It's a numbers thing. Fat old ladies (or y'know, any old ladies) tend to a) have more time to hang out at the gym b) tend to go to the gym whereas the young fit types might be out running or cycling (or getting drunk). Also, when I (ftr, reasonably hawt, but a decade late for young and nubile) go to the gym, I go, I work out, I leave. I have stuff to DO. The average older, much heavier woman just takes longer. They move slower. I'll shower, dress, and leave in the time a couple blue-hairs finish with the blow-dryer and get around to wrestling themselves into a bra.
Of course, the gym I go to these days is one sex at a time. Women get M, W, F, Sat., men get T, Th, Sun. (the location across town is the opposite). And it's less than a mile from MSU. There are hot chicks. A lot of them, because they're college kids and it's cheap and it's not a meat market (mostly). But they're mostly 17-18 or so, and kind of annoying. Nice view, though. And it's mine, all mine! None of you guys get any of it! <insert maniacal laughter here>
Sweaty dude has my sympathy though. I'm a very heavy sweater and I tell ya there is no way in heck that a swipe with a sanitary wipe is gonna cut it. Meh, I just do weights before cardio; makes the run more challenging and lets me avoid dripping all over the equipment. But the whole business of wiping everything down every three seconds irritates me. I admit to just skipping it most of the time, and I notice that most people who aren't middle-aged or better do at my gym. I'll wipe up sweat, but cleaning up every surface my clean, dry shirt/shorts touch is an irritating waste of time. And treadmills, what's up with that? Unless I'm going over eight miles or so or it's really hot, even I don't get the treadmill console all sweaty, and I'm the sweatiest person I know. Aside from pushing a couple buttons, one doesn't generally touch a treadmill. So, why the obsession with wiping it down with antibacterial goop after going for a twenty minute stroll on it? Seriously, what is the freaking point?
And I miss Grunting Dude from the Y. He was WAY WAY better than "I must do 800,000,000,000 bicep curls with three pound weights while I stand directly in front of the rack containing every single freaking dumbbell in the place" lady I have to contend with now. I really love it when they pair up, kaiboshing any and all attempts to get at the rack from any angle at all.
And when the gym is pretty quiet, and someone is standing next to a bench doing some stretching, and next to the bench are six dumbbells of varying sizes, a bottle of water, and an iphone, it is pretty implausible for you to claim you had no idea someone was using that stuff. I'm not trying to hog all the equipment, but the place was dead; I think she just figured it was handy to not have to get her own weights from the rack.
Well, dang, this has turned into quite the gym rant here. Wish I was there now though....no time lately, and less child-free time. It's a bummer.