Blind Man Gets Kicked Out of Gym for Staring at Woman "Oh do you like the view?"

A blind man was wrongly kicked from a gym for allegedly "staring" at a woman during her workout.

Life-Changing Event At a Young Age 

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Initially born with the ability to see, Toby Addison faced a life-changing event at 11 years old, resulting in an 80 percent loss of vision.

Now, at the age of 21, the footballer and content creator has only four percent of his vision remaining.

Awkward Encounter at the Gym

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During his appearance on the Happy Hour podcast, Addison shared a memorable and incredibly awkward encounter from when he was 17 years old.

In the Face of False Accusations

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The content creator opened up about being falsely accused of being a ‘creep’ due to his stare being directed toward a woman, resulting in the staff kicking him out of the gym. 

Minding His Own Business

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“So I was just staring straight ahead and unfortunately there was a woman doing some exercises,” he recalled. 

“I don’t know what she was doing, whether it was some squats or whatever, where you may be in a more vulnerable position maybe and don’t want to be stared at.” 

Woman Confronts Blind Man

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Unaware of his blindness, the woman approached Addison and accused him of staring at her inappropriately.

“She came over to me, and I didn't know she was talking to me at first because I’m not doing anything wrong. I’m just doing my thing,” he recounted.

Unexpected Remark

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While immersed in his workout, Addison was focused on his own activities when he overheard a woman's remark, saying, "Oh, do you like the view?"

Accusations of Being a "Creep"

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Continuing to share the odd encounter, Addison remembered, “She said something along the lines of ‘Why do you keep staring at me? Stop. Don’t be so creepy.'" 

Clarifying his Blindness

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The blind footballer immediately apologized to the woman who felt he was being creepy, clarifying that he was blind and gesturing towards his cane.

“I was like ‘Oh no sorry, I’m blind’. I had my cane with me, it was folded up in my lap but she wasn’t having any of it,” he said. 

Woman Remains Unconvinced 

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Despite Addison's explanation of his condition, the woman remained unconvinced, leading to the gym staff ultimately deciding to kick him out.

Struggle to Determine Where to Look

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Describing the experience, Addison explained, "I don’t really know where I am looking a lot of the time unless I am talking to someone like I know that I’m talking to you so I am trying to look in your direction."

Exposing a Disturbing Trend

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Addison also shed light on an alarming issue prevailing at the gym nowadays—a culture of creeping—where people have been caught recording others during their exercises.

Misinterpreting the Cane as a Prop

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In an effort to grasp the woman's point of view, Addison speculated that it was possible she believed his cane was part of a 'prop' he used to engage in inappropriate behavior towards women while using his blindness as an excuse to get away with it.

Never Set Foot in the Gym Again

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Addison candidly revealed that he lacked confidence in speaking up for himself in that situation. As a result, he made the decision to leave the gym and never returned.

Shattered Confidence

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Reflecting on the incident, Addison admitted that it significantly undermined his confidence. 

“It was rough,” he said, “it knocked my confidence a lot and made me feel like being blind is a problem, that it causes problems.”

Turning Setbacks into Strength

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On the bright side, this incident proved to be a valuable lesson for Addison. It prompted him to embark on a journey of personal growth, during which he learned how to assert himself and confidently speak up for his rights and boundaries.

Journey as a Blind Educator and Influencer

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Toby Addison is a content creator based in the UK who has built a substantial and dedicated following of enthusiastic and engaged followers. 

Through his content, he educates and brings his audience along on his personal journey, sharing insights into his life as a blind man. 

Sharing Uncomfortable Encounters

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Addison took to his TikTok account, "@blindtobes," to share some details about the uncomfortable gym encounter and other similar ones.

In a video post, he expresses, “I was removed from the gym for staring at a woman while she did her exercises. I was making her uncomfortable. Both her and the gym workers saw my cane, but, again, I was removed."

Battling Discrimination

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Addison highlights in the video several other instances where he faced discrimination due to his blindness and what he referred to as "poor staff training."

He recounts another incident where he was asked to leave a pub for appearing "too drunk" after he tripped on the stairs. He clarifies that he had only consumed one drink and the reason for the stumble was simply that he “couldn't see” the stairs.

Blindness or Intoxication?

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He further revealed that he almost faced refusal at another bar when the employees mistook his holding onto his friend's arm as a sign of intoxication. In reality, his friend was only guiding him due to his blindness. 

Eventually, the staff members realized their mistake and felt embarrassed about the misunderstanding.

Classroom Incident

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The content creator also shared an incident where a substitute teacher expelled him from class because he requested to complete his work on a laptop instead of using paper. 

The teacher mistakenly believed that he was making fun of people with disabilities, which led to his removal from the classroom. "I think it did land him in a bit of hot water," he remarks in the video. 

Forcefully Grabbed in a Coffee Shop

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He recounted an incident where he was "forcefully grabbed" by his T-shirt in a coffee shop and pulled to a table by someone who lacked knowledge on how to assist blind people. 

Addison expressed that this experience caused him significant embarrassment and discomfort.

A Sad Reality

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Expressing the unfortunate reality faced by blind individuals, Addison states, “Unfortunately as a blind person these things can happen quite often."

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