My DH and I are tall and dared to go to the theatre.

[MangoSeason]

I’m 6 ft 1. My DH is 6 ft 4 and very broad. We went to see Hamilton at the Sydney Lyric Theatre yesterday and were subjected to a tirade of passive aggressive invective by the lady sitting behind us, for the whole show. The Lyric Theatre has very roomy seating, but a very low incline. This is beyond our control. We were not trying to thwart the woman! We were very close to the stage and everyone has to look up here anyway. I don’t think she missed as much as she wanted to make everyone around you believe. The lady behind me offered to swap with her but she loudly announced that “she is just as bad”. Sorry for my tall self exiting in your world.

I mean I do get it. It would be frustrating to be seated behind a couple like us. However, I’ve been at shows that I have looked forward to for years and have dealt with unexpected issues- the man with the very loud vocal tics two seats down, the lady who had to go to the toilet 6 times in a show. It is frustrating but I don’t carry on like a pork chop and I certainly don’t direct any invective towards the person for issues beyond their control. I may privately sigh or have a whinge afterwards but that’s it. DH and I can’t shrink!

We are both used to the under breath FFSs when we sit at shows. We really try to avoid sitting in front of people if we can. But at a sold out show with allocated seating, we are not doing it to upset you. We weren’t wearing hats, wearing scarves or big collars or high hair styles. We were simply existing, sitting quietly within our allocated seats. It was a matinee show with dozens of pre-teen kids around us. They would have had the same issue as the woman and none of them were carrying on at all. They were just enthralled, like everyone else.

Fully prepared to be massacred by the shorter people now!

[quote Wingedharpy]Just came to mention that the "pork chop" expression, has it's roots in antisemitism according to www.australianculture.org/australian-slang[/quote]
pork chop: to carry on like a pork chop

To behave foolishly, to make a fuss, to complain, or to rant. This expression is often thought to allude to the spluttering noise of a pork chop that is being fried. However it is probably a variant of the older expression like a pork chop in a synagogue, meaning something that is unpopular, unlikely, or rare (with reference to the Jewish prohibition of the eating of pork). To carry on like a pork chop is first recorded in 1975.

Unclench, ffs.

@RampantIvy

& less annoyed if you were both keeping still so that once I’d found a way to see the stage I didn’t have to keep shifting. I was once sitting behind a tall person who kept fidgeting and that was really annoying

The fidgeting is the major issue. DD is reasonably tall, but her height is in her legs. She has quite a short torso and looks short when sitting down. She always manages to get a seat behind a tall fidgeter. The worst one was when we were at the cinema and she sat behind a tall lady who then had all her hair piled up in a tall bun on top of her head , and she fidgeted all evening.

So my plea is if you are tall please sit still

I find it hard to sit still. As a tall and broad person with very long legs the seats are so uncomfortable, and having had 8 knee surgeries and a bad back, sitting in the same position becomes painful. I expect the fidgeting of tall people is mainly due to their discomfort. I only book aisle seats when possible.

H is also tall and at the extreme end of shoulder width. Seats are just not made for bigger people like us.

Maybe next time they should go ask if there's a kiddy booster seat available. So sorry the experience was ruined for you

I do sigh inwardly if a tall person sits in front of my kids. But it's the luck of the draw, not their fault. I find a gap and line myself up accordingly.

I'd rather that than sitting in front of kids that constantly kick the back of my seat. It drives me mad. And yes, I check my kids aren't doing the same to the people in front of us...

We went to see Aladdin in New York. Totally understand it's a family musical so lots of kids. Not a problem to have a bit of noise. But the family next to me bought out an enormous bag of crisps which the dad rustled and munched his way through for the entirety of the first half. My husband has the ability to tune out minor distractions, clearly I need to try a lot harder and I start to feel annoyed about how much I've paid to watch the show.

YABU!

How dare you go to the theatre and see such a wonderful show as Hamilton whilst I'm stuck here in the UK with umpteen cancelled show tickets in my possession.

But seriously. We are a short family and ds in particular is very small. I scour seat plan websites and descriptions of theatres to determine where is best to sit. (And ds still sometimes makes use of booster cushions). If this means paying more to ensure we are in a raked area then we pay more.

A trip to Annie was spoiled for me by the toddler belonging to the woman in the next seat. Child was way to young to follow the story or even enjoy the singing and dancing. He spent the whole time in the floor, between me and her, trying to climb over my feet, get at my bag etc. There is so little room it was really distracting. She had a face like a slapped arse and made no attempt to deal with the child, or even put him the other side, next to her older child.

The only reason I got married is so I could stand in the front row of a photograph for once.

@Temp023 this made me lol, so true!

@CanAnyoneHearMe3

YANBU. It's not your fault your tall but it is also help for other people to be aware to be considerate when you can. You did your best, that's all you can do. I remember my partner and I taking our dd to a showing of a kids movie. It was assigned seating and fully booked. She was sat in the middle of us. A family 2 kids and mum and super tall and broad dad. They looked at us, found their seats in the row on front and sat dad straight infront of our little girl. Thats just bloody rude and he got told so. (politely before anyone gets worked up)

I think it's bloody rude that you expected to be able to dictate how another family sat rather than rearranging yourselves.

