Fellow short women, are you the ‘gap’? (lighthearted)

[WildWindySeascape]

I am a short woman and am generally ok with my physical shortcomings.

Except for one bugbear. Whenever I am in a public space where there is a crowd, and where people need to get through the crowd, I feel as though I am the gap.

For example, if I am standing in a busy train station waiting my train platform to be announced, I am pushed and jostled out of the way more than my taller fellow travellers. This isn’t because I am more in the way, but I believe it’s because I’m small, so they think I am a gap for them to squeeze past.

It’s the same at festivals, anywhere busy really. Both men and women are way more likely to push and nudge their way through right where I am standing. The taller people around me do not have to move. Sometimes I shift but sometimes I stay planted on the spot and just end up a little jostled.

Has anyone else experienced this? Are you the gap too? Please share so we can moan together!

FWIW short people are my favourite people at Disney…I’m always going to be standing (a reasonable distance) behind you for the fireworks so that I don’t have a 6ft plus person blocking my view. I am definitely never pushing or jostling you though, I promise.

@Boreded

Thank you for your allyship

5ft 1.5in. Why is it that tall people always stand in front of us at gigs, festivals etc🤷🏼‍♀️ and pretend we didn’t get to the bar before them.

@Absolutelyawefull

It’s infuriating!

Yes! Though I have always assumed that it’s because when trying to find a way through a crowd, people see a gap because I am small and don’t expect a person to be there, and then have to push through.

I don’t normally care about being short but as well as not wanting to be the perceived gap, I’d also love to see the band at a gig, rather than the back of men’s heads…

Always the gap. Often the reason people shout “can you move down!” on a crowded Tube. Generally used as a newspaper rest, back in the old days

I’ve always been happy with my diminutive stature and thought what you describe is just how it is. I’ve recently been to a few events with a colleague who is really unnecessarily tall.

It’s just magic.

I stand in front of him, obvs. Not in his line of sight. . No one jostles me. I mentioned it to him and he was polite but just plain had no idea at all what I was talking about.

@FinallyHere oh that sounds like a dream! Is there such thing as ‘tall privilege’ in that case? I don’t think anyone can really understand unless they are short too.

@Absolutelyawefull love the extra half inch. Makes all the difference!

or so my husband tells me 😂

@HEC2746

Yes, many, many years ago I had someone rest their newspaper on my head in a busy tube carriage!

5’ here yep absolutely this happens to me, the amount of times I get whacked my peoples bags too.

I am fun-sized (and yes, that half-inch makes all the difference, I'll have you know!) to the rest of the world, but considered tall for a woman in my family, as I'm slightly over five feet tall <preens>. My size, however, is mildly inconvenient at work as people do not understand why I spend so much time climbing up things, because they are tall and can see!

I am mistaken for The Gap by humans, and She Who Must Be Obeyed by livestock (I do love cows! Most of them come to the sound of my voice and everything). I am also built like a brick s*-house, as someone once told me, and surprisingly strong for my size and sex. I am frequently lost by taller friends when in a crowd, but they find it handy when I wear a colourful coat, as I am apparently much easier to spot!

I’m 5’2, my husband is 6ft. He glides through a crowd and then looks back wondering where I am. I’m still fighting through all the people that won’t move out of my way…

Yes, me too, 5 foot 2. Every single time at a train station, or even a queue, people decide that where I am is the exact point that is ideal to cut through. I’ve also had the newspaper resting on my head on a tube.

I decided not to be invisible the other day, as I really wanted a seat on the tube as I was carrying something heavy. I was on the platform, a couple of people filed on ahead of me. All fine, looked to be 3 or 4 seats left. Then some tall guy sped up the platform and decided to just step in front of me to get on. For once I stepped forward to block him - I was there before him, I am much older, I was carrying something. I mean fgs just let me on first. He called me either a cunt or cow for my trouble, just heard it under his breath before he turned on his heel and got on another carriage.

4ft 10in here and always the gap! I’m also the gap to you >5ft people. 😝

Yes - at five foot one and a half I barely register on taller people's radars.

I remember once at a work do standing in a group and looking up at everyone else who was about a foot taller. They were all making eye contact and talking to each other - I don't think they even noticed me tbh. It's a weird feeling being short sometimes.

I’m only the gap in summer (5ft0), in winter I wear a bright bobble hat with a massive bobble so DH can find me (well find my hat anyway) in a crowd.

Oh my goodness, I have never linked having to stand in a pub or something and haven't really known my problem with it to be able to explain, but that's it! The conversations, quite literally, go straight over my head!

I’m 5ft 2 but quite fierce
However was once shoved off a tram which then departed with my Mr on board
Bad News when you get older you shrink even more ☹️

YES! I never realised it was my height, I just thought it was because I don't like to stand too close to the person in front of me, that causes people in crowds to think wherever I'm standing is the path.

I’m 6ft. I would probably choose to stand behind you for the space around my head if it was a crowded train or platform tbh.

Well, I used to be 5' but I'm now 4' 11 not that I am going to admit it IRL. Can't say that I have noticed the gap but I avoid crowds now, back in the day getting served at the bar was a challenge. My naval career ended when I started to fill out the application form and it requested height (in brackets 5'3" minimum).

4'11", always the gap. Once had a bag for life full of shopping rested on me by an offensively tall fellow lift user. They were most irritated when I shoved it off.
I spend my life pushing back on rucksacks attached to tall people on trains / trying to get out of armpits also on trains

Have a look at Level by Hans Hemmert - those shoes could be very useful!

remosince1988.com/blogs/stories/same-height-party

Yes! It’s horrid in rush hour as my face is sandwiched in between people’s bodies!