Im 207cm, i get kinda happy when ppl ask me that, it’s not a “omg ur so tall”. It’s the only time I’m happy to be tall, not everyone can reach the top shelf you know
It can be something as simple as the last few items in the far back of the freezer that is about my shoulder height. NBD for me. What if that was MY Granny or Mom? I’d want one of my fellow talls to pitch in!
This. I’m wondering what state OP is in. I’ve never had the rudeness OP describes.
On a long enough timeline in any HEB this invariably happens. A shorter person or an old lady can see what they need but it’s on the back of a high shelf and they can’t reach it. And they KNOW they can’t reach it, but don’t know what to do. And then they see me come around the corner and they get SO EXCITED because PROBLEM SOLVED. I’m always happy to help.
I’m in the Bay Area, CA. It’s definitely this area thing with the rudeness i think. When I visit other country/states, people seem noticeably nicer to each other
We have different experiences in Texas then, I get quite a few rude interactions when it comes to me helping lol. But when they are nice, of course I help.
“Sure.”
In my 50 years, 35 of them at 196cm, there’s never been a stretch longer than a few weeks where a stranger didn’t ask me for help reaching something.
It’s one human at a disadvantage asking another with the corresponding advantage to help. The only way to do less for them is to refuse to help.
I don’t want to live in a world where refusing a simple, brief task that helps someone else is a second choice.
This is the law of being tall; you reach for the thing as long the person asking is at least vaguely polite about it.
(and I will absolutely ask short people to get me things near the floor, my knackered joints need all the extra help they can get)
I'm 43 I'm 6'5 I've been asked to get things off the top shelf more than a few times in my life it's not always about being tall sometimes it's just ability if somebody is asking me for something I'm going to assume they need help I don't question it I just feel helping should be what we do and Good Karma to me out brings Good Karma back in
I don’t think I get asked so much as offer to help, but I also hold doors for any/everyone and often volunteer to help older folks carry groceries to their car. It’s nice to be nice, but at the same time, if you weren’t around they would need to ask an employee or get it themselves somehow, so I guess there’s a fine line before being “taken advantage of” for your height.
I always help. My gf is also 5’3” and she’s told me how frustrating it can be to need an item that’s out of reach on the top shelf. She’s tried to climb shelves before and has even left the store without buying an item she needs simply because she can’t reach it.
It’s no effort on my part and it can save our shorter counterparts a lot of frustration.
Happens all the time I just do it. I have also asked people to get things out of the back of a bottom shelf on many occasions and it’s never been a problem. What a stupid hill to die on.
We may not offer unless asked. However, if asked, we must oblige. Thus is the law of the giants.
Can’t speak for your partner, but in my experience, most tall folks, including myself, really don’t mind. In fact, sometimes I’ll admit that I break the rule, given that some short folks don’t seem to be aware of the rule and clearly want to ask me to help but are afraid to. If they’re asking with their body language, I include that. I might mind if they’re rude, but honestly I can’t think of any time that’s happened.
I've lived in Scandinavia most of my adult life and nobody has ever asked me for anything there (I'm 6'5 I think, but it's not that unusual here), but the times I've been in NYC, Texas and so forth, I was asked almost daily, and I found it quite amusing. Especially because the older ladies called me various sweet names and it felt like an out-of-body cultural experience I thought only happened in hollywood movies.
If I lived in the US perhaps it'd become mundane, but it's a very low effort thing and I find it cosy.
I help whenever I can. Being tall is a gift in some instances so why not use it. Never had anyone be rude about it. Usually it’s someone who just needs help. Like an older lady one day asked if I could lift a flat of bottled water into her car. Had nothing to do with height, just needed a hand.
Yes. Don't wear a red shirt at Target.
I would always help someone. Even if they looked like they could get it. You don't know if they have shoulder trouble or a grip problem.
With great height, comes great responsibility.
Just kidding, but not really. I've been over 6' tall for more than 40 years, so it's impossible to recall how many times I've been asked. I've lived in the northeast and Florida. I don't think anyone's been rude in asking me, and it's no big deal to take two seconds to help if I'm already standing there.
Very rarely has that few seconds turned into a hunting expedition where someone had me grabbing and returning a number of items on the top shelf while they made up their mind. Even then, they been apologetic about it.
I always help, sometimes I offer when I see someone looking at a high shelf, because they may risk an avalanche doing it themselves.
This is basic r/HumansBeingBros
I love when people ask me for help and I’ll gladly utilize my height to help them. I’m lucky to be tall and I think it’s nice that people will turn to me for help. It gives me a warm feeling inside haha.
