Yeticus Rex
I don’t own a car. (true)
I wonder during the debates if they instructed Kerry to look at Bush’s waist if he mentions him. Then, even if the camera is on him it will look like he’s looking over and down to address Bush.
Of course, Madison predated not only TV but photography. Most times I hear the “tallest guy always wins” statistic, its with the caveat “since the widespread use of TV.” As travel was also much slower in the nineteenth century, I’d imagine that most of the population only had a rough idea what the candidates looked or sounded like, relying on written descriptions or sketches. In this primitive era, people no doubt had to make do with voting on the issues instead of the timesaving modern techniques of voting for the tallest guy or the guy that best passes the “beer test”.
I had this discussion with my son the other day. He hopes to grow up as big as Dad (I’m around 6’4"). I explained that I pay more for clothing, am limited in what cars I can buy, am very uncomfortable on airplanes (can’t even stand up straight in most of them), and so on.
On the other hand, I can reach up and change lightbulbs on the ceiling without a ladder.
Am I the only one who has noticed that men who are tall never miss the opportunity, one way or the other, to tell you so?
Tall is a genetic accident, guys, not an accomplishment.
Yetticus Rex and Invisible Wombat
Now that I think of it, you don’t know what a tremendous advantage being 5’ 3" really is. Being able to stand up straight in an airplane and fitting comfortably in any type of automobile is an experience you tall guys can only just imagine.
And it sure turns me into a “babe magnet” when the lovely lasses learn that I do not have to crouch when I fly in an airplane. (This is probably the greatest aphrodisiac - but keep it a secret !!!)
Hey, good for you! I’m my most awkward getting in and out of a compact car that any babe would would just laugh when they see me struggle. For lack of a better term, don’t sell yourself short, Wolf. 
Gee, mangeorge, I noticed you didn’t miss an opportunity to point out that you’re 5’9" tall earlier in this thread (in fact, you were the first one to jump in and state your height–does that mean you’re really proud of it?). And wolf_meister pointed out his height as 5’3" early in the thread, too.
The reason I stated my height is because it shows the perspective of my comments, not because I’m proud of it. I didn’t have a choice, or I’d be a few inches shorter (6’1" would be nice). Whatever wolf_meister might think, the world is built for people of average size. Whether you hit the extremes of the bell curve by being overly tall, short, heavy, long-legged, short-legged, large-headed, or whatever, it is a disadvantage.
His disadvantage is that he has trouble with babes, although that would all go away if he were just a bit taller. On the other hand, women simply fling themselves at me all day long just because I’m tall (despite the fact that the local stores carry three shirt patterns in my size, so I can’t dress very stylishly, and I can’t fit in a Corvette or other babe magnet car so I drive something big and boring). My boss calls me into his office every couple of months and says, “Wow! You’re tall. Here’s another 10% raise.” Good thing, too, because stores charge extra for clothes in my size, and that raise helps cover it. I really feel sorry for wolf_meister when I’m sitting on an airplane balancing my meal on my knees because the tray table won’t come down over my legs. I know I’m much more attractive to the babes with my knees tucked under my chin and noplace to put my elbows than he is stretched out comfortably in his seat.
Hey, being short is tough. But it’s not the only tough thing in the world. Don’t assume that everyone else’s life is all milk and honey. Just deal with it and move on.
I never really have to talk about my height here, since it’s not very interesting on an international message board. And in real life, people can see how tall I am.
With that caveat, I’d like to weigh in that despite sometimes having difficulties in finding clothes and that my knees always hurt after flying coach, I’ve found that being 6’4" is an advantage. I was 6’ even when I was 12 and almost a head taller than all the kids at school. It’s not something that I can put my finger on, but I get a distinct feeling that my height commands some kind of respect. I haven’t been in any kind of physical fight since I was nine - no one picks a fight with me. Which is good, 'cause I can’t fight at all, not beyond what I could in kindergarten.
OTOH, many, many actors are short, men and women alike, and in most movies and tv shows, it’s hard to tell how tall they are, so I wouldn’t know how being tall could be an advantage on tv, and therefore would have any bearing on a political campaign, which is mostly fought in the media. Those few (as compared to all voters) who come and see a candidate live, will almost always see them on a podium/stage of some sort, and it’s difficult to judge another person’s height when that person’s feet are at the same height as your face.
[hijack] I keep hearing people say “six foot, four inches” - shouldn’t it be “six feet”?
So Warwick Davis’s presidential aspirations are all for naught?
I have to scratch my head when I hear 6’1"-6’4" people say stuff like this. I’m 6’5" and I’ve never felt cramped in the front seat of any car. In fact, my last two cars have been Honda Civics. And I tend to want to ride much farther back from the steering wheel than most people. My brother is 6’7" and I think he’s just on the threshold of where people start to feel cramped in small to average cars, although he drives a 2-door Grand Am and fits comfortably.
