# There are two doors for a reason. Don't use the left door **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 10, 2011, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-two-doors-for-a-reason-dont-use-the-left-door/570933 "2011-02-10T19:39:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-two-doors-for-a-reason-dont-use-the-left-door/570933/21 "2011-02-10T22:23:49Z")
I worked for 17 years in a 9th grade school. Freshmen are really dumb creatures. There were plenty of double doors in the school. Neither side was ever locked on any of them during the day. During class changes, fire drills, or any other time “students” were in the hall, great hordes of 9th graders would bottleneck at all of the double doors because not one of them was smart enough to open the other door. ---
**Author:** ![TravisFromOR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TravisFromOR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravisFromOR)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-two-doors-for-a-reason-dont-use-the-left-door/570933/22 "2011-02-10T22:28:43Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > I worked for 17 years in a 9th grade school. Freshmen are really dumb creatures. There were plenty of double doors in the school. Neither side was ever locked on any of them during the day. During class changes, fire drills, or any other time “students” were in the hall, great hordes of 9th graders would bottleneck at all of the double doors because not one of them was smart enough to open the other door. Heh, that’s nothing. At my college, there would be large groups of students wait outside classrooms with the door shut. Nobody would check to see if the door was locked or not–it usually wasn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-two-doors-for-a-reason-dont-use-the-left-door/570933/23 "2011-02-10T22:42:24Z")
> [@Rumor\_Watkins](#): > > I’m pretty sure they stand on the right, pass on the left, at least on the Tube. Which is doubly fucked up for them. Yes, they do. I suspect that started to appease all the Continentals visiting London, especially the French. (When in doubt, always blame the French 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-two-doors-for-a-reason-dont-use-the-left-door/570933/24 "2011-02-10T22:51:25Z")
> [@TravisFromOR](#): > > Heh, that’s nothing. At my college, there would be large groups of students wait outside classrooms with the door shut. Nobody would check to see if the door was locked or not–it usually wasn’t. Spring term just started at my school – I walked down to my first class to discover the classroom door chocked open, but the lights inside were off – so my 45 students were standing in the hallway looking bewildered and confused. They didn’t even follow me when I walked into the room; I had to come back out into the hallway and ask if they wanted to join me. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-two-doors-for-a-reason-dont-use-the-left-door/570933/25 "2011-02-10T23:23:56Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > I bump into people sometimes. It is unavoidable in the crowded hallways. But I don’t go wash my hands immediately; that would just be silly. And we don’t need The Man there arresting people for going through the wrong door, just a little common courtesy. Better – responding to my suggestions literally and completely ignoring the obvious implication of my post as a whole is definitely the right way to go. And I agree with you about The Man: no one likes The Man. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-two-doors-for-a-reason-dont-use-the-left-door/570933/26 "2011-02-11T01:46:30Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > tl;dr use the door on your right What’s the “too inane, didn’t read” version of your story? Cause I would like one as a firefox addon that blocks 3 line OPs with less content than a cat’s shit. Really? A tl;dr version of a 3 sentence OP? You must think everyone shares your attention span. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-two-doors-for-a-reason-dont-use-the-left-door/570933/27 "2011-02-11T01:56:46Z")
no need to be so mean. it’s just the internet ---
**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:** [February 11, 2011, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-two-doors-for-a-reason-dont-use-the-left-door/570933/28 "2011-02-11T03:00:23Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > tl;dr use the door on your right Except at our local Wal-Mart. Enter on the left. ---
**Author:** ![TravisFromOR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TravisFromOR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravisFromOR)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-two-doors-for-a-reason-dont-use-the-left-door/570933/29 "2011-02-11T03:51:12Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Except at our local Wal-Mart. Enter on the left. Mine as well. ---
**Author:** ![gladtobeblazed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@gladtobeblazed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gladtobeblazed)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-two-doors-for-a-reason-dont-use-the-left-door/570933/30 "2011-02-11T04:54:34Z")
I hate when people do this. I say fuck 'em, I turn slightly so I can push by them. If they think I’m rude, then that’s their problem, but I’m not going to wait outside the door for them. Unless they’re a fat ass and I can’t squeeze by. Then I glare at them. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-two-doors-for-a-reason-dont-use-the-left-door/570933/31 "2011-02-11T05:11:32Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > no need to be so mean. it’s just the internet Forget it Jake, it’s vaginatown. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-two-doors-for-a-reason-dont-use-the-left-door/570933/32 "2011-02-11T06:51:04Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > And I agree with you about The Man: no one likes The Man. I like The Man. ---
