Poll: Where Do You Sit on the Whole Locker-Room-Nudity Thing?

True story, guys: A few weeks ago, I got to talking to a woman in the locker room at my gym. She’d been kind enough to spot me a spare hair tie—we all know my feelings on hair-down workouts—so we got to talking about our favorite classes at our gym, our pet peeves about other gym goers, that sort of thing. I had my back to her as I brushed my hair into a ponytail, and when I turned around, there she was: stark naked in her birthday suit like the day she was born. I have no idea how long she’d been nude, or at what point in our conversation she decided to strip down. But she was just standing there, talking to me like it was no big deal that everything that should be underneath her clothes was hanging out for all the locker-room world to see.

After my initial wave of shock subsided, it got me thinking: Am I a total prude for feeling awkward about this woman not feeling awkward about having an entire conversation—with a complete stranger, mind you—head-to-toe naked? Or do other people think this sort of locker room behavior falls on the no-no (never!) list?

I get that the locker room is meant to be a place to strip down, and I’m not saying we should all wait in line to get changed in a bathroom stall (although, if I’m being perfectly honest here, I’ve been known to do exactly that on mornings when I shower at the gym). But what I’m saying is, does anyone else think that we shouldn’t belabor our time in our birthday suits when we’re getting changed? Like, go ahead, strip down, redress as quickly as possible, and then we can have long conversations about the people who drive us crazy at the gym. To prude lil’ me, that seems much more reasonable and socially acceptable than letting it all hang out (literally) for no reason whatsoever.

Take our poll below and share your thoughts (and concerns, and rants) in the comments section below. And by all means, feel free to tell me I’m completely nuts.

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