Pros and cons about being tall or short

[bugo]

I'm a little above average (6'4") and while every short person thinks being tall is nirvana, there are some disadvantages to it.  Here are some of them.

Pros:

*A tall person tends to be intimidating which helps keep them out of trouble.

*Some girls feel safe around a big guy.

*You get a good view at a concert.

*Short guys are incredibly jealous of you.

*Tall guys tend to be more successful, which is possibly the result of height discrimination.

*You're likely to be better at basketball and other sports (I suck at all sports).


Cons:

*You easily hit your head on ceiling fans and light sockets and door jambs and other such things.

*It's hard to get into and out of some cars, and there are many cars a tall guy simply can't ride in certain cars, especially the back seat.  I sat in a late model Camaro and while I could sit straight up without hitting my head, if I leaned forward at all I hit my head on the roof.  It's a shame, because the Camaro is a beautiful car and a good value with good performance.  Once I rode 3 hours in the back seat of a Mazda MX-6.  It was pure hell.  I could not even come close to sitting up, and I had to lean to the middle of the car just to be able to fit. 

*It's hard to find clothes that fit.  I have a long torso and short legs, and I have to wear a 2XL shirt just for it to hang low enough to cover my belly.

*Some girls are intimidated by large guys. 

*Simple things like the counter at a convenience store are too short.  The world is made for somebody about 5'10".

*In some rooms with extremely low ceilings, it's impossible to stand up straight.

*The 69 sexual position is impossible with most girls.

*Full sized beds are too short.  Our feet hang off the beds.

*You get knocked in the head at concerts because of morons crowd surfing.

[getemngo]

I wouldn't call you "a little above average." For white males, the 95th percentile is 6'3". I'm a hair under 6'2" and even I tower over some groups of people.

Two more disadvantages of being tall:

• Riding a plane or bus - both fitting into a seat and navigating the aisle.
• Health issues and a shorter lifespan. I have bad enough circulation that I'm almost always cold (even with plenty of body fat), especially my feet.

[Scott5114]

It's hard to get into and out of some cars, and there are many cars a tall guy simply can't ride in certain cars, especially the back seat.  I sat in a late model Camaro and while I could sit straight up without hitting my head, if I leaned forward at all I hit my head on the roof.  It's a shame, because the Camaro is a beautiful car and a good value with good performance.  Once I rode 3 hours in the back seat of a Mazda MX-6.  It was pure hell.  I could not even come close to sitting up, and I had to lean to the middle of the car just to be able to fit.

Short people can have issues with cars too. My girlfriend is just a shade over 5 ft., and she was interested in buying a Dodge Avenger. After going through a major amount of hassle with David Stanley in Midwest City to get a test drive (we had to wait about an hour and a half because the car was "on the way" from some other location, and we probably wouldn't have bought from that dealer anyway for that reason), she was completely unable to drive the car because the seat had to be pulled all the way forward for her to reach the pedals, which caused her torso to be in contact with the steering wheel, making the car completely undriveable. We tossed the keys on the counter and left the dealership, having wasted an afternoon for no reason at all.

Really, society is pretty unforgiving of people at the extremes of any continuum.

[Thing 342]

I wouldn't call you "a little above average." For white males, the 95th percentile is 6'3". I'm a hair under 6'2" and even I tower over some groups of people.

Two more disadvantages of being tall:

• Riding a plane or bus - both fitting into a seat and navigating the aisle.
• Health issues and a shorter lifespan. I have bad enough circulation that I'm almost always cold (even with plenty of body fat), especially my feet.

Indeed, this is the reason why I dislike flying. I am just under 6'3, and it is almost impossible to sit on most airlines.

[formulanone]

Indeed, this is the reason why I dislike flying. I am just under 6'3, and it is almost impossible to sit on most airlines.

It's easy enough to just say "take the front row/bulkhead seats" or "exit row", but the fact is that most airlines charge a premium between $10-50 for those privileges.

[english si]

*You get a good view at a concert.

*Short guys are incredibly jealous of you.

