# Am I the only guy who's never put anything in his back pants pocket? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 21, 2014, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-guy-whos-never-put-anything-in-his-back-pants-pocket/707815 "2014-12-21T12:25:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2014, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-guy-whos-never-put-anything-in-his-back-pants-pocket/707815/41 "2014-12-22T18:47:23Z")
I hate the back pocket, never use it for anything. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2014, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-guy-whos-never-put-anything-in-his-back-pants-pocket/707815/42 "2014-12-22T19:35:37Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > I suspect he wanted to make sure we were picturing the right comb. Only losers carry a regular comb in their back pocket. > I’ve always kept my wallet in my back pocket. I must have an insensitive butt. It is a cool comb. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2014, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-guy-whos-never-put-anything-in-his-back-pants-pocket/707815/43 "2014-12-22T19:39:10Z")
I just checked my pants, which are pulled up as high as the crotch will allow. They’re business casual khakis, with a belt. Sitting down, the back pocket of these pants is an inch too low for my wallet to fit into the pocket without being sat on in some way. If the wallet is touching the bottom of the pocket, I’m definitely sitting more on it than not. In order to be comfortable, the wallet would have to stick out of the top of the pocket. So maybe my anatomy or sitting posture is different from the norm… but it sure doesn’t work for me. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2014, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-guy-whos-never-put-anything-in-his-back-pants-pocket/707815/44 "2014-12-22T20:20:40Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > I just checked my pants, which are pulled up as high as the crotch will allow. They’re business casual khakis, with a belt. > > Sitting down, the back pocket of these pants is an inch too low for my wallet to fit into the pocket without being sat on in some way. If the wallet is touching the bottom of the pocket, I’m definitely sitting more on it than not. In order to be comfortable, the wallet would have to stick out of the top of the pocket. > > So maybe my anatomy or sitting posture is different from the norm… but it sure doesn’t work for me. Maybe the pocket is lower than usual. I just measured, and with my pants at my natural waist the top of the pocket would have to be at least 9 inches below the top of the waistband for me to sit on my wallet. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2014, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-guy-whos-never-put-anything-in-his-back-pants-pocket/707815/45 "2014-12-22T22:31:49Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > What’s all this about sitting on it? The back pocket is maybe 1 1/2 to 2 inches below the top of the pants. To be able to sit on my wallet I’d have to sag my pants so low that half of my butt would be exposed. I’ve kept my wallet in my back pocket for at least 40 years, and when I sit it’s behind me, not under. > > And it’s a heck of a lot harder to get things out of my front pockets when I’m sitting than it is to pull out my wallet. psst… you’ve been buying mom jeans. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2014, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-guy-whos-never-put-anything-in-his-back-pants-pocket/707815/46 "2014-12-22T22:56:24Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > It is a cool comb. I have the smaller variety. In the 70’s and 80’s the larger ones were common, and the handle portion stuck out of the pocket. Mine is discrete, but very cool. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-guy-whos-never-put-anything-in-his-back-pants-pocket/707815/47 "2014-12-23T01:41:35Z")
I can’t say never but 99.9% of the time I don’t use my back pocket. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-guy-whos-never-put-anything-in-his-back-pants-pocket/707815/48 "2014-12-23T01:53:41Z")
actually i frequently use a back pocket for tire valve caps when checking pressure. also nuts, bolts and screws if i’m working on a small job without a full tool setup which would include an empty can for such things. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-guy-whos-never-put-anything-in-his-back-pants-pocket/707815/49 "2014-12-23T02:35:07Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > They sit at my [natural waistline](http://www.primermagazine.com/2013/spend/pants-rise-explained-and-why-low-rise-isnt-always-your-best-choice), the same as most people. The crotch would keep me from pulling them any higher even if I wanted to. If I pull my any of my pants down far enough to sit on my wallet I have some major butt crack showing. In most of my slacks the top of the hip pockets are just below the belt loops. I’m wearing jeans right now and the pockets are a little lower in them, but still not enough to sit on my wallet. According to that pic, the natural waistline is basically the belly button. For some reason I always thought that was the technical waist, but that “natural” waist was something different. Doesn’t make sense, I realize. I don’t know anyone under 80 who wears pants that high. I already feel old when I see all the kids these days wearing their swim trunks and such so low that they have to shave pubes just to wear them. So, it’s not like I’m going much in the other direction. But I’m not going up to the belly button or arm pits. A normal crotch rise keeps me from pulling them up that high. FWIW, I’ve always been a little overweight. I don’t have a ripped pubic mound or whatever it is people show off these days. so what feels like my “natural” waist is the indentation about 2-3 inches bellow my bellow button, as that’s where pants sit functionally. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-guy-whos-never-put-anything-in-his-back-pants-pocket/707815/50 "2014-12-23T14:03:10Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > So maybe my anatomy or sitting posture is different from the norm… but it sure doesn’t work for me. THAT’S IT! Maybe not the anatomy, so far as I know I’ve never seen **dracoi** , but the posture. I generally have pretty good sitting posture, all the way back in the seat so that my back is fully supported. That puts my back pocket and wallet just out of the way of my butt cheek. I do slouch sometimes, though, and a quick experiment shows that when I do I tend to lean more on the cheek opposite the wallet. Mystery solved! ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-guy-whos-never-put-anything-in-his-back-pants-pocket/707815/51 "2014-12-23T15:19:29Z")
I used to carry my wallet in my back pocket but after my Dad spent almost 4 months off work due to [sciatica](http://www.sciatica101.com/basics/causes/is-your-wallet-causing-sciatica.html), in agony, in part to carrying his wallet in his back pocket for years (sitting on it apparently shifts the nerves), I switched to the front pocket. My back pockets only get occasional use for receipts, napkins and temporary stuff. FWIW, I also cut down radically on the bulk in my wallet by switching to a [Ridge](http://www.ridgewallet.com/) wallet and carrying all my loyalty card crap on my phone using the Stocard app. My wallet now has less than 10 cards and a clip for cash. Much easier to tote around. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-guy-whos-never-put-anything-in-his-back-pants-pocket/707815.md?page=2)