When we moved our corporate headquarters to new offices a year ago, I learned that the new restrooms had those faucets where you don't have to turn a handle, you just stick your hands under the spout and the water begins running automatically. I understand the desirability of this from a sanitation point of view. But I have a problem with it.

My problem is that I seem to be the wrong height or girth or something to make those auto faucets work properly. I first noticed this in the airport, when all around me were merrily washing their hands and I was thrusting mine back and forth, trying to get the angle right to make the water come out.

The faucet in our restroom at work seems to obey me pretty well. The only problem is, it always - and I mean always - turns off before I have gotten all the soap off my hands. And then it refuses to turn back on unless I step clear away from the sink, drippy hands and all, and approach it anew.

The reason I attribute this problem to my height is that I haven't ever noticed anyone else experiencing these kinds of difficulties. I'm suspicious of height discrimination anyway because I always get a sore back when I wash dishes (from leaning down to get to the sink), I can't sit comfortably in an airplane, and it took a week of trying and finally some help from a shorter friend for me to figure out where to put the coins in the drink machine at work because there was a little metal "outcropping" over the slot and I couldn't see under it from my angle. On the other hand, I can reach the items on the top shelves of all my cupboards. So there are tradeoffs.

Anyway, I've noticed that paper towel machines are now starting to be automatic, and even soap dispensers. So I expect to spend a good portion of my days waving my hands around like an idiot, which the more cynical part of me suspects was the manufacturers' intent all along.