Guy with bad allergies asks if he was wrong to curse at man with service dog at gym. AITA?

"AITA for going getting mad there was a dog at the gym?"

I (32M) am allergic to most animals. For Example, My sister bought a house that previously had like 6 cats living in it. I went with her the day she got the keys, I couldn’t last 10 minutes in the house in the state it was left in.

Over the last 5-10 years this pets in public thing has gotten popular. I obviously actively avoid dog friendly places, but I’ll go to the grocery store and someone has their dog with them...at the grocery store. It’s a constant source of frustration.

Yesterday, I was at the gym. I go 4-5 times a week. In the last 5 years of going to the gym, I’ve never seen a dog, until yesterday. I was at the squat rack, doing various lifts. A guy bigger than me with what looked like a Husky wearing a Service Dog Vest parks himself in the rack next to me.

The dog shakes himself then lays down. I can literally see hairs floating all over. I put my weights down. In loud enough to hear me and in a frustrating tone say, “God Damn It, even at the effing gym.” He stares at me so I talk to the guy, explain I’m highly allergic and ask him to wait or find a farther away rack.

The gist of what he says is…No, he is allowed to bring his dog in and work out wherever. I don’t want to be nice to you because of your first reaction. I’m pissed. I just stare at him for a second. I gather my things and tell him he sucks. I head home. Was I the asshole in this interaction?

Here's what people had to say:

_makoccino_ writes:

Are you allergic to politeness as well or just animals?

notasandpiper asks:

YTA. Of all the times to pick the allergy fight, you went for the guy with the actual service dog, not an asshole with a pet where it shouldn't be?

Ok-Egg8546 OP responded:

I pick those fights too.

Consistent_Teach8200 writes:

YTA, It was a service dog, he has the right to bring the dog with him. How was he suppose to know you are allergic to the dog. How you reacted doesn’t seem fair to the guy.

Is-abel writes:

Yup, I would say OP is N T A for being annoyed at people bringing pets into what would usually be a pet free zone, but is TA for taking that annoyance out on someone with a service dog.

Appropriate-Value54 writes:

YTA. You’re allowed to be frustrated, but cursing at/about strangers in public isn’t okay. You could’ve calmed down and talked to the guy politely, you could’ve talked to the management at the gym about your discomfort with animals being allowed, you could’ve even gone home and emailed the customer support folks at the gym.

There’s a number of things you could’ve done here that would’ve been perfectly reasonable, but you’re totally an AH for how you responded.