> $10K for a gym membership over two years?! That over $416/month. Is that normal for the area?

I'm not sure what area he's in, but he's probably including the cost of classes, trainers or similar.

I was a member of Equinox in WeHo & then Santa Monica. This was a while ago, so if I remember correctly, I think I paid ~$150/month. When I used a personal trainer, it was about $1k for 10 sessions.

There are 24 Hour Fitness, Bally's & the like in the area and they're more modestly priced. Probably $30/month.

The biggest difference comes down to how long you have to wait. If you go to Bally's after work, you're probably going to wait for cardio. At Equinox, I could show up at 5:30pm and typically get on a bike or treadmill. Occasionally there would still be a wait, but probably a few minutes.

The equipment itself wasn't that different. Nor were the other facilities. Equinox is a /little/ nicer in atheistics & the locker room, but that's about it.

The WeHo location did have the added kick of it wasn't uncommon to see someone reasonably famous. For whatever reason, I overlapped with Fabio's workout a lot. Not enough to exchange names, but enough that we would give each other a familiar hello nod. I also also was once during curls & looked over to see Jay Z on the bench. What I first noticed were people acting odd (they were bodyguards I later assumed). Apparently Beyonce was there as well, but I didn't see her myself.

If he was sexually assaulted and they're banning him to cover their own ass, that's way worse than victim blaming as it suggests they are aware the victim is not at fault yet they punish the victim anyway. An economic incentive does not excuse immoral acts. It's disgusting how quick people are to defend this kind of behavior. Anyone who was involved in making that decision is a worthless piece of shit.

I always find it sad when an explanation of the reasoning behind some immoral behavior is treated like a justification or defense. I find it sad because it discourages understanding opinions you disagree with, and because I think that understanding is important. If Equinox acted that way simply because they are an evil corporation, nothing could be done about it; but if they followed an economic incentive, then changing the incentive structure can prevent that kind of behavior in the future.

Very few people harm others because they're simply "evil", this type of cartoon evil is not really common if it even exists.

Harming others for selfish reasons is practically the definition of "evil" in the real world. So all involved are evil.

Sadism is more common than you're supposing IMO, but agreed that incentive based "evil" is probably more common.

They are evil though. They harmed someone and instead of making good for it they only protect themselves. There is no "both sides" to this.

Also if Equinox followed and an economic incentive by banning the guy even though he's a victim, he should perhaps return the favour by suing them for some large sum even though the problem probably wasn't really their fault. Such are the wonders of the legal system.

$416/month is higher than I pay, but I have been an Equinox member for years, and yes, it is very expensive. I started going when I was in SV working at a tech company that paid 50% of my dues. Currently, I pay $180 CAD/month right now, plus another $90 CAD/month for a dedicated locker with laundry service.

It's expensive, and I could certainly get a cheaper membership elsewhere. But it fits perfectly into my daily routine, and is part of why I've lost 40 lbs over the last 3 months, so for me, it's a worthwhile expense.

Equinox is a luxury gym so it is very expensive. Private trainers are also expensive in the area. Generally in range $150-$500 per session (sometimea discount for a package).

I am not really a big fan of gym membership unless my company sponsors one. I have bad experiences with a few gyms... and every cancellation camr with a one-month deposit cancellation fee...