# Left or right poll **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 3, 2014, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-or-right-poll/694686 "2014-08-03T00:17:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-or-right-poll/694686/1 "2014-08-03T00:17:05Z")
Answer these questions without looking at anyone else answers first. I’m curious what other peoples assumptions would be in the following scenarios. In every scenario you are looking at 2 things right next to each other. So left and right in these cases is with you looking at them head on. All of these are unmarked so you have to follow your instinct. Pick which one you assume is on the left. 1. Mens room (as in you know there are two bathrooms in front of you but they are not labeled) 2. Cold water (2 faucet handles and they are not labeled etc…) 3. Exit door (Got the idea?) 4. Pepper 5. Decaf coffee pot (like in a meeting and there are 2 coffee pots but they aren’t labeled) 6. Dryer I’m curious if everyone would instinctively choose the same sides for these things. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-or-right-poll/694686/2 "2014-08-03T00:48:44Z")
> [@Cubsfan](#): > > Pick which one you assume is on the left. > > 1. Cold water (2 faucet handles and they are not labeled etc…) ??? I have literally never, in my life, seen a faucet where the cold water tap was on the left. Literally, 100% of the time, the cold water tap is on the right, and in a single-tap, you have to turn to the right for cold (clockwise for shower-type, counterclockwise for sink-type). I’d be extremely surprised if this wasn’t a standard. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-or-right-poll/694686/3 "2014-08-03T01:00:00Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > ??? > > I have literally never, in my life, seen a faucet where the cold water tap was on the left. > > Literally, 100% of the time, the cold water tap is on the right, and in a single-tap, you have to turn to the right for cold (clockwise for shower-type, counterclockwise for sink-type). I’d be extremely surprised if this wasn’t a standard. I see it sometimes, I’m assuming a plumber oversight or due to a non-plumber /homeowner hooking stuff up. It’s really not that uncommon. My tub/shower actually has the cold water on the left and hot on the right. Typically (although certainly not inevitably) hot on left, cold on right. Pepper, dryers, decaf coffee pots and so on I have no idea. Is there really a rule for that? ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-or-right-poll/694686/4 "2014-08-03T01:28:01Z")
On the left: Women’s Hot Exit if I’m outside, Entrance if I’m inside Salt Regular coffee Washer ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-or-right-poll/694686/5 "2014-08-03T02:02:39Z")
On the left: Men’s Hot Entrance (if I’m inside the building) Salt Regular Washer ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-or-right-poll/694686/6 "2014-08-03T02:11:23Z")
> [@Cubsfan](#): > > 1. Mens room (as in you know there are two bathrooms in front of you but they are not labeled) Left seems the most common. > [@](#): > > 1. Cold water (2 faucet handles and they are not labeled etc…) Cold on the right > [@](#): > > 1. Exit door (Got the idea?) Exit door on the right. > [@](#): > > 1. Pepper As in salt and? pepper on the right…I think. Never thought about it. > [@](#): > > 1. Decaf coffee pot (like in a meeting and there are 2 coffee pots but they aren’t labeled) I wouldn’t even try and guess. > [@](#): > > 1. Dryer Right Hmm. I guess I wouldn’t think any of those things were on the left. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-or-right-poll/694686/7 "2014-08-03T02:22:16Z")
Actually thinking about it, I think the mens room is usually to the right but not often enough for me to automatically assume it would be. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-or-right-poll/694686/8 "2014-08-03T02:39:40Z")
In my dad’s house, the dryer had to be on the left, because there was a basin that the washer drained into (poor Freddy the Tree Frog, I remember my dad lifting his remains out of the drain trap where he had escaped to and been inundated by hot soapy water), but in most places, I see the washer on the left. If the coffee is unmarked, I will make no assumptions. Usually, I can smell the difference, but I have no intention of ever drinking that useless brown water. I will ask. Except for water taps and exit doors (which depend on whether you are entering or exiting), all the others vary wildly. If I am sitting in a restaurant booth, what is “left”? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-or-right-poll/694686/9 "2014-08-03T04:16:58Z")
Our dryer is on the left. Never knew that was unusual. I’ve lived in a lot of different places, and honestly can’t recall how the washer and dryer were set up in previous homes. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-or-right-poll/694686/10 "2014-08-03T04:52:18Z")
