Yes, I'm considered tall. And you know what bugs me most? When people say, "Oh, you're so tall!" If I said to a short person, "you're so short," that would be insensitive. So why is it okay for you to comment that I'm so tall, like it's the best thing to be? I've got news for you...it's not all that it's cracked up to be.
Oh sure, there are advantages to being tall. You can see over the cubicles in the office "cube farm." You get a better view in a crowd without having to stand on your toes. I even recall a study that was completed that showed that taller people were usually paid better and were promoted more often than their shorter counterparts (although not studying the report in detail, there could be other factors that influenced this). But did you ever consider how often tall people hit their heads? Or how about squeezing into a small car? I would certainly like to have the option of owning a small car, but alas, it is the domain of the "height challenged" elite. Sometimes larger cars and smaller SUV's are not even an option, because of the seat height.
I bring this up because of an observation I made during a recent business trip. Of course, I have difficulty travelling on airplanes. The seat pitch and backrest heights are not exactly conducive to a comfortable ride for a tall person. So of course, whenever I can, I request bulkhead or exit row seating. Much to my chagrin, this is usually impossible. Why? Because these coveted seats usually go to children and the elderly.
Now, I don't really have a problem with elderly passengers getting the bulkhead seats, if they require assistance, or have medical conditions that being in these seats, makes their trip more comfortable. However, I do not agree that children should get these seats. Two years ago, I was on an overseas flight. I specifically asked for bulkhead seating, but none was available. When I boarded and looked at the nearest bulkhead seats what did I find? All three of the middle seats were occupied by pre-teen children. Does this make sense when I, or any tall person, has to squeeze into a seat for an overnight flight?
Most importantly, I don't think that the elderly or children should get exit row seating, especially when it comes to overwing exits. Aircraft certifying authorities expect the passengers at overwing exits to be briefed on how to open the exits. If an emergency occurred, they would have to open the 40 lb door, pull it into the cabin, maneuver it around, and throw it out the opening. Do you think a pre-teen or elderly passenger could do this? What about the added complication of an elderly passenger in this location (who may have a medical condition) having to not only open the door, but get through it in a reasonable time so other passengers could do the same? This is a safety issue, and airlines should take note.
Maybe tall people should band together. Complain when you see children and the elderly in these seats. Just because we're tall, doesn't mean we always have things handed to us on a plate. It doesn't mean that we should have to suffer because we are well beyond the "average" height. There is handicapped seating on buses, handicapped parking, even maternity parking. Why can't there be tall person reserved seating on airplanes? Is this such a terrible thing to accommodate? I don't mind giving my height when ordering an airline ticket, if it puts me on a list to get a seat with extra legroom. In fact, if there are only 12 of these seats on an entire aircraft, the airlines should start with the tallest person on the flight and work their way down. Each person is allowed one travelling companion when the flight is longer than 3 hours. The caveat is that if you have a travelling companion that doesn't make the grade, then you have the option to decline the seat and go back into cattle class, and the next person on the list gets the seat. This sounds reasonable, doesn't it?
We can even have those neat little signs with a tall person graphic pasted to the rows of the coveted seats. Or if we really want to stick it to people, we can show a short person, and elderly person and a child in a circle with a line through it. Yeah, that's the ticket!
Yes, the sky IS blue in my world, and yes, I believe in a free and just society. Maybe I'm wrong on both counts because of all the bumps on my head.......or could it be that the bumps are just making me taller?
Wings Over The World
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13 comments:
Bless you! I am considered tall as well (6'7"), size 14 shoes.
I travel (by necessity) over 70% of my work time. That means fighting for, or in most cases begging crabby ticket counter people, for seats that may have an additional inch or so extra room.
I don't have the miles to qualify for the 1 Billion mile club that most of the people that occupy "premium" seating on airliners, so I get stuck (literally) in one of the worst seats. Sometimes I can beg my way to an exit...
I drive a huge SUV - so when I hit a bump on the road, my head doesn't plow through the roof.
I'm tired of it, the world gets smaller while the population grows larger. It's wrong.
I am with you. To those who think this is playing victim, cram you sorry butt into a coleman cooler for 5 hours, and let me know how ready you are to work for 8 hours.
I have children and a tall husband pardon me for booking the bulkhead-I need the room-isnt it better for everyone in my family to be comfortable than to sacrifice the coveted seats just so you can be comfortable-and as for the seniors they worked a long time much harder than anyone and deserve to be given the space-I feel sorry for you-complaining over a seat when you are fortunate enough to afford to fly while the rest of us remain grounded.
