DEAR ABBY: I exercise in the pool at a women's health club. Several women there share personal information with each other in loud voices. One of them talks nonstop with anyone she can get to engage with her.
By the way, these women are not exercising. They just stand in the pool socializing. Abby, I'm a captive audience! I can't escape from their chatter. I don't want to hear about their divorce, colonoscopy or aches and pains. I have mentioned this to the staff with no success.
Could you please address voice volume and appropriate sharing in confined spaces? -- FRUSTRATED IN FLORIDA
DEAR FRUSTRATED: The staff at the gym may be reluctant to speak to the women because they're afraid it will cause them to cancel their memberships. That's why the person who should address the voice volume issue is you. The women may be unaware that you can hear every word they say. If asking the magpies to pipe down doesn't work, then you'll have to swim at a time when they are not around.