# Why do bathroom doors open inward? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 8, 2005, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-bathroom-doors-open-inward/283669 "2005-01-08T00:46:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2005, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-bathroom-doors-open-inward/283669/21 "2005-01-08T22:17:24Z")
One good reason that most **room** doors open inward: If I’m naked (for whatever reason), I can possibly hide behind the door to preserve my alleged modesty. Also, it’s easier to spot the door opening inward than outward, (I don’t know if it has been researched, but I think it’s easier to spot something moving toward you than away from you) giving me time to cover my nakedness with something else before the interloper can see me and point and laugh. I can also barricade myself inside a room with an inward-opening door, say, when hiding from an attacker. You know, the old “prop a chair under the doorknob” trick. That wouldn’t work if the door opened outward. I think Stanley the janitor tried that in Weird Al’s movie, “UHF”. The villian just pulled the door open, and the barricade fell down. The old “put a bucket on top of the door so that it falls on somebody’s head when they enter the room” trick wouldn’t work as well with an outward-opening door. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2005, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-bathroom-doors-open-inward/283669/22 "2005-01-08T23:13:26Z")
From [Tehachapi, CA](http://www.tehachapi.com/appleshed/) are you, **Phase42**? 😉 In spite of that, I think you have the most sensible answer so far. Blocking the door, that is, not running around naked. People who run around the house naked _want_ to get caught. Ask Freud. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2005, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-bathroom-doors-open-inward/283669/23 "2005-01-08T23:22:02Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > From [Tehachapi, CA](http://www.tehachapi.com/appleshed/) are you, **Phase42**? 😉 Nope, I’m from Wenatchee, WA. Don’t believe the propoganda on that site, though. This place sucks. And today wasn’t one of our 300 days of sunshine per year. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2005, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-bathroom-doors-open-inward/283669/24 "2005-01-08T23:47:06Z")
> [@spingears](#): > > A very good reason is to permit kicking the door in, if latched, in the event of an emergency. Why do that and have to repair the jamb, casing, and repaint it all? Reach up on top of the casing for the little release tool dingus, put it in the hole of the outside knob, and “click” the door is unlocked. Save foot operated opening for reruns of COPS. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2005, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-bathroom-doors-open-inward/283669/25 "2005-01-09T00:12:33Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#): > > Why do that and have to repair the jamb, casing, and repaint it all? Reach up on top of the casing for the little release tool dingus, put it in the hole of the outside knob, and “click” the door is unlocked. Save foot operated opening for reruns of COPS. 😉 Oh sure, I can just see a Big Strong Man sticking a thingy into a doorknob. Hell no! We’re gonna _kick_ that baby _in_. “Step back, honey” 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2005, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-bathroom-doors-open-inward/283669/26 "2005-01-09T00:18:57Z")
I have one innie and one outtie. I know about the outie because while going to the bathroom at night w/o the aid of light I managed to place my foot under the open door, the next step I took, well lets just say the lights came on. Anyway my wag if there is a possibility of you closing the door while sitting on the can, then the door opens inward, if there is no chance in heck, then it’s outward. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-bathroom-doors-open-inward/283669.md?page=1)