Do tall people mind helping shorter people reach things in the supermarket?

[glorioussilence]

I’ve just had to ask for help in Sainsbury’s (5’3) and it always makes me feel a bit infantile which is stupid - I can’t help being short!

The person I asked just laughed but do tall people ever get annoyed?

Going by the amount of people that refuse to get stuff down for me which I can’t reach in my wheelchair I’d say a lot of people are far from happy

That's really shocking.

Worst I had was an Amazon locker. It was too shelf and parcel was right at the back. I was really scruffy as i wss on the way home from work and the lockers were in the foyer of a supermarket that gets a few beggars. So no-one would stop for me.

I don’t mind at all. Life is getting way too serious if you can’t use a few seconds to be helpful.

Most people love to help - it makes em feel good.

*top shelf obvs

Of course not. They do mind being referred to as giant and please don’t point out that they are tall, ‘You’re tall’ or ‘How tall are you?’ or ‘I had forgotten how tall you are’ etc etc
Can you tell I have seen a lot of annoying family members over Christmas. 😬

When I worked in a supermarket I used to laugh when people asked me to help them get stuff down (which was all the time) - I'm only 4'11 and even with a step struggled with the top shelf however I would always find a taller colleague to help. The job was a lot easier when I was promoted to the deli.

@motherofawhirlwind - Nope, as long as you don't make jokes about it i.e. What's the weather like up there? That's just rude.

Oh dear. I have sometimes asked a tall person could I borrow a bit of their height please and would they mind getting the whatever down for me. I hadn't thought of it as being rude, more as being a bit self-deprecating about my lack of height.

I'll just ask politely in future.

Sometimes. There is a world of difference between can you get that for me ("no") to would you mind reaching that for me please("yes")

We asked a 6 ' 3' bloke , he couldn't reach either and had to climb on bottom shelf, he was so amused, that even he need to do so. Said it made his day.

I honestly don't mind!

I really appreciate it when people get stuff from the bottom shelf when I am carrying DD in the sling.

Whyamid I don’t think saying could I borrow a bit of your height is rude at all, it’s more pointing out people are tall in a ‘bloody hell, you’re tall’ type of way, as if we hadn’t realised.
I wouldn’t mind someone saying please can you reach something for me, I could do with a bit of your height. 🙂

I love it because I enjoy being tall. Just make sure you are nice and clear when you say what you want, it’s awful trying to guess what a mumbler wants.

I find it very helpful, am five foot exactly and to all the tall people out there, thank you very very much.

Oh dear. I have sometimes asked a tall person could I borrow a bit of their height please and would they mind getting the whatever down for me

Nah- you're fine! Its the incredulous comments that are rude eg: "omg you're SO tall, what's the weather like up there?, are you a basketball player? how tall are you????"

Imagine the equivalent for a shorter person:
"OMG you're SO short! what's it like being so close to the ground? how short are you???"

I think in general its much safer to just not comment on people's physical characteristics. But asking for help is absolutely fine.

I'm 6'9 and I'm happy to help, I don't see why anyone wouldn't it only takes a second. I only ever tend to get asked by rather elderly people though.

I love being helpful.

I am 5ft 10 and it's no problem

M&S are especially bad for this with their shoes. They put the size 3 shoes, which are very likely to be worn by shorter people on the top shelf at the eyeline of people like me at 5'7 and the size 7s that I want on the bottom shelf so I have to crouch right down with my long legs in a cramped space to get them.

I was getting a pair of size 3 shoes for dd in Penney’s (primark). I found a manager and asked him to get them down as I’m only 5’2”. We had a discussion about the stupidity of the way they were organised. Apparently it is dictated by head office.

Why would they? They’d have to be a proper miserable arsehole.

I'm 5'5" but old and need a stick for balance; if I can't reach and there's a couple nearby I usually say to the woman (if she's the shorter one!) 'would you mind if I borrowed your husband?' Good humoured exchange and it works every time

DH gets asked constantly (he's 6 foot 7 so stands out) and never minds. First thing my mum said when I brought him home was "Ooooh you can get me that down from the kitchen cupboard can't you" (she's 5 foot on the nose but persists in putting everything in the top shelf of her bloody kitchen cupboards)

Yes to the shoes - small sizes start at the top and work their way down. I only buy my shoes online now, it's easier.

Fun fact:
The author Lee Child is very tall. When he lost his job in the TV industry his wife said: 'Never mind, you can always become a professional reacher for people'
And that's how the hero of his best-selling thrillers, Jack Reacher, got his name.

Oh dear. I have sometimes asked a tall person could I borrow a bit of their height please and would they mind getting the whatever down for me

Oh no, that wouldn't bother me. It's the people who point out how tall I am as though I hadn't noticed, and then make a lame comment about the weather or not dancing with short men. To be fair though, the people who do that are not the same people who ask me to get things from high shelves.