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The View from the Top…A Tall Man’s Tale
It may be our healthy
diets, it may be the growth hormones added to the
meat we eat, or in our case it may be just
genetics. Kids are getting taller and taller these
days. I’m almost 6 feet tall and my husband is
almost seven, so it’s no surprise our kids are off
the charts. My husband is a teacher with a
football background so he meets a lot of really big
kids coaching. I no longer feel like I stand out in
a crowd. My question is when is the world of
manufacturing going to wise up to this ‘growing’
market?
There are many advantages to being tall. It’s easy
to reach that shelf above cupboards in kitchens,
paint ceilings and change light bulbs without a
ladder. The majority of everyday life however, is
built for the average person. When I wanted to buy
a new car, I sent my husband out as an ‘acid test’
because he only fits 5% of the vehicles out there.
I was surprised to find he fit best in Japanese
vehicles instead of American. Even SUV’s don’t have
enough legroom or even headroom. For some reason
they often put air ventilation systems in the roof
just above the driver which reduces headroom. Most
vehicle seats can slide back for legroom, but then
there’s no way for anyone or any car seat to fit in
the back.
Builders often consider disabilities that require
wheelchair access in their plans, but it’d be nice
to consider tall person access too. We dream of the
day we can build our own house. There will be high
ceilings, tall doorways, wide hallways, high
cupboards, and countertops. Movie theatres, concert
halls, and airplanes all have seating for the
average. At the Calgary Stampede we had to sit in
the handicap zone to watch the chuck wagon races.
Buying clothes can be a frustrating and an expensive
process as well. To find size sixteen shoes you
usually have to order them and wait a few weeks.
The stores that carry tall clothes are limited in
number and selection. Most of the time I find it’s
big or tall, not both. My salvation has been eBay.
Maybe it’s the American love of basketball and
football that makes them accommodate the big
players, because they have a much better selection
of tall clothes. I can find anything there for
usually very reasonable costs.
I learned to sew at age ten so I could have the
styles I wanted. Shorter people may complain about
having to hem everything, but it’s better than
wearing Capri’s all the time. I met someone the
other day that is in design school and going to
market to tall people. With only one store
targeting tall girls in all of BC and limited
selection for tall men, I say “Bravo”. We need
more attention to our diversity instead of making
everyone ‘one size fits all’. |
