While small may be beautiful, tall is just plain uncomfortable it seems, particularly when it comes to staying in hotels and eating in restaurants
The Tall Persons Club Great Britain,which was formed six months ago to campaign for the needs of the tall,has turned its attention to hotels and restaurants
Beds that are too small ,shower heads that are too low ,and restaurant tables with scarcely any leg-room all make life difficult for those of above average height it claims
But it is not just the extra-tall whose needs are not being met. The average height of the population has been increasing steadily yet the standard size of beds, doorways , and chairs has remained unchanged.
The bedding industry says a bed should be six inches larger than the person using it, so even a king size bed at 6'6" is falling short for 25% of men, while the standard 6'3" bed caters for less than half of the male population, said 6'8" club president Phil Heinricy
Besides 7' long beds, mr heinricy wants to see shower heads with longer adjusting rails and a taller easy chair in hotel rooms. if not supplied as standard , then he believes at least 5% of rooms should cater for taller person, who would be prepared to pay more.
Similarly restaurant tables can cause no end of problems. Small tables , which mean the long-legged have to sit a foot or so away from them, are enough to make tall clients go elsewhere.
Some have already taken note, however. At Queens Moat Houses'Caledonian Hotel in Edinburgh, 6'6" beds are now installed as standard after requests for longer beds from taller visitors, particularly Americans.
One supplier to have recognized the increasing size of its clients is Corby Trouser Presses, which has added two inches to the height of its presses