I’ve also been flying all my life and I’ve never had to duck on a non-commuter airplane, except maybe when walking directly below a TV, depending on the plane. I’m pretty sure I can even stand up on those Dehavilland Dash-8s, but it’s been awhile since I’ve flown on one. I don’t know what you guys are flying but the ceilings on an average Boeing or Airbus gotta be a good seven and a half feet high.
Also, unless you A) get your clothes custom tailored, or B) (no offense) are very obese, I don’t understand how or why you pay more for clothes. I’m long in the torso, in addition to wearing my pants lower than most people (not for style; they just seem to rest lower on my hips than on most men), and an XL shirt almost always does the job for me. Every so often I’ll buy an XLT but they’re not hard to find. Pants? Waists from 28 to 50 and lengths from 28 to 40 are pretty common, and I can’t imagine someone who’s 6’3" wearing more than a 34 length. Shoes are the same deal. Men’s sizes from 8ish to 16 are common; a 6’3" guy would normally wear between an 11 and a 13. None of these items are hard to find or cost more.
So are you guys riding in clown cars, flying in Cessnas, and shopping for clothes in the kid’s section? I hope you don’t think this sounds rude but I’ve seen several people mention the disadvantages of being 6’3" on these boards and, at 2 inches taller, I just don’t see them. I’m genuinely curious.
Cisco, my issue was only about compact cars and getting in and out of them. Having knee surgery when I was 13, has made my left knee very arthritic (28 years later) and painful when cramped in smaller vehicles, especially in the back seat to the point that I insist on driving (therefore, front seat of my Suburban) instead of riding. YMMV, literally.
Invisible Wombat
Hey, being short is tough. But it’s not the only tough thing in the world. Don’t assume that everyone else’s life is all milk and honey. Just deal with it and move on.
Let’s just say that being tall is a huge advantage in life. The few disadvantages of being tall are totally outweighed by the advantages. People talking about how tough it is being tall seems like rich people griping about their money. Really? Try poverty !!!
Heck, some of you may have noticed I have made a few John Wayne references on this board that were something less than complimentary to the Duke. Six foot four and he’d make you think he won WW2, Korea and Vietnam all by himself. Phony bastard.
Here’s the real hero of WW2 - http://www.audiemurphy.com/welcome.htm
Oh and if you go to the IMDB, it lists his height as 5’5".
But appearance counts for a lot doesn’t it? Too much I think.
It’s all in your proportion. Leg room isn’t the issue for me. It’s headroom. I have to scrunch down in the seat in my wife’s Dodge Durango (a pretty good-sized SUV) or my head brushes against the ceiling. When we hit a bump, I hit my head. I test-drove a Corvette, and couldn’t find any adjustment where my head wasn’t touching the top. On the other hand, I can drive my daughter’s little Subaru.
Haven’t flown too many commuter airlines, have you? I saw people several inches shorter than me ducking on Sunday when I flew a puddle-jumper to Denver.
I wear a 17-1/2" neck and 38 sleeves. Like you, I’m long in the torso. The sleeves on an XL shirt look downright silly on me. I can wear an XL2T (double tall) from most manufacturers and an XLT from some. They almost always charge extra for it. I also wear a size 8 hat, which is a special order item. Many clothing catalogs do special discount prices that don’t apply to larger sizes, too, so I pay more in those. For pants, I rarely have to pay more because most places stock what I wear (a 36 or 37 inseam).
Don’t even mention Cessnas. They tried to take me up in a 152 for a flying lesson. Not only couldn’t I fit in the cockpit, but the instructor added up our weights and realized the two of us were over the 450-pound maximum payload for the plane (I weigh 250 and he weighs 225).
Clown cars? I can’t sit up straight in a 2004 Chevy full-size pickup truck. I wouldn’t call that a clown car. It used to be I could drive a pickup with my cowboy hat on. The only 2004 model I’ve seen, where I don’t have to take off my hat is the Ford.
We’re not all the same shape.
I decided, mercifully, not to quote your whole reply InvisibleWombat.
But yes, I am right in the middle of that ol’ bell curve, which means (heh) that most men are pretty close to my height, more or less. And I’m the onliest one here so far to mention it. Being so average, not short or tall, I do notice the extremes. What I’ve noticed is that, in general, short guys complain or don’t say anything, tall guys brag, and average guys don’t say much. Tall guys complain too, but it’s more a brag-complain. An example;
“Hey, looka me. I bump my noggin onna ceiling”. (Boyish grin included)
I like being average. Everything fits, and I get the slightly tall (5’5"-5’7") women. Why that is, is a mystery to me. Actully, it’s because people of similar height fit well.