**Author:** ![MHaye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bbe5ce/32.png) [@MHaye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MHaye)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-two-doors-for-a-reason-dont-use-the-left-door/570933/33 "2011-02-11T09:41:38Z")
> [@Lord\_Mondegreen](#): > > Yes, they do. I suspect that started to appease all the Continentals visiting London, especially the French. Nah, we walk on the left and pass to the right, except on the escalators on the Underground and the approach to the Savoy Hotel. > [@](#): > > (When in doubt, always blame the French 😉 ) Absolutely. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-two-doors-for-a-reason-dont-use-the-left-door/570933/34 "2011-02-11T10:13:32Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > The people who ignore door conventions are probably the same ones I see on dedicated two lane bike paths riding their bicycles the wrong way. I tried riding my bicycle the wrong way once, but injured my buttocks on the handlebar. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-two-doors-for-a-reason-dont-use-the-left-door/570933/35 "2011-02-11T12:42:23Z")
> [@TravisFromOR](#): > > Heh, that’s nothing. At my college, there would be large groups of students wait outside classrooms with the door shut. Nobody would check to see if the door was locked or not–it usually wasn’t. I used to fuck with people that way in high school. If I got to class early but the teacher wasn’t inside, I’d just stand outside the door instead of waiting in the classroom. People would always just stand around in a group outside, and rarely would someone else check the door. ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-two-doors-for-a-reason-dont-use-the-left-door/570933/36 "2011-02-11T13:03:18Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > On a similar note: > > Business owners, there are two doors for a reason. Don’t lock one of them just for the hell of it. You must be talking about the Beer Door. If you lock the push-to-exit door, beer runners have a much more difficult time dashing out the store with their ill-gotten gains. We locked this door after 6 PM when I worked at Circle K. It would occasionally cause laughs when a fourteen year old, loaded down with Coors, would bounce off the door, drop the beer, then flail madly while trying to figure out how to get the hell out. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-two-doors-for-a-reason-dont-use-the-left-door/570933/37 "2011-02-11T13:20:40Z")
> [@EvilTOJ](#): > > I used to fuck with people that way in high school. If I got to class early but the teacher wasn’t inside, I’d just stand outside the door instead of waiting in the classroom. People would always just stand around in a group outside, and rarely would someone else check the door. You might be my long lost twin. I did the same thing. The trick was to eventually drift away from the door. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-two-doors-for-a-reason-dont-use-the-left-door/570933/38 "2011-02-11T13:45:43Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > What’s the “too inane, didn’t read” version of your story? Cause I would like one as a firefox addon that blocks 3 line OPs with less content than a cat’s shit. > > Really? A tl;dr version of a 3 sentence OP? You must think everyone shares your attention span. Hey, cat shit has plenty of content. For one thing, it has tons of protein in it, which is why my dog is a particular devotee. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-two-doors-for-a-reason-dont-use-the-left-door/570933/39 "2011-02-11T15:10:15Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > The people who ignore door conventions are probably the same ones I see on dedicated two lane bike paths riding their bicycles the wrong way. Very few things bother me as much as a douchebag who sees traffic backing up to exit an offramp and take the left lane to zoom up to the front and then horn their way in. If that same asshole decided to go down the wrong way on the freeway to avoid traffic, well, that’s just entertainment while I wait to get on the offramp. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Jocko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncle_jocko/32/2932_2.png) [@Uncle\_Jocko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Jocko)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-two-doors-for-a-reason-dont-use-the-left-door/570933/40 "2011-02-11T15:19:04Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Except at our local Wal-Mart. Enter on the left. Yeah, what the hell is it with Wal-Mart doorways? They are clearly marked “Enter” on the left, “Exit” on the right, which makes no freakin’ sense. Certainly not for a proud AMERICAN COMPANY like Wal-Mart. Americans enter on the right, dammit! Which is exactly why I always run into a flock of God-fearin’ Americans coming in the Exit door when I’m trying to leave Wal-Mart. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-two-doors-for-a-reason-dont-use-the-left-door/570933.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-two-doors-for-a-reason-dont-use-the-left-door/570933.md?page=3)