# Things that tall people know **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 19, 2012, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-tall-people-know/635129 "2012-09-19T01:07:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-tall-people-know/635129/101 "2012-10-15T14:52:45Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > That I’ve disappointed a couple of car salesmen when I ended the test drive before starting the ignition since the seat either doesn’t go back far enough or it would be impossible to have someone sit behind me if it does. (Yes, I am contentious of rear seat legroom issues.) That when gathering online info about cars, the car height is important (given as how tall the driver can be before his head touches the car ceiling, even with the car seat adjusted. That the Netherlands is Tall People Paradise. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-tall-people-know/635129/102 "2012-10-15T15:37:55Z")
> [@chacoguy](#): > > There’s a HUGE blindspot behind the rearview mirror. And those flip-down visors in your car cut off better than 60% of the road view, so it’s safer to just squint or hold a hand up, than to use the visor (it’s a serious safety issue). This is even more of an issue when most of your height is in your torso vs. your legs - on the plus side, I don’t actually have trouble finding pants that are long enough). Car door frames are trying to kill us, via traumatic brain injury (yeah, I bang my head on my car’s frame at least once a month, despite owning the car for 6+ years and knowing exactly where the frame is). ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-tall-people-know/635129/103 "2012-10-15T16:29:02Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Car door frames are trying to kill us, via traumatic brain injury (yeah, I bang my head on my car’s frame at least once a month, despite owning the car for 6+ years and knowing exactly where the frame is). Short drivers have troubles, too. Shoulder belts usually seem to either be trying to hang me or to give me a mastectomy. ---
**Author:** ![Arabella\_Flynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8491ac/32.png) [@Arabella\_Flynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arabella_Flynn)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-tall-people-know/635129/104 "2012-10-15T16:38:20Z")
I’m short, but I have some very tall relatives. One of them found out the hard way that boats, including large military ships, are not made for people over 6’. Had a bruise smack in the middle of his forehead the whole time he was working on one. His wife, also short, learned that tall people forget to look below knee level or so, and that the chocolate chip cookies would last much longer if she stowed them in the bottom shelf of the pantry. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-tall-people-know/635129/105 "2012-10-15T17:06:08Z")
> [@Seanette](#): > > Short drivers have troubles, too. Shoulder belts usually seem to either be trying to hang me or to give me a mastectomy. They do this on _everyone_ - even if they’re adjustable-height. Annoying as hell. And if you’ve got a potbelly, the lap portion tries to ride up over my gut, pretty much guaranteeing internal injuries if I’m in a wreck (unless I remember to shove the lap belt under the, um “overhang”). One thing I miss about being pregnant? That seat belt stayed _put_ over my hips :p. And to help [**you**](http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CCEQtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dgw1g2yKxb0I&ei=GUJ8ULqEKdH_rAHT04CwDQ&usg=AFQjCNGbGntRvXTpgmoxCcu0dw6msP3jPw) out… (warning, video) ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-tall-people-know/635129/106 "2012-10-16T07:34:46Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > They do this on _everyone_ - even if they’re adjustable-height. Annoying as hell. And if you’ve got a potbelly, the lap portion tries to ride up over my gut, pretty much guaranteeing internal injuries if I’m in a wreck (unless I remember to shove the lap belt under the, um “overhang”). One thing I miss about being pregnant? That seat belt stayed _put_ over my hips :p. > > And to help [**you**](http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CCEQtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dgw1g2yKxb0I&ei=GUJ8ULqEKdH_rAHT04CwDQ&usg=AFQjCNGbGntRvXTpgmoxCcu0dw6msP3jPw) out… (warning, video) (snicker) Saw that on “World’s Dumbest^WSmartest Inventions”. 😃 AutoZone usually has a two-pack of seat belt adjuster clips for about $5. One of these days, I need to superglue one onto the driver’s side of our car, since if I just snap it on, DH has a talent for accidentally dislodging them, then I get to play “where in the car did it wind up”? ---
**Author:** ![MadMaryBadBrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a5b964/32.png) [@MadMaryBadBrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadMaryBadBrian)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-tall-people-know/635129/107 "2012-10-16T15:42:02Z")
> [@Grestarian](#): > > Well…crowds repeatedly elbow you in the face.:eek::mad:] > > —G! > It’s better to have loved a short girl > Then to have never loved a tall I have been reading for this comment. 5’2" here and tall people don’t seem to realize that if you are in a crowd or even walking down a sidewalk and you decide to abruptly change directions, you could very easily break my nose! My tall husband gives the best hugs, because I can listen to his heartbeat while in his embrace. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-tall-people-know/635129/108 "2012-10-17T00:24:07Z")