1. Cannot be determined except through experimentation. 2. Hot water. 3. Cannot be determined except through experimentation. 4. Cannot be determined except through experimentation. (My waiter friends would be disappointed in me. I know there’s an order but it doesn’t come to mind.) 5. Cannot be determined except through experimentation. 6. Washing machine. Sorry, I’m not trying to fight the hypothetical but if I chose a right or left, I’d be picking one at random. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-or-right-poll/694686/11 "2014-08-03T05:17:16Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Our dryer is on the left. Never knew that was unusual. I’ve lived in a lot of different places, and honestly can’t recall how the washer and dryer were set up in previous homes. Most places I’ve lived the water hookups and drain for the washer are on the left and the 240 v/AC outlet and vent for the dryer are on the right. That seems to be the standard so the washer is on the left and dryer on the right because there’s almost no other way to arrange them. ---
**Author:** ![Tread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Tread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tread)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-or-right-poll/694686/12 "2014-08-03T11:44:02Z")
1. No assumption 2. Hot Water Cold on Right 3. Not an Exit… Exit on right 4. No Assumption 5. No Assumption 6. Obvious visual difference… But washer typically on left in my experience ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-or-right-poll/694686/13 "2014-08-03T13:37:45Z")
The washer dryer thing is interesting to me. Everywhere I’ve ever lived the dryer has been on the left but several folks here are saying it’s always been on the right. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-or-right-poll/694686/14 "2014-08-03T14:16:06Z")
1. Mens room: On the right, I guess. 2. Cold water: Right 3. Exit door: On the right as I’m exiting (and obviously that means to the left as I’m entering a store). But some stores have this swapped, to prevent people entering and exiting from crossing paths. 4. Pepper: Neither. 5. Decaf coffee pot: neither 6. Dryer: neither ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-or-right-poll/694686/15 "2014-08-03T15:48:14Z")
The only one I have any expectation for is the cold water and, like everyone else I expect it on the right. However, I certainly have seen the reverse. My grandfather loved to do plumbing but he had the habit of reversing the taps. And my son, whom I have been visiting since Thursday night, just had the guest bathroom redone and the plumber (!) got them backward. My son and his family never use that bathroom and were astonished. I guess they will have it fixed eventually. In my bilingual province, tap handles might say H and C or else C and F for chaud and froid. As a result in my house, the taps on one bathroom say C and C. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-or-right-poll/694686/16 "2014-08-03T15:51:22Z")
> [@Cubsfan](#): > > Answer these questions without looking at anyone else answers first. I’m curious what other peoples assumptions would be in the following scenarios. In every scenario you are looking at 2 things right next to each other. So left and right in these cases is with you looking at them head on. All of these are unmarked so you have to follow your instinct. Pick which one you assume is on the left. > > 1. Mens room (as in you know there are two bathrooms in front of you but they are not labeled) > > 2. Cold water (2 faucet handles and they are not labeled etc…) > > 3. Exit door (Got the idea?) > > 4. Pepper > > 5. Decaf coffee pot (like in a meeting and there are 2 coffee pots but they aren’t labeled) > > 6. Dryer > > I’m curious if everyone would instinctively choose the same sides for these things. Most of these I’ve never noticed any consistency for except the water. So, first instinct: 1. right 2. right 3. no clue 4. left 5. right 6. no clue. Maybe left. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-or-right-poll/694686/17 "2014-08-03T23:43:12Z")
Cold water faucet on the right. Other than that I have no idea or expectation. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-or-right-poll/694686/18 "2014-08-03T23:47:23Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > ??? > > I have literally never, in my life, seen a faucet where the cold water tap was on the left. . . . Every sink in my entire apartment block (sixteen units) plus the two laundry rooms have the cold water tap on the left! In southern California, it’s the standard! ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-or-right-poll/694686/19 "2014-08-04T00:27:30Z")
> [@Cubsfan](#): > > 1. Mens room (as in you know there are two bathrooms in front of you but they are not labeled) Women’s on the left, men’s on the right. > [@](#): > > 1. Cold water (2 faucet handles and they are not labeled etc…) Cold on the right, hot on the left > [@](#): > > 1. Exit door (Got the idea?) Exit door on the left. ? door on the right. > [@](#): > > 1. Pepper Pepper on the left, salt on the right. > [@](#): > > 1. Decaf coffee pot (like in a meeting and there are 2 coffee pots but they aren’t labeled) Regular on the left, decaf on the right. > [@](#): > > 1. Dryer Washer on the left, dryer on the right. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-or-right-poll/694686/20 "2014-08-04T01:29:18Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > Pepper on the left, salt on the right. But whose left? If you are having a nice candlelit dinner with _that_ person, on whose left will the pepper be, as you gaze straight into their eyes? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-or-right-poll/694686.md?page=2)