How high hopes fall short in big city Trains are a tall order for The Sunday Telegraph journalist Leigh Van Den Broeke. Picture: Ross Schultz Source: The Sunday Telegraph CALL me a tall poppy - but being 200cm (6ft 7in in old money) is a tall order in a short man's world. Everything from leg room on buses, to beds and showers seem to be getting stingier. The latest Australian study on stature and skeletal maturity says the average 18-year-old man has shot up 4cm since the 1970s to an average 179cm - so it's no wonder I feel the city's falling short. Buses I DON'T fit the seats. Even when I've slid as far back as I can, my legs still don't fit. I have to hope for an aisle seat and sit side-on with my legs sticking out. And, of course, nearly every commuter bumps into me as they pass. Most times I stand until a lot of the people are gone because I don't like using the disabled area. Trains THE train is similar to the bus, but there are more things for me to bump my head on. I have to twist my neck to the side to get up and down the stairs in the double-deckers. If I ever forget, whack, my head hits the roof. Like the bus, I won't sit in the disabled area to keep to the code of reserving those places for passengers who need them more. I might be tall, but I'm still young and healthy and can stand. Cinema YOU'D never want to sit behind me at the cinema. I don't think the back of my head is as exciting as the film. I always slide down in my chair when I take a seat, but once the movie starts and the excitement kicks in I often shuffle around and by the end I'm sitting upright. When the lights come on I realise what I've done and look behind me to see an unfortunate short person who made the catastrophic mistake of sitting behind a tall guy. Beds IT has to be at least a queen-sized bed or I feel like I'm sliding off the end. Double beds don't cut it, and don't even mention a single. When I've been faced with a small bed or nothing I've tried to sleep diagonally, but the risk of falling out increases enormously. The sheets for the smaller beds are an issue too. They are just not long enough. Branches YOU have to have your wits about you just taking a walk when you're this tall. Councils prune trees that hang too low. However, my idea of too low is quite different to the average man's. Taking a stroll can get a little dangerous when you're on the phone or generally not paying attention. I've hit my head and copped a mouth full of leaves a few times. Showers MOST people associate taking a shower with relaxation, but when the shower head barely reaches your chest it becomes more of a task. The showers at Bondi beach are convenient for when you need to get the salt off. However, at my height I need to get down onto one knee so the water hits my head. No fun. Cars UNTIL I'm rich enough to be driven around in a stretch limo I'm going to have to continue to fold myself up like a deck chair when hopping into cars. With vehicles becoming more fuel efficient they're also getting smaller. I barely fit in the back seat of some. Even with the seat right back, I'm praying it's a short trip.