# When walking, prefer to turn left **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 3, 2024, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-walking-prefer-to-turn-left/1011132 "2024-12-03T21:06:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-walking-prefer-to-turn-left/1011132/21 "2024-12-04T04:08:33Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > “Boustrophedon” can’t be used as a noun? Well, it can now, because I say so. Boustrophedonist? Boustrophedontarian? ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-walking-prefer-to-turn-left/1011132/22 "2024-12-04T05:18:04Z")
I like “boustrophedonist.” Hedonism is my friend. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-walking-prefer-to-turn-left/1011132/23 "2024-12-04T08:35:16Z")
> [@OldGuy](#): > > In England auto and horse races go clockwise. Interesting, I didn’t know that. I suppose it’s to emulate the direction of roundabouts? ---
**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:** [December 4, 2024, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-walking-prefer-to-turn-left/1011132/24 "2024-12-04T08:50:11Z")
I feel with car racing, it goes widdershins because the driver is on the left side of the car (in most cases) and it’s more natural to in terms of judging distance from the edge of the track. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-walking-prefer-to-turn-left/1011132/25 "2024-12-04T10:29:18Z")
Boustrophedist is sufficient. In Greek you delete the case ending before adding suffixes. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-walking-prefer-to-turn-left/1011132/26 "2024-12-04T11:48:15Z")
> [@Schnitte](#): > > every racetrack, for both humans and animals, turns counterclockwise This isn’t remotely true. For example, the majority of tracks that have held Formula One races (56 out of 77) are clockwise. > **[List of Formula One circuits](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Formula_One_circuits#Circuits)** > > Formula One, abbreviated to F1, is currently the highest class of open-wheeled auto racing defined by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), motorsport's world governing body. The "formula" in the name refers to a set of rules to which all participants and vehicles must conform. The Formula One World Championship season consists of a series of races, known as Grands Prix, usually held on purpose-built circuits, and in a few cases on closed city streets. The results of each This ... Seventeen out of 46 IndyCar tracks are clockwise. > **[List of IndyCar Series racetracks](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_IndyCar_Series_racetracks)** > > This is a list of racetracks which have hosted IndyCar Series racing. > Since 1996, INDYCAR events have been held on 45 different tracks – 24 ovals, 10 road courses, 10 street circuits, and 1 combined road course. – spread across five countries: the United States, Japan, Canada, Australia,\[note 1\] and Brazil. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-walking-prefer-to-turn-left/1011132/27 "2024-12-04T12:06:18Z")
> [@Schnitte](#): > > I don’t know the reason, but you’re not alone; every racetrack, for both humans and animals, turns counterclockwise, as do many supermarkets. Uhhh. At the rec center my wife goes to, they have an indoor track. They change directions every day so as to keep people from getting dominant on one side or the other. To the OP, I would spice up your indoor walking and just reverse it every other day. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-walking-prefer-to-turn-left/1011132/28 "2024-12-04T12:49:00Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > At the rec center my wife goes to, they have an indoor track. They change directions every day Almost the same as my local Y. Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday it’s counterclockwise. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday it’s clockwise ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-walking-prefer-to-turn-left/1011132/29 "2024-12-04T12:59:41Z")
OK, let me partially recant my overly broad statement. But as for competitive track-and-field tracks in athletics stadia, the fact remains that they invariably run counterclockwise, and so do, to my knowledge, most hippodromes and dog racetracks. ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-walking-prefer-to-turn-left/1011132/30 "2024-12-04T13:09:06Z")
> [@OldGuy](#): > > In England auto and horse races go clockwise. That’s not correct. Most horse races in England are left turning, including Aintree (the Grand National) and Cheltenham. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-walking-prefer-to-turn-left/1011132/31 "2024-12-04T14:57:03Z")
That’s not what this says > **[Why Do British Racehorses Run Clockwise? Tracing the Evolution of Horse...](https://1stgensports.com/horse-racing/1stgensports/why-do-british-racehorses-run-clockwise-tracing-the-evolution-of-horse-racing-in-the-british-isles-and-america/)** > > "While the clockwise direction of running was established in British horse racing due to the position of the judges' box and the location of the starting post, This says only 30-40% of horse races in England go counterclockwise like ours. > **[Counter-Clockwise Racing](https://www.infoplease.com/askeds/counter-clockwise-racing)** > > The Question: Why is it whenever we watch horse racing, whether thoroughbreds or harness racing or even car racing, why is it that all racing goes counterclockwise? The Answer: It all goes back to England. According to Tom Gilcoyne at the National... I suppose in auto racing it’s a bit safer to keep the driver’s side away from the wall, but don’t really know. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-walking-prefer-to-turn-left/1011132/32 "2024-12-04T15:08:44Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > most humans have one leg that’s dominant, just like we have dominant hands, and like hands, it’s usually the right one From when I was ice skating, the usual situation was that your dominant foot is opposite your dominant hand. > [@pulykamell](#): > > When I skate – I’m only an average skater – I can only do hockey stops rotating counterclockwise (left). Hockey stopping clockwise I can’t do. Similarly, crossovers to the left feel natural. Crossovers to the right, while I can do them, feel awkward. I expect you’re right-handed and left-footed. It’s easier to balance and have your weight on your dominant foot, which means the inside of a turn. ---
**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:** [December 4, 2024, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-walking-prefer-to-turn-left/1011132/33 "2024-12-04T15:34:03Z")
I am right handed. In terms of footedness, with skating I feel better balance on my left foot, but pushing off I feel I have more power on my right. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-walking-prefer-to-turn-left/1011132/34 "2024-12-04T15:37:47Z")
Still waiting for Derek Zoolander to chime in… ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-walking-prefer-to-turn-left/1011132/35 "2024-12-04T22:21:14Z")
I’ll meet your cites and give you this counter-cite which says that most British racecourses are left-handed, with “a few” (e.g. Kempton, Ascot, Sandown) being right-handed. [Horse Racing In Britain: A-Z Of The UK Racecourses](https://www.888sport.com/blog/horse-racing/racecourse-guides/uk-racecourses-list) “At most tracks the races are run left-handed, ie anti-clockwise around the course, however some courses are right-handed (clockwise) - for example, Kempton, Ascot and Sandown.” It helpfully lists all the courses in Britain, stating whether they are left- or right-handed. Of the 60 courses listed: 33 have at least one left-turning course 22 have at least one right-turning course (One of these is described as a “right-turning figure of eight”; interpret that how you will!) The remainder are mainly straight or not specified. So the idea that right-turning is a standard in Britain seems to be a complete myth. The 2 purported explanations in your first cite for why British racing was clockwise are incomprehensible to me: _1) The reason for this is believed to be because of the position of the judges’ box, which was typically located on the left-hand side of the track. By running clockwise, the horses would be racing towards the judges’ box_ _2) In British horse racing, the starting post is typically located at the highest point of the track, with the horses running downhill towards the finish line. By running clockwise, the horses would be running on the steepest part of the track_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-walking-prefer-to-turn-left/1011132.md?page=1)