# On the Potty -- Pants around knees or ankles? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 23, 2014, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-potty-pants-around-knees-or-ankles/702260 "2014-10-23T16:40:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-potty-pants-around-knees-or-ankles/702260/1 "2014-10-23T16:40:32Z")
When sitting on the Potty, are your pants around your knees or ankles? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-potty-pants-around-knees-or-ankles/702260/2 "2014-10-23T16:52:49Z")
Depends if I’m at work or home. The lock on the office mens’ room door “pops” sometimes if you tug on the handle. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-potty-pants-around-knees-or-ankles/702260/3 "2014-10-23T16:55:26Z")
I take them off completely and hang them over the door. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-potty-pants-around-knees-or-ankles/702260/4 "2014-10-23T17:08:00Z")
Bah! _Real_ men shit in their pants. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-potty-pants-around-knees-or-ankles/702260/5 "2014-10-23T17:20:58Z")
There’s no way that I would let my pants touch a public restroom floor. Pants at my knees so they stay clean. Even at home pants at my knees just from habit. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-potty-pants-around-knees-or-ankles/702260/6 "2014-10-23T17:49:49Z")
Ankles, but if I really want to get down to business I’ll pull a leg out of my pants. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-potty-pants-around-knees-or-ankles/702260/7 "2014-10-23T18:06:43Z")
Generally men have their pants below the knees so they can spread them enough for, well, you get the idea. Women tend to pull then down just enough to get them to clear the front edge of the seat. Sample size for men: 1 (me) Sample size for women: most of my former girlfriends, my wife, and the occasional movie or whatever where the actress is sitting on the toilet. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-potty-pants-around-knees-or-ankles/702260/8 "2014-10-23T18:14:08Z")
I too, have noted a gender difference in this behavior. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-potty-pants-around-knees-or-ankles/702260/9 "2014-10-23T18:14:44Z")
Ankles at home (although I prefer no pants all); knees everywhere else ---
**Author:** ![Macca26](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Macca26](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macca26)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-potty-pants-around-knees-or-ankles/702260/10 "2014-10-23T18:54:16Z")
I started wondering where the dirt marks on the seat of my pants were coming from every now and then. Yep, they had accidentally touched the floor in the work bathroom. (why yes, it IS shared with a bunch of car mechanics) I now make a greater effort to try and keep my pants closer to my knees than my ankles. Rather annoying if I’m wearing soft slacks. At home where it’s clean let them fall where they may. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-potty-pants-around-knees-or-ankles/702260/11 "2014-10-23T18:54:26Z")
What’s “pants”, Precious? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-potty-pants-around-knees-or-ankles/702260/12 "2014-10-23T19:05:29Z")
They protects your One Ring. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-potty-pants-around-knees-or-ankles/702260/13 "2014-10-23T19:44:25Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > Ankles at home **(although I prefer no pants all);** knees everywhere else I know right, who wears pant at home when there’s no company over? Anyways, at work around the knees. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-potty-pants-around-knees-or-ankles/702260/14 "2014-10-23T20:48:46Z")
At the urinal? Ankles. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-potty-pants-around-knees-or-ankles/702260/15 "2014-10-23T21:09:54Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > They protects your One Ring. Is that a Ring of Power? ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-potty-pants-around-knees-or-ankles/702260/16 "2014-10-23T23:07:36Z")
when the zombie hordes attack how far will you get with your pants at your ankles? for safety above the knees. ---
**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:** [October 24, 2014, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-potty-pants-around-knees-or-ankles/702260/17 "2014-10-24T00:07:38Z")
I voted knees, but they just really get past my ass. I mean how much room do I need? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-potty-pants-around-knees-or-ankles/702260/18 "2014-10-26T08:00:25Z")
> [@corkboard](#): > > Generally men have their pants below the knees so they can spread them enough for, well, you get the idea. To the point that I’m surprised there are guys who can keep them above the knees. And once they go below the knees, what holds them up?