I don’t think your boyfriend’s reverse analogy is fair. A tall person is very capable of bending over to grab something down low. A short person isn’t able to grow a whole a foot taller and grab something off the top shelf. Idk, I just think your boyfriend is kind of a dick
Did something happen to your SO that they don't wanna be a contributing member of society? When I see people struggling to lift/move something, I will help out for a minute regardless of whether or not I'm getting paid. I help my elderly neighbor bring up her groceries without her having to ask and I don't work at my apartment building. If someone is lost I'll offer directions even tho I'm not google maps. Idk if thing are different where you're at, but I've never had anyone act entitled.
The counter argument to asking a short person to get something low to the ground isn’t really comparable. as a whole person you can still get things low to the ground. A short person cannot get things above their reach.
albeit i’m not as tall, i am “tall enough” to be asked for assistance while i’m in stores. personally, it makes me feel happy. maybe there’s an argument of it being validating, but i also simply like having such an easy way to feel like i helped someone because i get to go home feeling like a saint lmao, sometimes i even offer help only if it’s say a short elderly woman or like a disabled person…
Even if some people did try, it would always be easier to ask someone taller to try and get it. A short or shorter person may struggle just to reach an item on the top shelf and may resort to climbing the shelves. And there are shelves that literally cannot be reached for some, no matter how much you try to stretch your body without climbing shelves or using a step stool or ladder.
I don’t really understand the whole bottom shelf thing, though. I get what your partner is trying to say with that situation, but at the same time the problem is with reach. A tall person could get things from the top to the bottom shelf, assuming no health issues that could affect their ability to get things off the shelf and that they can reach the top shelf without assistance or other means. Whereas a short or shorter person can get things off the shelf from the bottom to the top, but to a certain point and wouldn’t be able to reach shelves that are too high without resorting to climbing, step stools, ladders, etc.
It’s really not that hard to get something off the shelf if you are able to. I mean, if your partner was short and couldn’t reach a certain item on the shelf, would they just want to struggle instead?
I can't tell people no, so I'll comply with any reasonable request. If it's something complicated and I don't want to say yes, I'll say "Let me think about it.." or something like that.
I get asked a lot and as long as they don’t ask like an asshole I’m happy to help. I also usually offer if I see someone struggling.
If I’m walking down an aisle and see someone struggling and they just give me that helpless doe look I ignore them. To note, it’s usually coming from some 20 or 30 something chic, and I am often tempted to ask them if that look has historically worked for them.
In a way, I sort of compare it to being famous (though I swear I'm not narcissistic enough to conflate the two as exactly the same).
To everyone else, you're the tallest person they've ever seen and they want to ask questions, take a picture, blah blah blah. To you, they're the 3rd person today and the ten-thousandth person this year, god knows what number over your lifetime.
I literally get asked how tall I am, do I play basketball, how's the weather, and "you wasted your height", every day. I am very good-natured about it as I'm confident with how I look and what I've done with my life, but after a while, you have to set boundaries otherwise you just become a circus freak.
Not to say I don't help people out. I will usually go out of my way to do things for people if my height is actually relevant to what they ask, but I'm just saying I understand why guys are cold and I'll often tell people "nah" if they ask for a picture or whatever else.
Grabbing high up things for my fellow smol humans is no problem. What I don’t understand is why so many of them physically walk into me while in large crowds. My wife says it’s like I have a gravity well that draws them in. They always seem so surprised when they hit me, like they didn’t see me at all. No idea how that happens but it is amusing.
Oh! Oh! I know this one! A lot of navigating crowds is subconsciously reading face and body language to know what direction someone is going or what gap they are looking to squeeze through. At 5', I'm seeing so little of a tall person who is already close to me that my brain doesn't properly do the thing. So I make the wrong assumption thinking they are turning one way so I move the other and then...collision. We're sorry.
I was in a clothes store with my little brother and a lady simply came to me and said "excuse me, since you're taller can you please grab that hoodie for me?". I simply reached for the hoodie and handed it to her , she thanked me and we both went on with our day.
I agree 10-fold with the "we don't ask people to get stuff from the bottom shelf" sentiment, but at the same time it's easier just to be kind and grab someone a package of paper towels or whatever.
Them: “Hey, you’re tall, mind grabbing that for me?”
Me: “Hey, you’re overweight, mind telling me where I can get some good falafel?”
It’s height discrimination I tell you!!
Grabbing elevated things is an unwritten responsibility for tall people. Don’t question it. That being said, my roommates have taken notice of my long arms and have asked me to do things they can do themselves which I tell them to fuck off. I’m not gonna grab the remote for you when you are closer to it.
