An Uncomplicated Life Blog: The World Is Built For Short People

Thursday, April 14, 2016

The World Is Built For Short People

The struggle is real if you're tall, because the world is built for short people


There are few things that annoy me more in this world than the fact that it was built for (and potentially by) short people. I mean, first world problems right? But guess what folks. I (and probably you, too) live in the first world, so therefore it is a real problem. At 5'10 I'm no where near the tallest person or even the tallest woman to roam this earth. The REAL tall people must really struggle! Short people, are you reading this and thinking I'm crazy? Yes? Well, let's just examine the ways the world was built for you, shall we? Here's exactly how the world is built for short people:

Ever noticed how short people have it easy - like the whole world was built for and by them?!
*affiliate links present*

Shorties, have you ever tried to take a shower in a standard shower and have to bend your knees down and lean your head wayyyyyyy back just to get your hair washed under the (too short) shower head nozzle? Doesn't seem like that big of a deal to bend those knees and engage those abs. Unless you're pregnant. Or just had a c section. Or are aging. Or have knee problems.

You know what you would have to do if we raised the standard height of the nozzle? Nothing. You would have to stand there, like you currently do. Have you ever not realized you were standing in a standard shower and WHACKED your head on one of those things?! It's painful! And an unpleasant shock. I bet a short person created the standard height of those things, and snickers every time they see a tall(er-ish) person heading unsuspectingly into one of them.

If you read this post about my bathroom renovation, you know that extra long tubs (read: for tall people) cost far more. Short people, have you ever (even once!) had to pay extra for you to fit into something? No, you haven't, because the world is built for you. You don't need a special size to accommodate any extra limbs you {don't} have. I now just expect to pay more for things to accommodate me and my limbs. I used to get mad; now I just roll my eyes and say, "of course it is..." when dealing with the higher price tag.

I need this shirt. Source

Like jeans. Short people, you get to shop at regular stores and pay regular prices for jeans. Even if they're too long for you, all you have to do is get them hemmed. Hemming costs less than $10 at a tailor. Me? I can't create length where none exists. I have to spend hundreds on a single pair to get at least a 36" inseam. The standard 32" is capris-length on me. If I want to look like I'm not walking in a flood with my high waters on, I need to shell out the cash.

I also need to dish out the bucks for my car. Shorties, I bet you have no idea what it's like when you try to fit your toddler's car seat behind the driver's side because your infant's rear facing seat is far too large to fit in the back with you in the front, and you can't scoot your seat any further back so you drive with your knees in the dash. I have a mid-sized SUV and STILL can't drive comfortably. Who designed these cars?

Short people, that's who. AND they're in cahoots with the car seat manufacturers. I can just see those short people, with their evil short-people design plans, saying, "Three inches of leg room should be sufficient, based on our calculations." Ugh, yeah. If you're like 5'5, jerks. A compact car was just out of the question, and a full sized SUV is like $70k. Short people, do you need to spend $70k on a car juuuuuuuuust to fit in it comfortably? No. You don't.

I'm sure all of use have gotten a drink at the drinking fountain at one point in our lives. Short people, you get to bend over comfortably and take your sips. Us tall people? I've squatted, I've tilted my head upside down and I've even gone to my knees to attempt to get a drink. Just a ridiculous amount of acrobatics to get a friggin' drink of water! Straight up giraffe moves, I tell you. Why can't these things be a few inches taller? Heaven forbid you have to stand on your toes so us tall people don't have to drink upside down.

Short people, I hope you're happy. You've clearly built the developed world and made it all about you! You *could* build in some height for us tall people, and make it a bit easier (and less expensive!) for us, but no. You continue to rule the world with your short ways.

32 comments:

  1. lol this made me laugh. I'm 5'6" so by no means short, but definitely not super tall either. That shirt cracked me up and also thinking about a tall person in a tiny bathtub. I think all bathtubs are made super small (or maybe it just feels that way because I'm taller than I thought? haha)

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    1. Hi, I am approximately 5' 5," and I have also experienced problems like this even though the average height for an adult woman here is approximately 5' 4" to 5' 5."

