My gym owner (Hi, Bill!) has tried to kick me out multiple times for calling folks out on their not returning weights, dumbells, etc. Seriously. The guy's a real piece of work. I try to enforce some respect for his/our establishment and he wants to kick ME out.
The world's a strange place.
Guess that depends on how harshly you "call folks out" when they screw up. If all you're offering is a friendly reminder to them to put the weights back where they go, then the gym owner is probably overreacting. However if your are upsetting folks enough that they complain to him about you, then that puts him in an awkward position. I remember a fellow who used to get on folks case if they took too long between sets and he wanted to use the weights. He'd get downright nasty with folks. Eventually, he was asked to find another place to work out.
What irks me is when someone, most often a teenager, makes no attempt to put the weights away after using a piece of equipment. Another thing I get miffed about is when someone puts a 100 lb. plate flat on the floor next to the leg press. They are a bitch to get up off the floor. There is a fellow who is my age who will get on a piece of equipment, do a set and then rest forever, even when someone is obviously waiting to use the equipment. One time, I asked him if I could work in. He responded with, "I just have three more sets." Which, at the pace he was setting, meant he'd hog the equipment of an hour. I simply gave him a dirty look and walked away. It's just not worth getting upset with inconsiderate people because they really don't care or they would be more considerate.