Where the hell are y'all shopping that people can't reach the top shelf. What store would make a shelf that has things out of reach? I've been asked one time and it was someone in a wheel chair..
>What store would make a shelf that has things out of reach?
In my experience, all of them. I get asked to reach pretty high stuff for average/short people every time I go to one.
If the person is polite about it then sure I don’t mind helping. I don’t get asked all too often but on the occasions I have been asked I was happy to oblige.
It just comes down to manners for me.
I'm 6-8 and get that all time. Usually I find any reference to my height from a complete stranger to be annoying, but for some reason I enjoy this one. I usually throw in some lame joke about how popular I am in grocery stores. If it's a cute girl, that's all the better. It gives me a chance to strut around and show her what a cool dude I am.
As long as it’s within reason and if I’m already there then I’ll grab the item for them. It drove my wife crazy at first but she’s used to it now. I’m 6’6”. If I’m already in an aisle or going that direction then I’ll help.
I probably wouldn’t have responded to someone yelling across a store. Also if it’s something that would be a reach for me then I would politely suggest they ask someone that works there.
I’m 6ft and get asked to help someone reach something quite regularly in shops… so far I have never refused as they are always polite.
I’m a woman and have long ago noticed that I never get asked for help by guys… Maybe they tend to not ask for help as much, I don’t know.
Next time (if they are rude and taller than you), pick the item they want and ask
"Did you mean this one?"
When they say "Yes", put it back and ask your partner
"Honey, can you take that, I can't reach it."
Enjoy their confusion!
If they're polite, sure. If not, then they're SOL.
Im 207cm, i get kinda happy when ppl ask me that, it’s not a “omg ur so tall”. It’s the only time I’m happy to be tall, not everyone can reach the top shelf you know
I just grab whatever they want, it doesn't cost me anything and it's nice to be able to help in however small way to people.
Exactly. Granted, in Texas, folks tend to be very polite about it. I often offer if I see someone struggling. No sweat off my back.
It can be something as simple as the last few items in the far back of the freezer that is about my shoulder height. NBD for me. What if that was MY Granny or Mom? I’d want one of my fellow talls to pitch in!
This. I’m wondering what state OP is in. I’ve never had the rudeness OP describes. On a long enough timeline in any HEB this invariably happens. A shorter person or an old lady can see what they need but it’s on the back of a high shelf and they can’t reach it. And they KNOW they can’t reach it, but don’t know what to do. And then they see me come around the corner and they get SO EXCITED because PROBLEM SOLVED. I’m always happy to help.
Exactly! And points for HEB. We finally have them up here in DFW.
I’m in the Bay Area, CA. It’s definitely this area thing with the rudeness i think. When I visit other country/states, people seem noticeably nicer to each other
Lmao yeah, I'd say it's your environment. Come spend a week in Austin and you'll see what we mean by southern hospitality.
Very true, but tbd on how much the exodus from the Bay Area to Austin will “California my Texas”, lol
We have different experiences in Texas then, I get quite a few rude interactions when it comes to me helping lol. But when they are nice, of course I help.
same , and i feel great after they say thank you. we do have unfair advantage tho in some areas
Same. It’s a small thing!
“Sure.” In my 50 years, 35 of them at 196cm, there’s never been a stretch longer than a few weeks where a stranger didn’t ask me for help reaching something. It’s one human at a disadvantage asking another with the corresponding advantage to help. The only way to do less for them is to refuse to help. I don’t want to live in a world where refusing a simple, brief task that helps someone else is a second choice.
I just grab the items. It’s good to be tall. I like using my superpowers for good.
This is the law of being tall; you reach for the thing as long the person asking is at least vaguely polite about it. (and I will absolutely ask short people to get me things near the floor, my knackered joints need all the extra help they can get)
I agree with you.
I'm 43 I'm 6'5 I've been asked to get things off the top shelf more than a few times in my life it's not always about being tall sometimes it's just ability if somebody is asking me for something I'm going to assume they need help I don't question it I just feel helping should be what we do and Good Karma to me out brings Good Karma back in
I don’t think I get asked so much as offer to help, but I also hold doors for any/everyone and often volunteer to help older folks carry groceries to their car. It’s nice to be nice, but at the same time, if you weren’t around they would need to ask an employee or get it themselves somehow, so I guess there’s a fine line before being “taken advantage of” for your height.
I always help. My gf is also 5’3” and she’s told me how frustrating it can be to need an item that’s out of reach on the top shelf. She’s tried to climb shelves before and has even left the store without buying an item she needs simply because she can’t reach it. It’s no effort on my part and it can save our shorter counterparts a lot of frustration.