I totally agree with you! I recently travelled and suffered so much on the plane! I am a 6'4'' female and not only did I spend the whole flight being gauped at but it was intensified when i physiclaly couldnt fit my legs behind the seats infront! I noticed that the exit row of seats were taken by a few people whoc were curled up in their seats asleep. Actually curled up! what a waste of space! The cabbin crew got so annoyed at not being able to get the trolly past my legs they moved me. Why should we have to suffer just beacuse some rich people would prefer to have a little stretch now and again! And to the lady who left the previous comment- get a life! leave ur husband in his extra leg room seat and u and the children go and sit else where and dont take up valuable legroom which is much needed by others! dont be so selfish!!
I am 6ft5, size 16 shoe, and 16 years old. I am very large for my age. When I go planes, i suffer like crazy.... My legs do not fit so i have to be on the outside seat and stick my legs out, which puts great strain on my back. I to begin to wonder about everything in the world. Most kids my age are like 5ft11 and size 12-13 shoe but they only make shoe sizes up to 11 or 12 ,Like wtf? Whenever i go to buy equipment for sports i always have to pay lots extra for custom stuff, because companies and cooprations are to stupid to make larger things.
I just want to be a tall club so that I can hang out for a little while with other tall people. I'm only 6'6" inches tall and have only seen two other people in my life taller than I am. I've watched basketball games and read the newspaper. I know that there are lots of people out there who are taller than I am, even some girls. But, I've never actually met any and I played high school basketball in Texas. I always sit in the isle on planes. I hate it, when I finally fall asleep the stewardess shoves that cart into whatever knee I have sticking out in the aisle. It's very annoying. Thanks for illuminating another drawback to being tall. Toda veshalom
Planes have drawbacks, but so do CARS...
What about those little handles that are above the windows. I can't tell you the number of times I've been a passenger and the person driving pulls into a parking lot (resteraunt, hotel, etc...) and the car rocks back and forth suddenly. That dawgone, hard piece of plastic wacks me in the head. Once I had to go to the hospital ER because it gave me whiplash. Actually, it gives me whiplash everytime that it happens. I just stopped going to the hospital for it, and take some strong, non-steroidal anti-inflammitories for it and after a few days the pain subsides a little. But, it's exacerbated by an injury I suffered in Desert Storm. I was working beneath an F-4 Phantom fighter/bomber and pulled a power cord from a hydraulic cart and pulled some muscles in my trapezius. Ever since then a wack to my head gives me whiplash. I wish that they would stop putting those handles in the cars. I don't even know what use they are, besides comfort. If I were in a car like that and we had a side impact it would destroy my head.
Anyway, that's my two cents worth on the dangers of CARS...
UR so correct about how dangerous they make things for tall people and apparently don't care.
Thanks again for the opp to bring these things into the open.
I am 6' 8" and cannot physically sit in any of the seats except bulkhead or exit row. The airlines don't make allowances and don't consider it a disability....I have purchased a cane and take it with me on business trips so I can pre-board and have a place to sit.
If I didn't have legs, they would accommodate me..but since I have too much leg...they do not. Using the cane and claiming to be disabled limits me to the 6 seats in bulkhead on SWA...the little regional jets that the airlines love so much I can't ride on at all except in the exit row...one seat side...so I don't travel on those airlines anymore.
I am 14, and am 6"3 ( that is tall for a girl), whenever I get into a car, even though I still lookout everytime, I always hit my head on either the door, the hard handle or the roof! OW! that is soo anoying that people think that we should just get over it! maybe they should just GROW a little bit closer to people our hieght then they would understand us better, I always get paid out by people who call me girrafe, stretch, gigantosoar, lanky or things like that. It just gets sooo anoying! or else I am always being asked what it is like to be tall, OR I wish I had hieght like you. I jus get reminded of the pain then, and think to my self or say "No you Don't". I agree with those above who share my pain, soo thnx heaps for this opportunity:)
Airlines would never give an exit row to a person (child, elderly or disabled) who can not properly assist others in the case of an emergency. I've never seen a child in an exit row. My concern is the (short/normal height) people who are adamant about getting to the front of the "A" line at Southwest just so they can get the exit row. I'm 6'9" and have learned to deal with the inconvenience of being tall. Do the benefits outweigh the disadvantages? Debatable. However, I do wish I could shop at more fashionable clothing stores. It seems all clothes are designed to fit a specific build, which does not go over 6'3". Also, XXT should also not mean XXL! It is possible to be tall AND fit.
