Gym Courtesy

Okay, here's a question I'll pose to the house:

Last night I was at the gym, climbing the everlasting Stairmaster. Now I don't know about other places, but at 24-hour Fitness, the Stairmasters are by far the tallest equipment in the place. Now I was about 5,000 steps into the journey when I glanced down at the woman doing the elliptical machine next to me. She was reading some trashy magazine, so I glanced at the pictures. Now I'm at least three feet higher up than she is. She glances up, sees me eyeing her reading material, and gives me a look.

How far away do you have to be before you're not reading over someone's shoulder? Is this acceptable gym behavior? Why don't I just bring my own magazine? Would reading "Write Now," the official magazine for individuals interest in writing comic books, get the crap kicked out of me?

All answers should be submitted in essay form