Height can also be a pain. I'm 6'5" and have lower back and sciatica pain, probably since most of my height is in my torso. Fitting into some cars is horrible. Airline seats are hell. My son is short for his age; go figure.
I'm 6'3" and have many of the same issues. I recognise that things in life are not always going to be fair and that many of these things ultimately even out (we probably save money walking where other take cabs or performing household maintenance shorter people find difficulty).
My bigger concern is the issue for traveling for work, which I do quite frequently. It does seem unfair that in order to not be in miserable pain for hours, taller people must shell out of pocket for doing something that is just part of their job. In fact, I wish airlines actually forced taller people to upgrade. That would make it so that my employer and people inviting me to give talks would be forced to pay for the upgrade to economy plus or business class.
Unable to buy pants, kitchens and bathrooms are too short so cooking and washing dishes are back-aching activities. Economy seating in airplanes is almost impossible. Vacuum cleaner handle not long enough. Few car brands have seats that go back far enough.
It’s very hard to buy a bicycle.
Nothing terrible, just annoyances. No big deal compared to dumb social prejudice against shorter men.
The biggest challenge is aerodynamics. If you're over 6'3" and want to be at all comfortable you're going to present a much larger frontal area than someone shorter.
It wasn't a question of time and dollars, it was a question of pain and discomfort. What I meant, going through all that pain and discomfort for being a few inches taller - that's what I found hard to understand.
I'm 6'1 and it's pretty great. Luckily not too tall. But my back and neck often hurt because I grew almost too quickly. And sitting in front of a computer all day really doesn't help.
> I'm 6' tall and feel oversized for the world. Any time I have to use a counter, table, wash dishes, etc, I have to bend over just enough to jumpstart some back pain, and I imagine that's a contributing factor to chronic back and neck pain.
I am 6'2" and I really connect with this. I am constantly shocked by washroom vanities set low enough that they feel like a child's toy, shower heads set at nose level, and kitchen counters just a few inches below the lowest level that I could comfortably work.
I'm 5'4" / 163 cm tall. In other words I'm short. Even my knees are touching the seat in front of me sometimes. Even I've had a passenger in front of me bash my knees when they reclined. How in the world anybody taller than me manages, I have no idea.
You obviously are not above average in terms of height. I'm 6'5" and planes are a nightmare of cramps and bruised knees. A single inch can mean the difference between being able to sleep comfortably on a long flight and staying awake while stiffening up for eight hours.
I am 6’2" and wish I was just a little bit shorter. The standard heights and sizes of everything from toilets to countertops to airplane seats simply are not designed for people over 6'.
Being tall isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Always hitting your head on things, and being short of breath all the time because the air is thinner up there.
Cutting your children from nutrition to keep them from natural growth seems quite crazy to me. Just let them be.
Also I don't agree with tall people needing more food. They may be taller but many are also skinnier but that is just from my own personal observations.
The only downside I have dealt with being tall is hitting my head on things which I doubt helps with life longevity.
Things are just not made for taller people and planes are the worst. The lack of any legroom or not being able to get into the brace position in case of an emergency just sucks. Also on my last flight I hit my head so hard on the bulkhead that I tweaked my neck and it hurt for days.
European here, over 6 feet tall - I've never had an issue with any car, ever, because of my height. I've driven a tiny Kia Picanto, small Renault Clio, a VW Touran, various estates ("station wagens") a massive BMW X5 and many more; yes, bigger cars feel more spacious, because they are - but my height has honestly never been an issue, getting in, getting out, or whilst driving.
Unless you're literally 7 feet or so, I just can't see how this is a problem.
As someone who is 6' 4", I agree. Not that I'm complaining, but given the choice to pick my height, I'd opt for 6' 2". For pretty much all the reasons you mentioned but also because the world is built for people closer to average height. Think kitchen counters, plane/bus seats, stairwell ceiling clearance, etc. I'm relatively young but have back problems that I partially attribute to my height.
That piqued my interest enough to look through your questions. They are all great, but I didn't find anything related to height and can't think of any I would personally ask. (Ergonomics? Business class travel?)
Yep, no one's ever happy :P. I wish I was a little shorter, plane and bus rides are a literal pain and I don't see any real benefit of being 1.90m when 1.80 - 1.85m would be enough.
That said I'm perfectly ok and wouldn't get surgery even if it was a routine thing, but I don't see any real benefit and only a few annoyances. (Buying clothes or bikes, not all chairs are comfy to sit on, etc).
since it's really hip height and femur length that matter
That probably sounds strange to some people, but I think this is an issue that is often ignored. I'm 5'9", which is by no means tall and is considered "average" height, yet all the men in my family have long femurs and high hips, but short torsos (the opposite of the typical Asian body ratio). Even at my moderate height, coach is extremely uncomfortable for me because I just can't get enough leg room to be able to relax and not contort myself.
Fortunately, I've noticed that when flying coach in SE Asia, the flight crew will put me (and the other Anglo-Saxon passengers if there are only a few) in the exit row to offset some of that.
reply