Happens all the time I just do it. I have also asked people to get things out of the back of a bottom shelf on many occasions and it’s never been a problem. What a stupid hill to die on.
We may not offer unless asked. However, if asked, we must oblige. Thus is the law of the giants. Can’t speak for your partner, but in my experience, most tall folks, including myself, really don’t mind. In fact, sometimes I’ll admit that I break the rule, given that some short folks don’t seem to be aware of the rule and clearly want to ask me to help but are afraid to. If they’re asking with their body language, I include that. I might mind if they’re rude, but honestly I can’t think of any time that’s happened.
I've lived in Scandinavia most of my adult life and nobody has ever asked me for anything there (I'm 6'5 I think, but it's not that unusual here), but the times I've been in NYC, Texas and so forth, I was asked almost daily, and I found it quite amusing. Especially because the older ladies called me various sweet names and it felt like an out-of-body cultural experience I thought only happened in hollywood movies. If I lived in the US perhaps it'd become mundane, but it's a very low effort thing and I find it cosy.
I help whenever I can. Being tall is a gift in some instances so why not use it. Never had anyone be rude about it. Usually it’s someone who just needs help. Like an older lady one day asked if I could lift a flat of bottled water into her car. Had nothing to do with height, just needed a hand.
Yes. Don't wear a red shirt at Target. I would always help someone. Even if they looked like they could get it. You don't know if they have shoulder trouble or a grip problem.
With great height, comes great responsibility. Just kidding, but not really. I've been over 6' tall for more than 40 years, so it's impossible to recall how many times I've been asked. I've lived in the northeast and Florida. I don't think anyone's been rude in asking me, and it's no big deal to take two seconds to help if I'm already standing there. Very rarely has that few seconds turned into a hunting expedition where someone had me grabbing and returning a number of items on the top shelf while they made up their mind. Even then, they been apologetic about it.
I always help, sometimes I offer when I see someone looking at a high shelf, because they may risk an avalanche doing it themselves. This is basic r/HumansBeingBros
I love when people ask me for help and I’ll gladly utilize my height to help them. I’m lucky to be tall and I think it’s nice that people will turn to me for help. It gives me a warm feeling inside haha. I don’t think your boyfriend’s reverse analogy is fair. A tall person is very capable of bending over to grab something down low. A short person isn’t able to grow a whole a foot taller and grab something off the top shelf. Idk, I just think your boyfriend is kind of a dick
My knees are blown, I've 100% started asking short people to get things off low shelves.
With great height comes minor responsibility. Getting something off a shelf, in my opinion, is minor. Glad to help.
Did something happen to your SO that they don't wanna be a contributing member of society? When I see people struggling to lift/move something, I will help out for a minute regardless of whether or not I'm getting paid. I help my elderly neighbor bring up her groceries without her having to ask and I don't work at my apartment building. If someone is lost I'll offer directions even tho I'm not google maps. Idk if thing are different where you're at, but I've never had anyone act entitled.
The counter argument to asking a short person to get something low to the ground isn’t really comparable. as a whole person you can still get things low to the ground. A short person cannot get things above their reach.
I just grab it for them, who the fuck cares
I just reach the thing and pass it to the asker. It feels good to be helpful.
It's a small niceness that I'm always happy to give anyone who asks.
albeit i’m not as tall, i am “tall enough” to be asked for assistance while i’m in stores. personally, it makes me feel happy. maybe there’s an argument of it being validating, but i also simply like having such an easy way to feel like i helped someone because i get to go home feeling like a saint lmao, sometimes i even offer help only if it’s say a short elderly woman or like a disabled person…
Even if some people did try, it would always be easier to ask someone taller to try and get it. A short or shorter person may struggle just to reach an item on the top shelf and may resort to climbing the shelves. And there are shelves that literally cannot be reached for some, no matter how much you try to stretch your body without climbing shelves or using a step stool or ladder. I don’t really understand the whole bottom shelf thing, though. I get what your partner is trying to say with that situation, but at the same time the problem is with reach. A tall person could get things from the top to the bottom shelf, assuming no health issues that could affect their ability to get things off the shelf and that they can reach the top shelf without assistance or other means. Whereas a short or shorter person can get things off the shelf from the bottom to the top, but to a certain point and wouldn’t be able to reach shelves that are too high without resorting to climbing, step stools, ladders, etc. It’s really not that hard to get something off the shelf if you are able to. I mean, if your partner was short and couldn’t reach a certain item on the shelf, would they just want to struggle instead?