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  2. LOL this was funny! I'm 5'7" and have experienced some of these things even though I am not super tall. Love it!

    xoxo, Jenny

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  3. I'm 5'8", so I don't have it quite as bad as you do, but I can definitely relate nonetheless! Shopping for clothing has been one of the most frustrating constants of my life. However, being married to Dave has taken it to a whole new extreme! He's 6'5", and there are a lot of things that are rough for him! His clothes cost a fortune. We HAVE to upgrade seats whenever we ride a plane, because his legs physically don't fit in a normal seat. The one upside of being a tall woman married to an extra tall man is that I never have to worry about being taller than him in heels!

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  4. Haha! I cannot even remotely relate, but hey - shorties have problems, too. ;)

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  5. Girl you know I'm with you all the way on this. The pants struggle is real. My poor hubby has it even worse being extra tall and built like a brick shit house. Airplanes are the worst and the car seat behind the driver.... forget it. We're going to have to get a new car soon just because both kids won't fit in our small car and barely fit in the SUV.

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  6. ba ha ha ha ha I guess I'm lucky to be medium height. The visual of you hitting your head while whipping your hair in the shower, while pregnant, is too much. Poor Paige in her tall bathtub and long jeans!!! The struggle is real and I never even realized it!! : )

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  7. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this post. I am 5'11 and think about this ALL the time! It is so unfair, especially when you're pregnant and have to find clothes that fit...that's my current gripe. The clothing. UGH! It made me feel better that I'm not alone in this, thanks for another post that made my day.

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  8. YES. seriously. YES. it annoys me when short people are like 'wah, this dress is too long' well you can get it taken up! we can't add material! i'm with you, the most annoying thing is that i'm not even that freaking tall. i mean, i'm not short, but i am NOT 'tall' like 5'11 or over 6 ft. Like, what the hell do those people do? So. Annoying.

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  9. Yes!!! I'm 5'9 and I used to get so annoyed that I could never buy work pants from a cheap place like Target because I needed to get talls. My college dorm had the shortest shower stalls. I spend my first two years squatting to take a shower. How about the automatic toilets just flushing on you when you move an inch because they think you stood up!?

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  10. Hahaha yes! At 5'9" I'm right with you and my best friend is 5-foot-nothing. Everything is perfect for her. Jerk. All thru high school I even hunched my shoulders a lot so I wouldn't be so obviously taller than everyone around me. Now I don't really care, so it's all good. :)

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  11. While I do feel your pain of 'the world being made for X kind of people', and did get some serious chuckles out of this, I'm at the other end of the scale at 5'1" (and yes, I'm prepared for the bashing):

    - This girl's got hips and an arse, so long pants/dresses, I usually have to get at least 15cm taken up to even be ankle length because I have to buy pants to get over my curves. Not $10 to alter.

    - I'm guessing in the USA they don't have adjustable shower heads? That does really suck poo. Standard shower heads here are pretty good, the head itself can be adjusted to whatever angle you like, and then there's an arm that goes from the head to the wall that can give it more height. I reckon you might make a packet if you started importing them.

    - By the same token, sometimes short people are so short they can't reach the pedals! I'm lucky enough that I don't fall into this category, but my mum (who's an inch shorter than me) practically sits on the steering wheel to reach the pedals! haha

    - Something all the tall people feel superior about: reaching things above 5'6"-5'8". What I would give to be able to reach up the back of a cupboard that's above the bench, or that item on the top shelf in a store...yeah, that really sucks. Especially when you can't find someone to reach it for you!

    - Not being able to touch the ground when you sit on a seat, particularly in public. Oh man, if there's one way to feel like you're 4 years old again, this is it. Hell, even my own kitchen chairs don't allow me to sit with my feet flat on the floor...

    So, although the tall ones think the world was built for short ones, I'd have to say that unless you're right bang in the middle, say around 5'5" - 5'7", we're both screwed! ;)

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    1. I am 4'10 and couldn't agree with you more!

