Do You Leave Your Stuff Unlocked at the Gym?

It finally happened: I think I’ve lost my gym lock—for good. It’s been a solid five- or six-year run with this particular lock, and it’s been a good one at that. The lock has survived being shuffled from gym bag to gym bag (since I can never seem to settle on one I like), and even successfully made the move from DC to Philly last year with all of my earthly belongings. But last night when I got to the gym and rifled through the pocket where I usually keep it, it wasn’t there. Poof. Vanished. And I have absolutely no idea where it is.

My husband will tell you I’m jumping to conclusions here, because he knows I am the world’s worst finder of lost items (aside from his brother, Colin, who is afflicted with the same unfortunate quality of being physically incapable of finding things that are right in front of his nose). Growing up, Easter morning was more an exercise in torture than fun as I was always (always!!) the last to find my Easter basket. My dad would plaster this maniacal smile on his face as I searched high and low for hours. (He was as serious about hiding our baskets as we were about finding them.) One year, tear stains still fresh on my face after a morning of unsuccessful searching, I sat in our church pew panicking that when I got home and resumed my search, I really wouldn’t find it this year and all that candy would be gone for good.

At the ripe old age of 28, I haven’t gotten any better at finding things, and I think I’ve gotten worse at losing things, which, as you can imagine, is a pretty epic combination. But this dang gym lock. I really think it’s gone.

Which leads me to my question for you: What do you do when you get to the gym only to realize, Crap, I forgot my lock? Because this is the situation I found myself in last night and I wasn’t sure what to do. Do I leave my stuff—which includes my wedding/engagement ring set, my wallet, and my bag of SEPTA tokens—in an unlocked locker and just risk it? (Scary.) Do I lug my stuff around the gym with me from station to station for the next hour? (Annoying.) Or do I just take this as a sign from the Exercise Gods that this workout on this night was just not meant to be, and I should just pack it all up and go home? (Wishful thinking.)

I thought of stashing the bag somewhere in the locker room, but that seemed a bit extreme. Besides, if someone found it, it’d invite more suspicion (and maybe sticky fingers) than if I’d just left it in an unlocked locker. After all, who leaves their bag in a sauna, anyway?

So since I am lock-less for the moment, I’m wondering what you do when you find yourself in a similar predicament. Any interesting solutions? Or do you feel safe leaving your stuff unlocked and unsupervised? Share in the comments.