Nah, we just get frustrated when you stand right in front of us, blocking our view of things - either oblivious or deliberately. Plus we don't like it when you tall people act all superior and bully short people for being short. Short people are not jealous of tall people - they find (many, not all) tall people uncourteous at best and boorish thugs at worst - it's hatred of the arrogance and ignorance, not jealousy. Short people might want to be taller, but only so they can take out the nephalem that bully them...

I don't envy vertically challenged (tall) people at all (though wish my legs were a little bit longer, or my waist a little bit fatter: for trouser purchasing purposes explained below) - you keep on having to duck, you keep getting in the way. On the tube, I feel tall (6'3 and above) people count in 'priority seat' category.

I feel sorry for you guys! I pity you guys who couldn't stop growing until too late.

For 5'7 me, plane seats are fine, as are train seats (where airline seating is employed). The only issue I have is that I can't easily reach the overhead luggage racks on trains (though if I have my laptop bag and books, it won't fit there), so my bag gets in the way of my legs on crowded trains - but that's a problem with big bags and crowded trains, not of being short...

*It's hard to find clothes that fit.  I have a long torso and short legs, and I have to wear a 2XL shirt just for it to hang low enough to cover my belly.

I doubt you have short legs - short legs for your height, maybe...

I doubt it is actually hard for you to find clothes, especially as you live in the US and they have a much larger variety of sizes in stock. 2XL - that sounds pretty common to me (you may have trouble shopping in malls in the UK, but I doubt a lot). For me, on the other hand its different as I'm an odd size

Mine inside leg are something like 28" - that's short (short legs on trousers are 29"). My torso is a couple of inches longer than my average height brother, but his legs are a 32". Clothes designers and stock keepers in stores assume short-legs = fat and thin = lanky. Getting 30" waists is hard enough, but 30S trousers? no way, they are almost all 30L, with a couple of 30M thrown in. Even 32" waists don't typically get done with a short leg. His 32L is easy to find, while my 30S is impossible. I guess I can shop in the children's section and pick up an age 14/15, but the cut around the groin is tight and actually the children's section works on the assumption that if you are getting clothes of that size in the children's department, you are merely a big 12 year old wanting spongebob pjs, etc.

I basically see a pair of 30S cheap jeans once in a blue moon. I automatically buy them and retire an older pair, whose bottoms (of the legs) are gone (as 30S is still a bit long) as it is so long since I last saw a pair. Formal wear is a bit easier, as suits would be altered to fit as part of the service. That said, when getting my morning suit for weddings 9 years ago (it's a bit tight as I've got a bit bigger around the belly, and the pervy shop guy decided that I should get a wedgie when wearing it - perhaps due to my long torso, so waist to groin is longer than typical for my leg length. If I get enough money, I'll get a new one) we got bounced from place to place, with reasons that sound a bit like racism (Watford -> Slough as (South) Asian immigrants are smaller than British-born people and there's more of them in Slough. Slough -> Oxford Street as Chinese tourists are smaller and often get suits in Oxford Street). Thankfully on Oxford Street the chain stores' flagship stores had small enough trousers.

*Simple things like the counter at a convenience store are too short.  The world is made for somebody about 5'10".

It's a bugger for short people too!

I'm about the average height for a woman, and only 3" off the average height for my own gender, but reaching something off the top shelf in a supermarket - if it isn't at the front of the shelf, I need to stretch. It's just poor ergonomics.

[Pete from Boston]

I am neither tall nor short. This presents only one problem that I can think of — medium seems to be pretty much the first size to sell out of any item of clothing.

Are any of you tall folks among those who feel that reclining airplane seats is a very inconsiderate thing to do? I did not know until recently that this is a widely held opinion. There are fierce arguments about it online.

[formulanone]

I think you "own" the right to recline your seat. That's one of the functions of the seat, after all. If you want to be courteous, that's fine, but in my opinion, it's not rude to use a natural function of the seat. Typical airline seats in coach don't offer that much room, but they actually do not recline much; just 2-4 inches. The row just aft of an exit row doesn't recline at all.

