I would MUCH rather get things down for people who can’t reach than have someone just idly ask me how tall I am (again). There’s at least some value in that.
I’m nowhere near the stratospheric heights of these guys (just a 5-9 female) but women in stores frequently ask me to get things off the top shelf. I don’t mind; I try to be helpful always, whether or not the need is height-o-centric. 
My brother is “only” about 6-3, but he wears a 15 shoe!
this ain’t a joke: you of course try to avoid falls and other injuries (just like everyone,) but how does it feel to fall off your feet? include in this slips on hard ground, tripping over things, being pushed pack on your fanny, even falling on your bed?
I am 5’1" and was at one time engaged (we never got married) to somebody who is 6’5". I could never understand the big deal. I always dated tall men (my husband at 6’ is the shortest man I ever dated) so like somebody above said, 6’ or 6’ 10" it’s all the same from down here.
There is? I swear I did not know (or perhaps don’t remember).
I always offer to get something from “down here” in exchange. 
My question: in my experience very tall men are usually very gentle and almost never “in your face”. My ex explained that he never needed to prove himself (he was a martial art champion anyway), so his height was usually enough to get the point across, no shouting or chess beating necessary. How are you perceived by other people, and how do you see yourself in that regard?
6’6" here. I’ve used the Five-Foot-Eighteen answer before.
My Bro in law is probably 6’8", and I’ve seen a guy downtown that was 7’ if he was an inch. What got me was how incredibly well tailored he was. It was a custom job, had to be.
I don’t play basketball, I can’t ride in Roller Coasters, and Costco carries 42x34 jeans that juuuuust look almost long enough for me. Having shirts that really, truly, fit are WONDERFUL…and it doesn’t happen that often.
What do you credit your height to ? For example, the Dutch are the tallest people in the world on average.
I’m only 6’, and I’ve noticed I hit my head every time I get in and out of an SUV, but never do on a sedan. Sedans just seem to be better designed to handle a wide range of human beings than SUVs.
Have you ever been to the Netherlands? if you have, how did it feel to be suddenly “normal”?
My husband is 6.4 and three of his ten co-workers are taller then he is. And that is pretty normal over here.
Well I don’t think I have any lack of sensation because I haven’t experienced any of the associated difficulties? Just sitting here doing some non-scientific tests, my feet are sensitive, I note stimulus in real-time…not sure what else to check, but I think I’m ok 
Also, running on rough trails I’m pretty aware of what my feet are experiencing.
Um, no. No extra vertebrae. My shoes range from 12-14.
I did think about this for a minute, but no, I wouldn’t take that trade.
Most of the time, it’s just a hassle. Sure, I’m likely to die a little sooner, but on a day-to-day basis the worst thing that happens is maybe I hit my head on something (doesn’t happen too often) or somebody asks me what may be considered a personal question.
Overall, it’s not negative…so a non-negative that makes me 1 in 10,000? Keepin’ it.
Sometimes this happens, but I don’t remember the last time that it happened at the store. No, it doesn’t bother me at all. Any time someone has asked, they have always been really nice (even sheepish) about it. There have also been a couple times that I’ve knows someone wanted to ask, so I offered to help in order to spare them having to ask.
I know people find me intimidating, because they have told me so. It was pointed out to me that, in a crowd, people move out of my way…I never noticed. I have also received the ‘I-was-so-scared-of-you-before-I-got-to-know-you’ speech.
When I took my current job I started interacting with many more people and meeting new people more often. That’s when I really began to think about how people react to my height. I realized that I cannot be ‘business-like’ without being intimidating. Well, I can, I just have to pay attention and make sure that I smile enough and turn on the ‘warm’ if the situation warrants it.
I’d like to think that people find me authoritative based up on my knowledge, intelligence, and leadership skills…but I’ll take the boost from my height
It sucks? Fortunately, I don’t fall off my feet very often. The last two times: Tripped over root while running. sprawled headlong like a baseball player sliding head-first. Remember thinking it was odd that nothing was touching the ground for a second. Other time slipped on a muddy hill and feet went completely out from underneath me. That happened so fast that I didn’t think about it until I was down.
So I’m not sure that this type of experience would be different for a shorter person. *g *is g, after all?
The last time I tried a roller coaster, as soon as they put the lap bar down I told them I was getting off. Smartass kid running the ride said something about being scared…explained that I was more worried about leaving with bruised knees, since they were wedged up against the back of the seat in front of me. Can only imagine the discomfort had I chosen to stay on.
I may have some Dutch ‘way back, but not enough to point to that. I just attribute it to heredity (I do have a tall family, on both sides) and chance.
I never have, but I keep hearing about this! I’m sure I’ll visit someday, looking forward to it more, now.
What about the women?
(and coincidentally, **Sicks Ate’s **last post in this thread is reply #68 :D)
As for the intimidation aspect, I’m 5’4" and it’s just always a little disconcerting to look someone square in the stomach 
I have a moment of feeling like a little kid again when all the adults were waaaay up there.
While I’m a tiny bit taller than you (5’4"), I too dated many tall men. The tallest was 6’11" not a basketball player, nor did he have Marfan’s.
I agree, everyone is about the same height lying down. 
Scratch that, I did briefly date a guy with Marfan’s who was 7’1". He turned out to be too much of a jerk to bed.
My husband is 6’2" and has gained a bit of weight. He needed Levis so we searched locally and found Rochester’s The one in Seattle catered to the Sonics before they jumped ship and to the Seahawks. Their prices are kind of high, but they have good quality. They have lots of tall slender clients.
Hubby also goes to Casual Male XL, but that seems to be what you’ve already tried, big tall, no “or.”
Thanks for the link, I’ll check that out! I don’t like spending a lot on clothes, but I understand that it’s worth it for something of good quality.
To turn this around on you, as someone of shorter stature, what you you say to someone your height who may be considering dating a very tall guy?
I’m only 6’4" and it doesn’t bother me, but I do try to check whether it’s a set-up for my pockets being picked.
Were you tall for your age as a child? If you were, do you have any advice for kids who are tall for their ages?
Don’t know about him, but I was a total freak. I was 5’8" at 11, and I’m female. When I was 10 I was already about 5’6".
And the advice I would give is: Enjoy it. No matter what they say to you, they are envious. Tall is good.
I had no problem with it, but I’m pretty self-assured. People often think I’m taller than I actually am because of that.
My first husband was just a couple inches taller than I, and he felt threatened by tall men.
I think the only problem I had was talking to belt buckles.
Wow that never even occurred to me! I can see where it would be a concern.
My husband is 6’ and he sees things up high way better than I do. He will put things on high shelves and then I can’t find them, because they’re low-profile items on high shelves, so when I look at that shelf, I see right over them… he doesn’t see anything wrong with this and then he makes fun of me for not being able to find things.
My partner is 6’10", and had been taller than average throughout childhood. His big growth spurt, along with puberty, began at around 9 or 10. And of course the word “freak” became commonplace, especially since he was becoming . . . um . . . “long” as well as “tall.” He was teased relentlessly, so to this day, that word is the only thing that still pushes his (and my) buttons.
But for a while, when he was a teenager, he embraced the word “freak,” and got into a lot of activities that were rather unhealthy. I’m so grateful that his parents got him the help he needed.
It’s amazing how rude and insensitive some people can be. I tend to get somewhat protective of him when we’re out in public, so lewd comments and stares bother me more than him.
I can relate!
Heh. I tend to put food items that I don’t want to share with my wife on the top shelf – and then feign innocence when she complains she didn’t know we had them.
Yes, I am a bad person.