I had been divorced for about 2 years after being married for 10. I was a member of President’s and First Lady’s Health Club, and I decided to get back into shape. I worked out on certain days and times. Over the months, I recognized people who were on the same work-out schedule as me. I noticed one girl who was working out on the same days and times I was. She was in her late 20’s, about 5 foot 9 or 10”. She was in great shape and pretty.

One day she was working out at a machine about 30 feet from me. There was no one around, so we could talk in private. I thought to myself, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained”, so walked over to her to ask her out. I said these exact words,“ I have seen you work out over the last few months, and you are in great shape and very attractive, and I was wondering if you care to go out sometime?” This is what she said to me in an angry voice. “I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU CAME OVER HERE!” “I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT!”. She then stuck her index finger in my face and said,”I DON’T DATE SHORTER MEN. I was in a state of shock. I stopped listening to her, for I was trying to figure out how to save the conversion, and what I had said to make her so angry. It was because I did not meet her height requirements. I also realized I didn’t deserve this BS, so I walked away with her continuing to squack.

A simple and civil “No thank you” would have been sufficient, but she felt compelled to demean me, because I was not worthy to approach her. That a shorter man, (lower value in her mind), would even think he had a right to approach her much less a chance to date her, was something that had to be addressed right then and there. There was no way she was going to allow this transgression to pass; therefore, I had to be put in my place.

She thought her status was above me, much like a slave holder looked down upon a slave or a nobleman looked down upon a peasant. To a heightist, they are better simply because they are taller, and those who are of less stature are valued less as human beings. It is as plain and as simple as that. I was not a tall man, so I was not valued. I was from a lower class of men, thus no respect was given because I had no status. Furthermore, what is even more troubling about her is her response time. She didn’t take any time to think. It was instantaneous, like a reflex, an action without a thought. Which begs the question, in what society would it be acceptable for a woman to not only reject a man, but also insult him for attempting to ask her out? Where is her introspect? Where is the self-examination of her behavior? In her mind, none was needed. Unfortunately this is how most women think. The above actions are not just of heightist women but of women in general. And this can be proved by visiting any on-line dating site where women shamelessly state in no uncertain terms the height of men they will date.