12.2.16 Our own entitlement, and optional blindness

I'm really starting to notice the entitlement of some of the white guys at my gym. As far as I can tell, there's a certain class of them, maybe 45 and up, who like to sit on one of the machines, hang out talking to their friends. And it's a circuit. 

I have never seen anyone else do this there. If anyone else is checking their pulse or doing anything else, and they notice you, all the others excuse themselves, and jump up. But not these guys. 

It happens so much I'm just starting to put it together. Because I am reluctant to categorize people. 

Tonight at planet fitness, there is this guy probably in his 50s, early 60s, who is planted at fifth machine. Talking to a friend of his. For maybe 10 minutes. He saw me start. He saw me approach him. But it didn't really matter. He just hung out talking. 

I approached the staff, asking them if there was another machine just like that in the place. They said no. I asked if I should ask him to move, and they said sure, smiling.
So I went over, smiled at the guy, and I asked him to get up so I could do the machine before I have to go home. 

He looked really surprised. He was like maybe 6'5". His friend raised his eyebrows, smiling. But he was pretty pissed. He got up. And I did my business and split. The staff asked me how it went, I said he wasn't happy, and they laughed.

As I walked out, I wondered about all the ways I'm blind to my own entitlement . Wanting to learn to see what others encounter with me. As I walk around the world.