Thanks for this oportunity. I aggree entirely with the above article. It is so refreshing to see that others suffer the same problems. I used to be 6'6 tall but through a life of looking down, ducking under doorframes, crouching in chairs and sleeping in too short beds I have now developed a kyphosis, spondyolisthesis and chronic back ache and my height has now shrunk to 6'5 at 39 years of age. I am so angry about the aparent injustice and unfairness in our society. Why can we not be looked after and get the same benefits as disabled people? When you're disabled you get all sorts of allowances, financial support, benefits, concessions etc, to try and make sure you can live a decent life and don't feel dissed by the society. (And don't get me wrong ... I am proud of our society to make sure this is the case) But, not so with us tall people. Why? Because we have so many advantages in life? Because it is so fantastic being tall? Like: Being attractive to the opposite sex, able to look above the crowd ... ... ... and ... ehm .. not quite sure what else? Ah ya, we're meant to be a bit more intelligent than others (.... I wish :-) )
What about all the negatives:
seats in planes; seats in trains (isn't sitting with the headrest on your shoulderblades incredibly uncomfortable? I wish normal size people would experience this for once ... on a 5 hour trip); seats in cars; cost of larger cars (that we rely on); chairs in public places; beds in hotels; height of tables; height of mirrors; height of desks; height of washbasins; height of urinals; height of toilets; size of bathtubs; 100-300% more expensive clothes with 99% less choice; 200-500% more expensive shoes with 99% less choice, plus the cost of extra fuel and time to get to the 'tall and mighty'-type shops; cost of extra length matresses; extra costs for legroom on planes; you're always expected to help people lift heavy stuff because it's so much easier for us (NOT!)
and on and on and on ....
There are so many activities of daily life, not only the 5 hour flight to detroit, that are putting a burden on us tall people and I would love to take this to the court of human rights. I believe we are entitled to some benefits and allowances to compensate for all the discrimination that we have to endure day in day out. And I think we should fight for it. ... Why not? Why should they get away with all this c**p, while companies are made to install wheelchair ramps, make things disabled-friendly and endure penalties if they don't? Why should we not get some benefits too? Why should a normal sized person drown in choice of clothes and get 10 whole outfits for the price of one of mine, while I go from one shop to the next not browsing through the clothes but asking: Do you have XXXL or Do you have size 13 shoes?
This is just not fair and I'm fed up with it. And now I also have chronic backache ... Does anyone want to know??? Helmut, UK 2010
Thanks for this oportunity. I aggree entirely with the above article. It is so refreshing to see that others suffer the same problems. I used to be 6'6 tall but through a life of looking down, ducking under doorframes, crouching in chairs and sleeping in too short beds I have now developed a kyphosis, spondyolisthesis and chronic back ache and my height has now shrunk to 6'5 at 39 years of age. I am so angry about the aparent injustice and unfairness in our society. Why can we not be looked after and get the same benefits as disabled people? When you're disabled you get all sorts of allowances, financial support, benefits, concessions etc, to try and make sure you can live a decent life and don't feel dissed by the society. (And don't get me wrong ... I am proud of our society to make sure this is the case) But, not so with us tall people. Why? Because we have so many advantages in life? Because it is so fantastic being tall? Like: Being attractive to the opposite sex, able to look above the crowd ... ... ... and ... ehm .. not quite sure what else? Ah ya, we're meant to be a bit more intelligent than others (.... I wish :-) )
To be continued in next comment
Helmut, UK 2010
Continue ...
What about all the negatives:
seats in planes; seats in trains (isn't sitting with the headrest on your shoulderblades incredibly uncomfortable? I wish normal size people would experience this for once ... on a 5 hour trip); seats in cars; cost of larger cars (that we rely on); chairs in public places; beds in hotels; height of tables; height of mirrors; height of desks; height of washbasins; height of urinals; height of toilets; size of bathtubs; 100-300% more expensive clothes with 99% less choice; 200-500% more expensive shoes with 99% less choice, plus the cost of extra fuel and time to get to the 'tall and mighty'-type shops; cost of extra length matresses; extra costs for legroom on planes; you're always expected to help people lift heavy stuff because it's so much easier for us (NOT!)
and on and on and on ....
There are so many activities of daily life, not only the 5 hour flight to detroit, that are putting a burden on us tall people and I would love to take this to the court of human rights. I believe we are entitled to some benefits and allowances to compensate for all the discrimination that we have to endure day in day out. And I think we should fight for it. ... Why not? Why should they get away with all this c**p, while companies are made to install wheelchair ramps, make things disabled-friendly and endure penalties if they don't? Why should we not get some benefits too? Why should a normal sized person drown in choice of clothes and get 10 whole outfits for the price of one of mine, while I go from one shop to the next not browsing through the clothes but asking: Do you have XXXL or Do you have size 13 shoes?
This is just not fair and I'm fed up with it. And now I also have chronic backache ... Does anyone want to know??? Helmut, UK 2010
I am very much in agreement with the notion of discrimination, , and at the same time, frustrated with the airlines insensitivity, i have seen, small petite women, and children in exit row seats while there are much large folks crammed into an ordinary seat.
I have also had the unfortunate experience where three extra large people were place in exit row seats, and that was very uncomfortable, for the person in the middle, the day was saved by a sensible flight attendant, who realized the guy in the middle was unable to breath.
If someone can think of forming a lobby grow.
maybe we can call ourselves 6 and above.
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