Evening star., 1954-10-24
Heud-on Problems
Toll Men Cover in Shopping
Against Rigors Of Low Awnings
Stor's 'Ducker'
Finds so Store
Coverings Illegal
Heud-on Problems
By Steed Eyons

like to amble along window shop
ping in Washington. has reached
low point. Unlike his brethren
Of average height, the 6-foote1
can run head-on into problems
low awnings.
Protests have been made. Men
over 6 feet tall say they are tired
of knocking their noggins against
canvas BOBBY traps.
It starteo In New York City
Things have gone so far there
that Fifth avenue merchants
may seek to amend the city
building code. They would raise
the ceiling on awnings to z feet
to allow ample room for taller
citizens.
Although the District of Co
lunbia building code sets 8 feet
as minimum clearance from
street level, tall toppers here are
little better of than New
Yorkers.
Needing complaints, The Star
sent a 6-foot-312-inch reporter
out to check. In less than a
couple Of hours he found SO
stores with awnings dropping to
illegal lows
Right in the Face.
Canvas sun shades that offer
protection to people under s
feet tall slap the king sized
customer in the face. Head
gear as well as dignity is i'm
paired. And the pipe frame
supporting some awnings offers
rigid resistance to the unwary.
According to Article 201-03i
Of the D. c. Building Code, "can-
vas, non-resinous wood or metal
awnings of the folding or hinged
class, secured onto a building and
not less than 8 feet above the
sidewalk, may be erected ;"
If this is the case, a lot of
merchants can't measure.
The reporters tour of stores
covered an area bounded by D
street, Seventh street, u street
and Connecticut avenue, NV.
Swank shops on Connecticut
avenue were as guilty of sagging
awnings as a secondhand cloth
ing store on D street whose avn
ing dipped to 5 feet II inches.
A stroll up Seventh street dis
covered bare pipe support jutt-
ing out from an awning barely
6 feet tall. An awning 'front.'
ing a variety store on U street,
If not previously reconoitered
could bend the proboscus of an
average-sized male.
Other ean-bangers were 10
Gated on Connecticut avenue and
Fourteenth street.
What Can He Do?
Truly. the 6-tplus) foot Pc
destrian has his problems. He
can double his score if he wears
a hat and add five more if he
uses an umbrella. But what can
he do?
Did store owners know about
this?
That's a funny thing, all
right" admitted Samuel w.
Rosenberg. president of the Con-
necticut Avenue Businessmens'
Association.
THAT very thing was brought
up at one Of our recent meetings.
But the fellow who offered the
information was real tall and I
got the idea that he was sort of
just kidding.
"But say" Mr.. Rosenberg said,
"I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll
Introduce this at our next meet
ing"
In New York, those affected
feel that amendment to the
building code is the only way out.
A member Of the Fifth Avenue
Association said in rather pointed
language that in several GEN.
turtes. II the increase in male
height continues, New Workers
may find 1t necessary to make
their way about on their hands
and knees"
Figures don't bear out this
contention. The Korean CT is
just barely l inch taller than his
doughboy forebear Of World
War I.
Bigger at rs.
National insurance COMPANY
files concur, but add that the
25-year-old of today is about IL
pounds heavier and has q bigger
chest than his dad.
They further reveal that a
greater proportion of soldiers In
World War II were over 6 feet
as compared to World War Il
and wrap up the whole subject
by stating that a third of all
young adult American males are
at least a quarter-inch taller
than their fathers.
Public consciousness of the
lack of ample headroom is moth
ing new. Derisive comments fol-
lowed when President Herbert
Hoover's Postmaster General
Walter F. Brown asked for and
got a special car from the de-
partment because he said he
couldn't wear his top hat in the
one he used.
More provocative are statistics
that purport to prove that tall
heads are more expensive. The
6-foot-4-inch victim of a low
awning is likely to have taken
out approximately $3.50 worth
OF insurance whereas the 5-footer
Is covered by only $2,979.
At this rate, the statistics
prove" a mans insurance value
increases at the rate Of about
5000 per inch Of height. The
premise behind these figures
once was explained, to the salts
faction Of few, that tall men
fanI ~ hara 1~u~- A. !,