# Why do people keep their wallet in their back-pocket? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 20, 2014, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-keep-their-wallet-in-their-back-pocket/679271 "2014-01-20T12:59:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-keep-their-wallet-in-their-back-pocket/679271/1 "2014-01-20T12:59:35Z")
As it says in the title, I’ve never understood why people do this, men walking around with a highly visible and easily removed wallet at the rear of their trousers. And then they seem surprised when its stolen?!? Weak-sauce of a thread I know but its just another of those things that gives me a little internal eyebrow raise when I see it. ---
**Author:** ![jonesj2205](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecc23a/32.png) [@jonesj2205](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jonesj2205)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-keep-their-wallet-in-their-back-pocket/679271/2 "2014-01-20T13:04:34Z")
Pockets aren’t picked all that often. And if you’ve got a thick wallet having it in the front pocket is awkward to take in and out. Especially when sitting. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-keep-their-wallet-in-their-back-pocket/679271/3 "2014-01-20T13:04:40Z")
Because it pokes me when I sit with it in my front pocket, and I do not wear a suit or sportjacket often enough to use one of those inside pockets. Most of my trousers have a button on the right-hane back pocket for a skosh more security. In almost fifty years I have not ever had my pocket picked, even in major metropolitan areas and crowded entertainment venues. ---
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-keep-their-wallet-in-their-back-pocket/679271/4 "2014-01-20T13:17:54Z")
My wallet is a clever decoy. All of my money is kept wadded up throughout all of my other pockets. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-keep-their-wallet-in-their-back-pocket/679271/5 "2014-01-20T13:20:49Z")
> [@jonesj2205](#): > > Pockets aren’t picked all that often. Especially in the US, for whatever reason. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-keep-their-wallet-in-their-back-pocket/679271/6 "2014-01-20T13:48:57Z")
I can’t tell you why they do but I can tell you why I don’t. I moved my wallet to the front pocket about 20 years ago when I worked in an office that had nylon mesh covered chairs. When my wallet was in the back pocket the nylon mesh would wear the pocket where the corner of the wallet jutted out. After losing three pair of dress pants for no other reason than a worn pocket I switched positions. Never went back. Carry my money in a clip in one front pocket. Carry my cards in a small wallet in the other front pocket. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-keep-their-wallet-in-their-back-pocket/679271/7 "2014-01-20T13:59:30Z")
My wallet is the third most important thing I carry, after my phone and my keys. They go in my front pockets, and my wallet is delegated to the rear. ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-keep-their-wallet-in-their-back-pocket/679271/8 "2014-01-20T14:01:16Z")
Like others have said, sitting with a wallet in the front pocket can be difficult especially if there’s a set of keys, handkerchief, and maybe a cell phone in them. I will move my wallet to a front pocket if I’m in an area where pick-pocketing could be a problem such as walking in crowds. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-keep-their-wallet-in-their-back-pocket/679271/9 "2014-01-20T14:12:59Z")
Never been pick-pocketed, and a front pocket would be way uncomfortable and inconvenient. Keys left front. Knife and change right front. If I kept a wallet in there also, it would make the other stuff hard to get out. And the wallet would be hard to get out too. Impossible if I’m sitting down. For instance, in a restaurant, getting ready to pay the bill. ---
**Author:** ![Wash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9dc877/32.png) [@Wash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wash)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-keep-their-wallet-in-their-back-pocket/679271/10 "2014-01-20T14:27:24Z")
Strangely, I find the complete opposite. It’s incredibly uncomfortable in my back pocket, as it seems to cause a sciatica flare-up. Meanwhile, despite being overweight, I don’t find it particularly difficult to get my wallet out of my front pocket when sitting, unless I’m also wearing a seatbelt. I also prefer the added security of having it in the front. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-keep-their-wallet-in-their-back-pocket/679271/11 "2014-01-20T14:39:30Z")
I moved mine to my front pocket when I started driving stick. All the extra movement of my legs would shift my wallet around and I’d have to keep moving it. Keeping it in my front pocket was much more comfortable. Nowadays, I just leave it in my car and carry my cash, my DL and a credit card in my pocket. If I need anything else from my wallet (which is hardly ever) I can grab it from my car. It’s a lot nicer not carrying around a bulky wallet everywhere I go. ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-keep-their-wallet-in-their-back-pocket/679271/12 "2014-01-20T14:41:53Z")
Because the front pocket folds inside, in the middle of where the wallet would be. ---
**Author:** ![BrianJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/54ee81/32.png) [@BrianJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrianJ)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-keep-their-wallet-in-their-back-pocket/679271/13 "2014-01-20T14:43:57Z")
I don;t carry anything in my pant pockets. I find it really uncomfortable. Everything is in my jacket. Except summer when I wear a fanny pack. 😛 I’m so fashinable. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-keep-their-wallet-in-their-back-pocket/679271/14 "2014-01-20T14:45:51Z")
I switched to a minimal-contents wallet in my front pocket when it dawned on me that sitting sideways on a fat wad might have been the cause of my sciatica. It hasn’t been a problem since. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-keep-their-wallet-in-their-back-pocket/679271/15 "2014-01-20T14:56:58Z")
I also switched mine to the front pocket when I started having sciatica pain about a year ago. ---
**Author:** ![Kiyoshi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e19adc/32.png) [@Kiyoshi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiyoshi)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-keep-their-wallet-in-their-back-pocket/679271/16 "2014-01-20T15:00:00Z")
I’ve never seen anyone use their back pockets for anything (well, not _noticed_ it anyway). Wouldn’t it be really uncomfortable when you sit down to have a wallet there? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-keep-their-wallet-in-their-back-pocket/679271/17 "2014-01-20T15:25:07Z")
For comfort’s sake, and because my wallet is a fold-in type (quite lumpy) I carry it in my shirt pocket. Bills folded neatly in a pants pocket. Keys in another pants pocket. If I’m wearing a coat with pockets it goes in there. That started out of minor concern for pickpocketing many years ago and just became a habit. I only need the wallet for ID and cards anyway. It’s bulky because of other assorted paper that winds up there. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-keep-their-wallet-in-their-back-pocket/679271/18 "2014-01-20T16:02:42Z")
> [@Kiyoshi](#): > > I’ve never seen anyone use their back pockets for anything (well, not _noticed_ it anyway). Wouldn’t it be really uncomfortable when you sit down to have a wallet there? Most of the time I don’t notice. Except I got a new car last year with really firm seats, and now I find that I have to put my wallet somewhere else when I sit down in my car. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-keep-their-wallet-in-their-back-pocket/679271/19 "2014-01-20T16:07:22Z")
> [@Kiyoshi](#): > > I’ve never seen anyone use their back pockets for anything (well, not _noticed_ it anyway). Wouldn’t it be really uncomfortable when you sit down to have a wallet there? Really? I see men with their wallet there often (I’d guess over 80%) and some women put cell phones in their back pockets (around 10%). I’ve been sitting on my wallet for over 40 years, never bothered me. I’m so accustomed to it that if it’s not there for some reason, I get a panicked a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-keep-their-wallet-in-their-back-pocket/679271/20 "2014-01-20T17:46:47Z")
I found sitting on my wallet to be uncomfortable. It is not at all uncomfortable in my front pocket, but I get comments from men sometimes about how I must be a tightwad for keeping it there. I don’t get it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-keep-their-wallet-in-their-back-pocket/679271.md?page=2)