# How come guys jump up and touch the awning? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 1, 2003, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-guys-jump-up-and-touch-the-awning/152130 "2003-02-01T18:00:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SnugTheJoiner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@SnugTheJoiner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnugTheJoiner)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-guys-jump-up-and-touch-the-awning/152130/1 "2003-02-01T18:00:19Z")
How come guys jump up and touch the awning when entering or leaving a building or sometimes just walking down the street? All the guys I know do it occasionally. I do it. I’ve never seen a woman do it. Why? ---
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-guys-jump-up-and-touch-the-awning/152130/2 "2003-02-01T18:07:12Z")
Either afraid to have a _real_ pissing contest in public, or just don’t have the time. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-guys-jump-up-and-touch-the-awning/152130/3 "2003-02-01T18:08:21Z")
It’s a kind of “slam dunk” thing…it’s like " hey, man…I’m THIS tall." ---
**Author:** ![Mephisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@Mephisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mephisto)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-guys-jump-up-and-touch-the-awning/152130/4 "2003-02-01T18:11:47Z")
When I was a kid I used to always attempt to touch the high things by jumping up at them. You know, the ceiling, the basketball net, the trap door to the cellar Mom used to lock me in (j/k). I guess I did it because it’s cool to be tall enough to do it and cool to be athletic enough to do it. Whenever I finally got tall enough or strong enough to hit those high things I felt I had accomplished something. Now, an older little kid in an adult’s body, I find it very cool to be able to do things like touch awnings and the like. It’s fun. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7feea3/32.png) [@PatrickM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickM)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-guys-jump-up-and-touch-the-awning/152130/5 "2003-02-01T19:26:26Z")
All us males, even us balding fat 40+ white guys, think we are just a growth spurt away from playing in the NBA, so we need to get in some quick practice at jumping so we’ll be ready to go into the game and get a quick rebound. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-guys-jump-up-and-touch-the-awning/152130/6 "2003-02-01T19:31:20Z")
Because it’s there. ---
**Author:** ![unclviny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e274bd/32.png) [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-guys-jump-up-and-touch-the-awning/152130/7 "2003-02-01T19:35:31Z")
For the same reason that we do any/everything, to get women (no, it doesn’t work, and I don’t remember saying that it made sense, what do you want?, we’re guys). unclviny ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-guys-jump-up-and-touch-the-awning/152130/8 "2003-02-01T19:39:02Z")
**unclviny** nailed it. Apes (other) do the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-guys-jump-up-and-touch-the-awning/152130/9 "2003-02-01T20:26:56Z")
Chicks do it to, most of them just end up “learning not to” for some reason. I don’t do it too often in public, but I used to always try and jump to reach the ceiling at home, and now (with my 4 meter high rooms) I do it in lifts, I can just about scrape the ceiling of the lift in my house if I stand on my tippy-toes. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-guys-jump-up-and-touch-the-awning/152130/10 "2003-02-01T20:30:38Z")
Because we kick ass. And it is important for everyone around us to know we kick ass through a demonstration of our awning touching ability. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-guys-jump-up-and-touch-the-awning/152130/11 "2003-02-01T20:32:11Z")
If you time it just right, it’s easy in an elevator (lift). Ineresting reactions from fellow passengers as a bonus. ---
**Author:** ![Caesar\_s\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/73ab20/32.png) [@Caesar\_s\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caesar_s_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-guys-jump-up-and-touch-the-awning/152130/12 "2003-02-01T21:28:31Z")
I’m female, and while I don’t do it in public, I do it at home. I dunno why. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-guys-jump-up-and-touch-the-awning/152130/13 "2003-02-01T22:11:00Z")
This is an interesting question. While watching file footage of the Columbia crew, several of them did reach up and touch the header of doorway they were all walking through. The Indian female reached, but was too short. Perhaps this is one to forward to Cecil for consideration. ---
**Author:** ![Sock\_Munkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Sock\_Munkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sock_Munkey)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-guys-jump-up-and-touch-the-awning/152130/14 "2003-02-01T22:21:21Z")
We all have the drive to reach for the stars but most of the time all we can reach is the awning. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-guys-jump-up-and-touch-the-awning/152130/15 "2003-02-01T23:56:03Z")
Women don’t do it because the guys would circle around them just to watch their tits bouncing. ---
**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-guys-jump-up-and-touch-the-awning/152130/16 "2003-02-02T00:40:02Z")
When i was trying out for the school talent show a few weeks ago, a couple of friends and I were sitting down by ourselves, and this one girl passed by us four times, each time jumping and touching the top of the door frame to the right of us. We called her stupid. ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-guys-jump-up-and-touch-the-awning/152130/17 "2003-02-02T16:09:14Z")
Do you reckon a new President does it the first time he enters the White House? I mean, I find it hard to see how he couldn’t. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-guys-jump-up-and-touch-the-awning/152130/18 "2003-02-02T16:10:46Z")
We’ll tell you when you finally tell us, once and for all, why you don’t like nice guys, and you go to the bathroom in pairs. ---
**Author:** ![Mac\_Guffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Mac\_Guffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mac_Guffin)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-guys-jump-up-and-touch-the-awning/152130/19 "2003-02-02T19:12:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sock Munkey \* > \*\*We all have the drive to reach for the stars but most of the time all we can reach is the awning. \*\* That is brilliant. Can I have it for a sig? ---
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-guys-jump-up-and-touch-the-awning/152130/20 "2003-02-02T19:28:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by PetW \* > \*\*When i was trying out for the school talent show a few weeks ago, a couple of friends and I were sitting down by ourselves, and this one girl passed by us four times, each time jumping and touching the top of the door frame to the right of us. We called her stupid. \*\* Why? Couldn’t you reach it? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-guys-jump-up-and-touch-the-awning/152130.md?page=2)