# The Pocket on the Left?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pocket-on-the-left/253485>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [July 4, 2004, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pocket-on-the-left/253485 "2004-07-04T13:07:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mike1dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@mike1dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mike1dog)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2004, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pocket-on-the-left/253485/1 "2004-07-04T13:07:13Z")

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I was interested by this [column.](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_395.html) I am a righty, and I have always worn my wallet on the right. I usually wear jeans, which have the same pocket on both sides. When I wear dress pants which have only one pocket, I usually still reach back with my right hand across my body. It just feels weird to reach back with my left hand. How many righties wear their wallet on the left out there?

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**Author:** ![Booker57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Booker57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Booker57)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2004, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pocket-on-the-left/253485/2 "2004-07-04T13:25:54Z")

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Chiming in here. Right handed wearing/carrying on left. In dress slacks, it is often the only rear pocket. In slacks that have two raer pockets it is the on with a button closure. Extra safty. Plus Dad taught me to do it that way.

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**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2004, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pocket-on-the-left/253485/3 "2004-07-04T13:46:46Z")

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Im a righty and I carry my wallet in my left **front** pocket for two reasons. I don’t have to sit on it and it is much harder to steal.

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**Author:** ![Thin\_Ice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@Thin\_Ice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thin_Ice)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2004, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pocket-on-the-left/253485/4 "2004-07-04T14:02:57Z")

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I’m right-handed and carry my wallet in my right front pocket for the same reasons trandallt carries his in his left front pocket.

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**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2004, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pocket-on-the-left/253485/5 "2004-07-06T03:55:15Z")

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I always assumed the hip pocket evolved as a place for a flask, not a wallet.

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**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\
**Post date:** [July 7, 2004, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pocket-on-the-left/253485/6 "2004-07-07T20:51:42Z")

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> [@mike1dog](#):
>
> How many righties wear their wallet on the left out there?

I do for reasons stated in [a previous thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=264342).