Many recently-designed interiors have panning seat cushions which slide forward as you recline, which eats into the recliner's legroom as a penalty. To be honest, I might only recline my seat if it's a long flight, I'm next to a large person, or I need a nap. But if I'm on a laptop, I need to be upright for it to be useful.

I've given up my exit row to someone who looked incredibly uncomfortable in a standard aisle seat. I've noticed most folks will  oblige to tall or large folks out of courtesy, if possible. I'm usually in a window seat, and I don't like bulkhead seating, so I don't have this opportunity too often.

Sadly, the lay-flat seating one sees in advertising is extraordinarily rare for US domestic flights. Few routes use those types of aircraft, although I've been lucky enough on a single occasion to get that upgrade.

Back when I was working at a dealership, I had a customer who was 7'1". He only fit into the largest SUV, and he wore a bit of a sheepish grin because it seemed like everyone was looking at him. I suppose when you're almost a foot taller than everyone, you get more attention than the average person, when all you want is to do your day-to-day activities.

[Brandon]

What if you're both tall and short?

I'm 6'0" tall, but rather long waisted and short legged.  I have to find 29-30 inch inseams for pants (depending upon the cut - 29 is more common) and XLT for shirts.  At least, Jeremy, places usually carry 2XL.  They don't always carry the Tall variety of a shirt.  It's also a pain to find something for a 50" chest.  Dress shirts must be found in Long varieties with 18" necks.

This does have the advantage of fitting into the average airline seat with no problems for the legs, but the necessity of a window seat for the shoulders.  It also means that I cannot buy a car with a short roof as I will sit as tall as a 6'3"-6'4" person in the seat, but need to be closer to reach the pedals.

[Brandon]

Thinking of this topic...

Size 68 Extra Fat and a 12 Dwarf.

[bandit957]

Being able to loom over people would be nice.

[hbelkins]

I am neither tall nor short. This presents only one problem that I can think of — medium seems to be pretty much the first size to sell out of any item of clothing.

Not in my experience. Most places I've been in have plenty of small, medium and large clothing, and much fewer items in large, extra large, 2XL or 3XL.

[bassoon1986]

I'm 6'1" and I've been pretty much a beanpole my whole life. I weigh 165 now, but through most of college I was 140 or 150. I wish there were longer Medium t-shirts. I think a large would still look too big around me, but I need the length.

I always seem to feel when shopping that the consensus must be if you are tall, you're also a large person, which is not always the case.

I agree that traveling by plane is a little inconvenient, more for the standing in small planes.
I hadn't thought of it, but my height may be why I'm very cold-natured as well. Plus that I'm leaner and not a lot of fat on me.
Up until recently, my wife and I had a full sized bed, and it was a pain because I didn't have enough room.

[tchafe1978]

I'm 6'3", and while it's nice for me to be able to reach high things with relative ease, it's also easy for others who aren't so tall to take advantage of my height at work. I'm taller than all than about 3 or 4 people in the who store, so a lot of things I can easily reach, others need to use a ladder for. Which is where the annoyance comes it. A lot of times co-workers will just ask me to reach the items for them instead of getting a ladder themselves. And then there are times when they do get a ladder and still can't reach, so then I have to get up on the ladder for them. Most of the time I don't mind helping others out, but it cuts into my time when I'm trying to get my own work done. Luckily, we just hired someone who is about 6'7" or 6'8", so I can finally feel short next to somebody.

I also had someone ask me once if I was always this tall. I told them yep! I came out of my mother 6-foot-3!

[pianocello]

I'm 6'2"ish, so I'm above average in height, but I'm one of the shortest among the guys I hang out with.

At college, fitting on a bed isn't an issue for me, but I find myself curling up in the fetal position when I sleep at home.

Another con to being tall is leg room. The one time I've flown, I didn't have a problem, but some cars and concert halls make it hard for me to sit comfortably.

Pros:
*Some girls feel safe around a big guy.

Apparently, tall guys give good hugs.

[golden eagle]

I'm 5'7". One disadvantage: choice of women are smaller to choose.

