upgrading the system to have people check out towels, and the number of towels, will produce lines to get in, and a line to get out. Huge hassle... everyone has towels at home, grab one, roll it up, stick it in your gym bag! Simple. Just like when you go to any given CA pool, indoor or outdoor, you are not supplied a towel.. what makes the gym any more special??? Showers?? Well they got those at the pools too, still you bring your own towel. Eliminating the towels makes the most sense. For the price we pay for a family plan, that would get you a SINGLE membership at the "Ritzy-LifeTime Fitness".. WOW you can rock climb at Lifetime Fitness, and go shopping.. Big whoop. Imagine the improvments that can be made if we just eliminated the towels.
Andrew Metcalf
4:21 pm on Thursday, April 26, 2012
@Michaelwritescode - We will appreciate any pictures of towels in increasingly odd places.
craig ostrom
11:39 am on Friday, April 27, 2012
Put a theft deterent RF tag on each towel (as they do at clothing stores) and readers at the entrances.
Kirsty
7:59 pm on Saturday, April 28, 2012
Amen, Tom - I was not a fan of Lifetime. We belong to 20 pools & THREE gyms for less than a $100/month for a family plan. But I am willing to pay for towels. I am however, annoyed at the people who put towels IN THE SHOWER rather than using flipflops & the women who use 3 towels - one for the shower, one for their body & one to put down by their locker so they don't have to stand on the carpet.
Tom
9:17 pm on Saturday, April 28, 2012
Wow Kirsty, I have never seen anyone standing on towels in lieu of using flip flops or shower shoes.... That makes me want to never use the towels again. The towels are just not great or big eneough. I will continue to bring my own towel, but we can definitely agree that we do get a lot of bang for our low membership. I am glad to be a member. Get rid of towels and then maybe EVERYONE can use treadmills and have access to yoga, and spin classes. :-)
ColleenTaweel
10:13 pm on Tuesday, May 15, 2012
I am a towel fan and have been for my 25 years with CA. Please stay with the status quo.