6’ 7" here. Yes, the Moderator you can look up to… People come up to me on the street and say “You’re so TALL! Do you play basketball?” My response? “No. Do you play miniature golf?” ---
**Author:** ![Corcaigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Corcaigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corcaigh)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-tall-people-know/635129/109 "2012-10-17T10:32:43Z")
> [@Rico](#): > > “No. Do you play miniature golf?” Try saying “no, I play the trombone” the look on their face is priceless ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-tall-people-know/635129/110 "2012-10-25T19:28:29Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > I’m 5’7". I come home, open the door, go inside, turn around, and look in the mailbox. He was getting very annoyed with me last winter because this was leaving the door open and letting the cold air in. I demonstrated that not only could I not see if anything was in the mailbox, I could not reach into the mailbox and get anything that was in the bottom, like a small card, without breaking my wrist. If I go in the house, I can stand on the doorstep and look down into the mailbox. I solved that problem by rotating my mailbox so the door opens to the front instead of the top. I got tired of trying to fish things out vertically. Front loaders are far more convenient. (Actually, I had to buy a new mailbox because the existing one had a rounded top, but the new one works well.) > [@WordMan](#): > > My 6’1" wife likes Long Elegant Legs - I assume that is the website name. I like long elegant legs, too. Oh, you’re referring to a store name. > [@nashiitashii](#): > > I’m only marginally tall at 5’9.5", but it seems like all public washroom sinks are built for women who are three feet tall. I get to bend over or stoop to wash my hands, and bend over even further if they only way to dry my hands is via a hot air dryer. :rolleyes: I find that air dryers in movie theaters are consistently too low. I’m 5’10", and I have to hunch to get my hands in the airstream. Can’t imagine being over 6 ft and using them. Most people solve that problem by wiping their hands on their pants. > [@](#): > > ETA: One last thing-- if it’s a dress that’s meant to be just above knee length on a normal lady, it looks like SLUTS ON PARADE A parade? Where? 😉 > [@Kevbo](#): > > The only properly sized stairways are escalators, which you seldom get to enjoy in America, because Americans see nothing wrong with standing on the left side of an Escalator. Most escalators in America aren’t sized to allow two people wide. There’s no polite way to walk past the person who is standing on the escalator. Person 1: “It’s moving, you’re supposed to ride it.” Person 2: “Just because it’s moving doesn’t mean the steps aren’t functional.” > [@](#): > > Those roll-along carry-on bags work like ass for tall people. Hmmm. Starts conceptualizing an attachable handle extender for roll bags. > [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Surprised at the number of sub-compacts that supposedly fit tall people! I guess when you build in a cube shape and ditch the trunk space, that leaves a lot of room for legs and heads. I think sub-compacts give up the pretense that someone is supposed to use the back seat. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-tall-people-know/635129/111 "2012-10-26T21:11:39Z")
We hired a contractor friend to gut and replace our ugly old bathroom over the summer. I noticed how high he had mounted the shower head and asked him about it. He told me he had positioned it for my height. I love it! For the first time since childhood, I can shower while standing straight, not hunched over. > [@Arabella\_Flynn](#): > > I’m short, but I have some very tall relatives. One of them found out the hard way that boats, including large military ships, are not made for people over 6’. Had a bruise smack in the middle of his forehead the whole time he was working on one. When I was stationed on the Nimitz, which is about as big as warships get, I took to wearing my “USS Nimitz” baseball cap everywhere I went. Among many other obstacles, there was one particular valve hand wheel I would bump into every couple of days by the mess decks. The hat softened the blows. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-tall-people-know/635129/112 "2012-10-26T22:23:55Z")
If you are an average height woman, and your shirt isn’t buttoned right up to your neck… tall guys know what color bra you are wearing and how well it fits you. We’re generally not trying to look down your shirt, but from our height, it is hard not to. ---