[corco]

Pro to being of average height: You really don't think about height at all unless somebody starts talking about it

[J N Winkler]

I am 5' 11".  It would be nice to be a round six feet, but otherwise I am pretty satisfied with my height, which is about one inch above average (for white Americans, average height is 5' 7" for women and 5' 10" for men).  A family friend who is 6' 4" routinely had to fly first-class (not coach) for his job because he needed the extra legroom.  And even at my somewhat lower height, I still occasionally bang my head on low-lying objects.

Most of my difficulties shopping for clothes have to do with my legs and waist.  I weigh about 154 lb but have long legs and a short chest, so my starting point for trousers is generally 32" waist with 34" inseam, which is not very common.  I have less trouble with shirts but M is a bit too tight while L tends to drape a bit too loosely.  In general, off-the rack fit for me is adequate but not spectacular.

[Takumi]

I'm 5'6". Not tall for sure, but tall enough to have never been called short. A car friend who's over 6 feet tall said there some sports cars (mostly Japanese) that he's too tall to fit in.

Pro to being of average height: You really don't think about height at all unless somebody starts talking about it

Exactly.

I'm 5'7". One disadvantage: choice of women are smaller to choose.

If you're like me and prefer short girls anyway, that isn't a big problem.

[agentsteel53]

A car friend who's over 6 feet tall said there some sports cars (mostly Japanese) that he's too tall to fit in.

there are non-sports cars that I have trouble fitting in, but I don't recall them offhand.  various rentals I've had.  the Honda S-2000 is a bit tight as well, from what I remember. 

I fit just fine in a CRX, except for whaling my right leg every time I shift into second.

[oscar]

Pros:
*Some girls feel safe around a big guy.

Apparently, tall guys give good hugs.

Especially for women who themselves are tall.

I'm 5'7".  One of my former co-workers is not only a few inches taller than me, but she also insists on wearing high heels.  We are both real huggers, but meeting her on occasion at professional functions after I retired could get a little awkward (before my retirement, we both worked in the same office, and hugs then were out of the question).

[vdeane]

At 5' 8" I feel like I tower over most other girls, so I'm kinda surprised that the average height is only an inch shorter.  Both of my cousins are taller than me, though.

[Takumi]

A car friend who's over 6 feet tall said there some sports cars (mostly Japanese) that he's too tall to fit in.

there are non-sports cars that I have trouble fitting in, but I don't recall them offhand.  various rentals I've had.  the Honda S-2000 is a bit tight as well, from what I remember. 

I fit just fine in a CRX, except for whaling my right leg every time I shift into second.

His first example was the Acura NSX. He sat in the version with a targa top (similar to a convertible, but only the roof part is detachable), and his head stuck out of it with the roof off. Had it been the fixed-roof version, he wouldn't have been able to fit in it at all.

Most S2000 owners I know are about my height. I fit comfortably in one. The tallest person I know who owns one is my college history professor (off-topic, but his name is Dr. Love) and he was about 5'10" IIRC.

[bugo]

What if you're both tall and short?

I'm 6'0" tall, but rather long waisted and short legged.  I have to find 29-30 inch inseams for pants (depending upon the cut - 29 is more common) and XLT for shirts.  At least, Jeremy, places usually carry 2XL.  They don't always carry the Tall variety of a shirt.  It's also a pain to find something for a 50" chest.  Dress shirts must be found in Long varieties with 18" necks.

I probably would wear XLT shirts if they were more common.  I wore XL until I gained some weight, and now I've taken some of that weight off.

[J N Winkler]

At 5' 8" I feel like I tower over most other girls, so I'm kinda surprised that the average height is only an inch shorter.  Both of my cousins are taller than me, though.

Actually, I was relying on memory when I posted the average height values for white American men and women, and it turns out I misremembered:  the true values are 5' 10 1/2" for men and 5' 5" for women.  So you are three inches above average, not just one.

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Average_human_height#Average_height_around_the_world

The cite for the specific height values quoted above is here:

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr010.pdf

I am an instance of Mendelian regression to the mean--5' 11" child (1/2" above mean) of a 5' 2" mother (3" below mean) and 6' 2" father (3 1/2" above mean).