17 little ways that the world is designed for right-handed people

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Caroline Praderio,Talia LakritzAug 13, 2021, 21:24 IST
17 little ways that the world is designed for right-handed people

Jay Leno is left-handed.Amanda Edwards / Getty

  • Lefties make up 10% of the world's population.
  • Lefties have to endure lots of little daily struggles righties might not think about.
  • Swiping credit cards and cutting with scissors are just two things that are harder for lefties.
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Pens at the bank are always attached on the right side.

Pens at the bank are always attached on the right side.
It's tougher to write when the pen is on the wrong side. Shutterstock/PotatoTomato

When you have to pull the pen over to the left side, the cord always gets in the way of what you're trying to write.

The flap covering the zippers on pants blocks easy access from the left side.

The flap covering the zippers on pants blocks easy access from the left side.
The flap can get in the way of the zipper for left-handed people. Fotoyukha/Shutterstock

It's weird to reach around with the left hand and zip up from the other side.

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If you hold a glass measuring cup in your left hand, you're stuck with metric measurements.

If you hold a glass measuring cup in your left hand, you're stuck with metric measurements.
Measuring is tougher for lefties who don't use the metric system. Shutterstock/POM POM

Die-hard lefty bakers might want to invest in a left-handed version of the classic cup.

When you're left-handed, writing in spiral notebooks and three-ring binders is a special kind of torture.

When you're left-handed, writing in spiral notebooks and three-ring binders is a special kind of torture.
A binder. Julia Ar/Shutterstock

The rings make it impossible for left-handed people to lay their hands flat on the page and write normally. The best solution is usually to wedge the left hand between the top two rings when writing on the top half of the page, then wedge it between the bottom two rings when writing on the bottom half.

Spoiler alert: It is not comfortable.

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Every time you swipe a credit card, it's on the right side of the machine.

Every time you swipe a credit card, it's on the right side of the machine.
Swiping a credit card is a struggle. Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock

Reaching over and swiping the card downward in your left hand feels weird. Of course, switching it to the right hand usually feels even weirder.

The pen on credit card terminals is also attached on the right side.

The pen on credit card terminals is also attached on the right side.
The pen is always attached on the right. Phoderstock/Shutterstock

If you use your left hand, you have to reach across and sign at an awkward angle as the attached string gets in the way. If you use your right hand, your signature is illegible.

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Old-school can openers only work well in the right hand. Lefties have to reach across the can and turn the crank at a really awkward angle.

Old-school can openers only work well in the right hand. Lefties have to reach across the can and turn the crank at a really awkward angle.
Manual can openers were designed for righties. Shutterstock/gresei

This is hard to picture, so here's a video that shows what happens when a lefty uses a right-handed can opener. Good thing there's no shortage of leftie versions online.

Remember those desks with the chair attached? Definitely not made for lefties.

Remember those desks with the chair attached? Definitely not made for lefties.
Lecture chairs in classrooms aren't made for lefties. panitanphoto/Shutterstock

In a classroom like these, lefties don't get the luxury of resting their elbows on anything.

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Car cup holders are almost never on the left for US drivers.

Car cup holders are almost never on the left for US drivers.
Lefties have to grab drinks with their right hand. Danielcc/Shutterstock

Would you want to drink piping hot coffee with your non-dominant hand?

The number pad on keyboards? Of course it's on the right.

The number pad on keyboards? Of course it's on the right.
Left-handed people have to use their right hand to type on this part of the keyboard. Shutterstock/boyhey

Lefties plagued by this design can purchase left-handed keyboards with the number pad on the left.

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This is what it looks like when a lefty tries to use right-handed scissors.

This is what it looks like when a lefty tries to use right-handed scissors.
Lefty scissors are hard to come by. Shutterstock/Mayuree Moonhirun

Yeah, not comfortable.

Lefties have to buy special guitars. (Or they can make like Jimi Hendrix and just play a righty guitar upside down.)

Lefties have to buy special guitars. (Or they can make like Jimi Hendrix and just play a righty guitar upside down.)
Jimi Hendrix was one famous left-handed guitarist. AP

Source: Los Angeles Times

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Vegetable peelers don't work for lefties, either, but this one takes a bit of explaining.

Vegetable peelers don't work for lefties, either, but this one takes a bit of explaining.
Peeling vegetables is tougher if you're left-handed. Shutterstock/luciezr

Vegetable peelers only have one sharp side. They're designed so that when they're held in the right hand, the sharp side is on top and users can comfortably pull the tool toward themselves in a smooth, gentle motion, as seen in the photo above.

But when the peeler is held in the left hand, the sharp side of the blade is on the bottom. This means lefties have to push the peeler away from themselves, resulting in short, jerky, uncomfortable peeling motions.

Luckily, lefties can purchase left-handed peelers that solve the problem.

Some entrance doors are built to be opened by right-handed people.

Some entrance doors are built to be opened by right-handed people.
Some doors are a struggle. Shutterstock/Paraksa

The natural way to open a door is to reach across your body to grab the knob, and the default is usually to have the knob on the left-hand side. That means they're often built for righties to reach across their bodies with their dominant hand. Now, imagine reaching for a knob on the left side of the door with your left hand and pulling. Basically, you end up with the door in your face.

There's a bright side, though, because lefties get the advantage when they go through that same doorway from the other direction. On the other side of the door, the knob will be on the right, so it's meant to be grabbed with the left.

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Ever notice that a camera's most important buttons are always on the right?

Ever notice that a camera's most important buttons are always on the right?
Leftie photographers often have to use their right finger to shoot photos. Thanes.Op/Shutterstock

Even capturing moments is tougher for left-handed people.

When lefties draw a line along a ruler, their hands cover the numbers, so it's hard to see when to stop.

When lefties draw a line along a ruler, their hands cover the numbers, so it's hard to see when to stop.
Rulers are just another product designed for right-handed writing. Shutterstock/Zheltobriukh Oleksandr

On left-handed rulers, the numbers move from right to left instead. That way, lefties can drag their pens from right to left and get a clear look at the numbers.

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When you hold a tape measure in your left hand, the numbers are upside down.

When you hold a tape measure in your left hand, the numbers are upside down.
It's still readable, but it's a little more inconvenient. Shutterstock/Elizabeth A. Cummings

There's a left-handed tape measure you can buy to fix this problem, too.

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