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  12. I'm 4'10 and completely disagree with this. The world was built for AVERAGE people. Life is not easier just because I am short. I can't even drive a regular car because I can't see over the dash. I have to buy special seat belt adapters. I have to drag a step-stool all over the house.

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  13. Haha! This was a funny read, even as a short person. (I'm 5'3".) My boyfriend is 5'11" so he definitely feels you on the car comfort and shower head situation. ;)

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  14. I am a man and 6'2 and relate to this. When sitting in the backseat of my dad's car, I feel cramped, not to a severe level but my knees are against the passenger seat and there's only a 1 inch space from my head to the ceiling of the car, but I am usually leaning back to make it that way, otherwise it would be really uncomfortable. Also, 5'10 isn't short for a woman, my psychology is 5'11 but 6ft with shoes on, she's tall.

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  15. I'm 6'3 and don't like putting my back out bending over to do simple things which then puts me out of work and I lose money just because the world was designed for short people.

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  16. I'm 6' 3" and ive been sitting in the shower for over a decade and I haven't used a bath tub in about as long. What I hate are the bars under tables at the booths in restaurants. Those things get my knees everytime and dashing dishes is a back breaking chore. Not to mention everyone asks you to do stuff all the time like hang things, change lightbulbs and put things in cupboards.

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  17. Have you ever been leaned on, grabbed, called "cute," and patted by complete strangers without consent? Because short people deal with that every day. Oh, boo-fucking-hoo, you have to bend over to reach the floor and people ask you to do simple tasks because of your height. Yeah, you totally have it worse than those of us who get knocked over, pinched, petted, talked down to, and leaned on. Do keep whining.

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    1. Awwww my sense of humor and writing in jest went right over your short littile head. Bless your heart!

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    2. I wish someone would lean on me and call me cute. Instead I'm 6'4", people feel intimidated by me and keep their distance. It is painful to squeeze into an airline seat and fly, difficult to find a car I can fit into, and I've suffered numerous concussions hitting my head on low ceilings/doors. Statistics indicate I'll die younger too, but I'm trying my best not to!

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  20. this outlines my daily struggles perfectly. im currently looking for a car and cant find and that i fit it that are within my price range. australia why? . also im 6"10 so it is very hard.

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  21. Hi, I am around average height for a woman in my part of the world (average height range here is around 5' 4"-5' 5"), and even I sometimes feel that the world was made for people WAY shorter than me, OR those who are FAR taller than me (but more often than not, I feel like it is the former). The doors on some cars feel too small or too low, and I worry that I will hit my head getting in or out. Or certain cars do not have enough headroom for me.

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  23. Hi, I know this is late, but let me add my two cents. I am approximately 5' 5," which is around the average height range for a woman in my country (average here is approximately 5' 4"), and I still feel as though the world is meant for short people. I feel uncomfortable getting into or out of certain cars, because the doors are too low, and I feel as though if I don't duck down, I will hit my head.

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  24. I feel for you! Even though I am 5' 5," I am still not exempt from experiencing "tall people" problems! I have an idea about the shower situation. Maybe we should raise the hot and cold knob, so that it is closer to the top of the bathtub or shower stall. That way, only people who are tall (like you) or average height (lime me) could reach it easily. People who are shorter would need to jump up (or at the very least, stand on their tip toes) just to adjust the water temperature.

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    1. Yeah Leanne, I have to do that already. The world is not built for short people, we just have a different set of problems. Stop eith the hate, that's one if the problems. I literally get discriminated at in the workplace and can't get a huge variety of jobs and am more likely to get injured because employers refuse to accommodate for small size so don't give that crap.

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  25. I know this is 5 years old but no, the world is built for average height people. We very short and very tall people need to stick together. I have faced so much discrimination in the workplace - I was literally told to leave on a casual contract because my small hands got injuredusing he tools and they refused to provide small gloves and tools, there are few cars I can buy and reach the pedals, and I'm more likely to be killed by the airbag, they don't make any clothes for my proportions either..... I hope in the 5 years since you wrote this you've learned a thing or two.

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