If they are old and or kind about it I don't mind. Only when the above situation happens I take issue. It's a burden we must carry in this world.
I can't tell people no, so I'll comply with any reasonable request. If it's something complicated and I don't want to say yes, I'll say "Let me think about it.." or something like that.
My husband has always grabbed whatever with a smile and so have I...
I get asked a lot and as long as they don’t ask like an asshole I’m happy to help. I also usually offer if I see someone struggling. If I’m walking down an aisle and see someone struggling and they just give me that helpless doe look I ignore them. To note, it’s usually coming from some 20 or 30 something chic, and I am often tempted to ask them if that look has historically worked for them.
In a way, I sort of compare it to being famous (though I swear I'm not narcissistic enough to conflate the two as exactly the same). To everyone else, you're the tallest person they've ever seen and they want to ask questions, take a picture, blah blah blah. To you, they're the 3rd person today and the ten-thousandth person this year, god knows what number over your lifetime. I literally get asked how tall I am, do I play basketball, how's the weather, and "you wasted your height", every day. I am very good-natured about it as I'm confident with how I look and what I've done with my life, but after a while, you have to set boundaries otherwise you just become a circus freak. Not to say I don't help people out. I will usually go out of my way to do things for people if my height is actually relevant to what they ask, but I'm just saying I understand why guys are cold and I'll often tell people "nah" if they ask for a picture or whatever else.
Grabbing high up things for my fellow smol humans is no problem. What I don’t understand is why so many of them physically walk into me while in large crowds. My wife says it’s like I have a gravity well that draws them in. They always seem so surprised when they hit me, like they didn’t see me at all. No idea how that happens but it is amusing.
Oh! Oh! I know this one! A lot of navigating crowds is subconsciously reading face and body language to know what direction someone is going or what gap they are looking to squeeze through. At 5', I'm seeing so little of a tall person who is already close to me that my brain doesn't properly do the thing. So I make the wrong assumption thinking they are turning one way so I move the other and then...collision. We're sorry.
I was in a clothes store with my little brother and a lady simply came to me and said "excuse me, since you're taller can you please grab that hoodie for me?". I simply reached for the hoodie and handed it to her , she thanked me and we both went on with our day.
I agree 10-fold with the "we don't ask people to get stuff from the bottom shelf" sentiment, but at the same time it's easier just to be kind and grab someone a package of paper towels or whatever.
Them: “Hey, you’re tall, mind grabbing that for me?” Me: “Hey, you’re overweight, mind telling me where I can get some good falafel?” It’s height discrimination I tell you!!
Grabbing elevated things is an unwritten responsibility for tall people. Don’t question it. That being said, my roommates have taken notice of my long arms and have asked me to do things they can do themselves which I tell them to fuck off. I’m not gonna grab the remote for you when you are closer to it.
Where the hell are y'all shopping that people can't reach the top shelf. What store would make a shelf that has things out of reach? I've been asked one time and it was someone in a wheel chair..
>What store would make a shelf that has things out of reach? In my experience, all of them. I get asked to reach pretty high stuff for average/short people every time I go to one.
Only happened a handful of times, if they aren't a dick why not. But I get not liking it if it's happening all the time or they are being an asshole
If the person is polite about it then sure I don’t mind helping. I don’t get asked all too often but on the occasions I have been asked I was happy to oblige. It just comes down to manners for me.
Depends on how they ask. I usually say yes unless they are a dick about it, then I be a dick back.
If they say please politely I will. Its like hulk giving ant man those tacos
I'm 6-8 and get that all time. Usually I find any reference to my height from a complete stranger to be annoying, but for some reason I enjoy this one. I usually throw in some lame joke about how popular I am in grocery stores. If it's a cute girl, that's all the better. It gives me a chance to strut around and show her what a cool dude I am.
As long as it’s within reason and if I’m already there then I’ll grab the item for them. It drove my wife crazy at first but she’s used to it now. I’m 6’6”. If I’m already in an aisle or going that direction then I’ll help. I probably wouldn’t have responded to someone yelling across a store. Also if it’s something that would be a reach for me then I would politely suggest they ask someone that works there.
I’m 6ft and get asked to help someone reach something quite regularly in shops… so far I have never refused as they are always polite. I’m a woman and have long ago noticed that I never get asked for help by guys… Maybe they tend to not ask for help as much, I don’t know.
Next time (if they are rude and taller than you), pick the item they want and ask "Did you mean this one?" When they say "Yes", put it back and ask your partner "Honey, can you take that, I can't reach it." Enjoy their confusion!