Land of the Liliputes
A personal observation of mine and even a mild pet peeve from time to time is the current SIZING of things in this world. It seems like most everything is standardized for a person of heights between 5’4″- 5’10” and similar frame. So, at 6’3″ and of average build, I’ve occasionally ran into instances where I’ve bumped my noggin or had to accomodate to fit into what is currently in place. It’s always interesting to get into cars and adjust seats so that you’re just about sitting on the road in order to get your head in decent.
On a trip out West a few years ago, I even ran into a distrubing situation at a few hotels that ran under the same name. I could swear there showerheads were placed at about 5 ft. This coupled with the general lackluster cleanliness of the rooms led me to send a letter to the hotel chain. All they said was they were sorry and when I came back they’d offer me some 15% offer for my troubles. Oh yeah, that’s gonna for sure make one feel welcome back.
As for clothes, big & tall sizes convienently cost extra for the only sizes that I can actually fit into. Size XL shirts or 13+ shoes? Sorry, that’ll be extra $$$ for the added material or we don’t carry anything that size. But when it comes to the teeny-weeny sizes or baby sizes, do these same companies charge less for the same type of products that require a fraction of material to make? No, that would be silly. Rent shoes at a bowling alley? Sure they have a few pairs of waterskis available, but they are cracked to hell and in about as good as shape as a junkyard car.
I really don’t think I’m atypical in my sizing. In fact Americans have been reported as benefitting from better health conditions and diets so that they are increasingly taller and fatter ,yep it’s true, than all generations preceding them. So you think with this upward trend, things would be more accomodating for the ‘average man’. Which is funny in itself. I remember attending a Timberwolves game when Stephon Marbury played here and that his height and weight were the same as mine. And he was the shrimp out there and the court. Just imagine what those poor multimillionaire NBA ballers have to put up with. SAD.