**Author:** ![Recusant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@Recusant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Recusant)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-tall-people-know/635129/113 "2012-10-27T00:14:19Z")
Tall people know that Hell is a non-aisle seat on a Greyhound bus. Tall people (well, some of us) know that larger clothing tends to have a lot less ratio variety; there’s nothing quite like a shirt that doesn’t cover your torso but has sleeves that extend past your third knuckle. Some of us tall people know that, incredible as it may seem, it is possible to be both tall AND fat, at which point you might as well give up looking for clothes that fit and just rely on bedsheet togas. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-tall-people-know/635129/114 "2012-10-27T18:00:24Z")
> [@Recusant](#): > > Some of us tall people know that, incredible as it may seem, it is possible to be both tall AND fat, at which point you might as well give up looking for clothes that fit and just rely on bedsheet togas. - _kingsize_ bedsheet togas. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-tall-people-know/635129/115 "2012-10-29T05:10:24Z")
Any hints for the parents of tall people to be? My son is 8 and about 4"10. His bio-dad is about 6"4. (And not in his life) Size 6 for waist and size 10 for length pants seem to fit. I found him a pair of skinny jeans this year, he loves them, since they aren’t always falling down on him. I buy him belts every time I see one (in hopes he will remember to wear them!) I’m 5"4. My grandfather lied about his height to get into the air force. I come from a long line of short people, I have no role models for beanpoles! ---
**Author:** ![Pabitel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbce88/32.png) [@Pabitel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pabitel)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-tall-people-know/635129/116 "2012-10-30T16:52:26Z")
That stores always let short people hang the decorations. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Troppus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a587f6/32.png) [@Troppus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troppus)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-tall-people-know/635129/117 "2012-10-30T18:10:39Z")
> [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](#): > > Any hints for the parents of tall people to be? My son is 8 and about 4"10. His bio-dad is about 6"4. (And not in his life) Size 6 for waist and size 10 for length pants seem to fit. I found him a pair of skinny jeans this year, he loves them, since they aren’t always falling down on him. I buy him belts every time I see one (in hopes he will remember to wear them!) > > I’m 5"4. My grandfather lied about his height to get into the air force. I come from a long line of short people, I have no role models for beanpoles! Stress good posture now, and reinforce it through puberty and beyond. The difference between tall, confident, and attractive and lanky, gawky, and awkward can determine how the world receives your son. Stand up tall and straight, son, and square those shoulders! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-tall-people-know/635129/118 "2012-10-30T19:20:43Z")
> [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](#): > > Any hints for the parents of tall people to be? My son is 8 and about 4"10. His bio-dad is about 6"4. (And not in his life) Size 6 for waist and size 10 for length pants seem to fit. I found him a pair of skinny jeans this year, he loves them, since they aren’t always falling down on him. I buy him belts every time I see one (in hopes he will remember to wear them!) > > I’m 5"4. My grandfather lied about his height to get into the air force. I come from a long line of short people, I have no role models for beanpoles! Teach him to be tall and proud of it. Slouching does not make one look shorter, only unattractive. Encourage him to run and jump, especially during the awkward stage. Explain that sometimes during/after a growth spurt it takes a few weeks to recalibrate and regain one’s center of balance. It does _ **not** _ mean that he is naturally uncoordinated. Start saving now for groceries. Seriously. You are just not going to believe how much he eats between about 11 and 21. A gallon a day of milk would not be beyond reckoning. ---
**Author:** ![RedBloom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dbc845/32.png) [@RedBloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedBloom)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-tall-people-know/635129/119 "2012-11-01T16:33:01Z")
My hubs is just over 6’6"… things I’ve witnessed first hand: - ALWAYS request exit row on airplane (more leg room). He usually gets offered this before having to even ask. - The top of the fridge is never “out of sight, out of mind” - He has bumped his head going down many stairs with low-hung ceilings - Low ceiling fans and lights have nicked his head a few times - Sinks are always way too low - same with toilets. - Vehicles are usually too small. He tries out many before choosing one with ample head and leg room - Carnival rides are desperately uncomfortable for him - We will never be able to own a footboard - I see him hunch over frequently to avoid feeling like he is towering over other people. - Women always notice him - I see them gawking all the time (he is handsome too), but the height is pretty noticeable [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-tall-people-know/635129.md?page=5)