What's the weather like up there?

This must be the most common question that I get from a smallish person. Well, after "How tall are you?"

What is the weather like up here? Pretty much the same as down there, of course. But in saying so I've crossed the line. While it's OK for them to refer to my great height and make it a source of fun, I've now drawn attention to their lack of inches and that tends to bristle.

So why is it OK one way and not the other? Perhaps it's the British love of the underdog. Perhaps it looks like bullying. Most likely the joke is a defence mechanism designed to release the tension they feel in my presence. Whatever the reason you just have to smile and accept the joke like it's the first time you heard it.

Incidentally, if I am around a foot taller than the questioner (and nobody over 6 feet ever asks) then my air pressure at head height is about 0.01 mm of mercury lower than theirs. So the weather really isn't any different up here.

But let's not spoil the myth, eh?