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Tue 15 May, 2007 08:40 am
Here is an idea that crossed my mind...
There are fitness clubs all over the country, as well as many people who are willing to pay pretty big money every month to go there and exercise. Would it be possible to manipulate the exercise machines so that they would actually generate electricity when used - such as a bicycle or treadmill turning a generator? I don't know how much energy each machine could produce, but maybe with enough machines producing energy, the clubs could offer free memberships to everyone and make their money by selling the energy to the electric companies. Maybe they could even issue membership cards that could be inserted into the machines when used to tally the energy output. Bonus gifts/cash could be issued when certain levels are reached.
In my experience, the fitness clubs aren't that far ahead thinking.
They want you to join and the NOT go to the gym, so they can attract more initiation fees.
Plus, they would not want to spend the money on the equipment that would do that.
If you look at the equipment at most gyms, they do the bare minimum, if that to keep up the machinery.
Go into any random gym and chances are 10% of their bikes, treadmills and ellipticals are out of order, and another 20% don't work correctly.
I love this idea!
I know Chai's probably right about the practical limitations at gyms, but what a great idea!
How 'bout if there is a tax deduction for people who buy treadmills (or stationary bicycles, or whatever) that are rigged up to generate energy for their own homes?
So many possibilities!
I believe I saw something about this topic once. The point it that you have to ride the hell out of that bike just to keep the juice in a lightbulb.
The cost to replace all the bikes with ones that produce electricity would be far greater than the saving on the electric bill.
Maybe it something for the hollywood enviroment whores, you know, the ones driving hybrid cars.
I know I'm right soz. I've seen over and over how they won't spend a dime more than they have to.
Maybe if you belong to an ultra expensive gym, a real gucci one, but your typical Gold's, Worlds, Fitness Lady, etc don't give a fat rat's ass about you after they have your join up fee, and have signed up for automatic withdrawl for monthly fees from your checking account.
The thought of them buying and maintaining expensive electric generating machinery is ludicrous in view of the fact it once took 6 months of harranging to get them to fix a broken lock on a bathroom stall, a few months to get someone to get out a can of 3 in 1 oil to stop a scheeching pedal on a machine, and that faucet that wouldn't turn off and was letting a steady stream of water (not drips) run 24/7 never did get fixed...and these are experiences from 3 separate gyms in 3 different states. If I thought about it for 5 minutes, I'd come up with a dozen more examples that show there would be no way this would happen.
Christ, you can't even get them to keep toilet paper in the rest rooms, and they're going to be responsible for generating electricity?
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