I’m short, Dh is tall. I definitely wouldn’t behave like a pork chop.

I’m very jealous that you went to the theatre.

@CoffeeWithCheese I'm literally just back from my shop and helped 2 different ladies get things down from the top shelf. We are useful sometimes

I do the bottom shelf in return

Why do people feel the need to comment on others’ heights. You cannot suddenly magically shrink so why should you be made to feel bad about something you cannot help? I should imagine strangers in the street tell you that you are tall or think that they are the first comedian to ask you what the weather is like up there. I am of average height myself but as a violin/viola teacher l have had two very tall pupils, where l have had to make adjustments for them so I have been told about how unthinking some people are. I bet the woman behind would not have liked it if you had commented on her weight but it is exactly the same principle.

On reflection, I think you should have challenged their repeated comments at the end of the show, considered their behaviour, and perhaps suggested to them that some races are naturally taller than others.

That does suck for you. Am your height and would have scooched down in my seat and given saccharine smile and shrug. Maybe leaned slightly to the side so she could see between you.

I once asked someone to swap seats with their partner at intermission at a comedy show as their partner has such terrible poo breath my friend (on the other side of me!) and I were heaving every time he laughed. Did it when he was at the bar so his feelings wouldn't be hurt. But god, it was bad. How could she exist near him I wonder?

"I bet the woman behind would not have liked it if you had commented on her weight but it is exactly the same principle."

Not the same principle at all really, is it? If you say 'you're fat' to someone they're likely to be very insulted and get upset. If you say 'you're tall' to someone, it's not the same as being tall is generally celebrated in our culture.

Why do people feel the need to comment on others’ heights. You cannot suddenly magically shrink so why should you be made to feel bad about something you cannot help? I should imagine strangers in the street tell you that you are tall or think that they are the first comedian to ask you what the weather is like up there.

I am under 5ft. It's pretty annoying but nothing I can do about it. I wouldnt comment on other peoples height, although occassionally if i meet another uber shortie I say how nice it is to have a face to face conversation or be able to look someone in the eye instead of the chest/boobs!!

I often makes jokes or be self deprecating about it , kind of like a self defence before anyone remarks first.

For some reason (and I dont think they mean to be rude or mean) it really grates when young children comment...and they do. A lot.
Mummy ...look how small that lady is!
Mummy... why is that woman so small?
Or my DS class mates telling me they're nearly as tall/as tall/taller than me. Or that they've got bigger feet than me.... grrrrrr.

Actually, Gwenhwyfar, height might be celebrated but if you are extremely tall, particularly if you are a woman, it can make you very self conscious. It can be as much a problem getting clothes and shoes as it is for a very overweight person and you certainly don’t want to be reminded of it and have it commented on any more than an overweight person does.

"if you are extremely tall, particularly if you are a woman, it can make you very self conscious."

Yes, I understand this, but it's difficult at every extreme. There's still a special taboo about mentioning weight though, especially if the person is clearly underweight or overweight.

I agree and certainly would not do so. I simply think that people are self conscious of many things and reasonable adults should not comment on any of them. It sounds as if neither of us are pork chops.

Me and DH are tall. We feel your pain.

I've lost count of the horrible comments we get from random strangers. Apparently they are all ok to say because we're tall. If the comments were about our skin colour, disability, sexuality etc they wouldn't be ok, but height (especially when tall) is fair game.

Coca Cola did an advertising campaign once that mentioned how shit it was to have tall people at gigs. When my then 20 something DH complained he got told he just 'didn't get it' and that the target audience were 20 something men .... errrrr ....

@C8H10N4O2

most tall people seem oblivious to their height

Oh trust me we are not. All those endless jokes about "the weather up there", "giraffe" comments, the endless "surprised sneer" look from shop assistants when trying to find shoes which actually fit long narrow feet (such a confidence boost for teens), the cramp from trying to squeeze into many venue seats, paying extra on planes because the leg room is less than upper leg length.

Its literally impossible to be oblivious to your height if you are tall, mainly because of short people endlessly commenting on it.

Everyone I’ve ever met who was tall never shuts up about it, all men though. Definitely agree they are not oblivious.

@littlebillie

It's interesting, people feel comfortable being rude about height and being tall.

Plenty of people on this thread feel comfortable with calling people short arses and saying they should sit in children’s booster seats.

Yes @raincamepouringdown of course it is their right to be thoughtless 🙄

I would have been annoyed if your hair was styled in a beehive and your partner wore a top-hat. Tall is beautiful and London's theatres are designed for shrimps

If someone tall sits in front of me when I’m with the kids at the cinema I couldn’t care less as I don’t want to watch the twaddle anyway, I hate having my seat kicked or someone taking up some of my set as well as theirs.