Handedness has been an interest of mine for many years. The majority of people are right-handed. I am left-handed. Neither of these things are anybody's fault. Likewise, no one is to blame for the fact that a great many objects are right-handed. In some cases, poor design leaves things very awkward to use for a lefty, when some better engineering could yield a more ambidextrous item. A computer mouse, for example, can be designed to be symmetrical allowing for use with either hand. Or, it can be very "form fitting". That fancy right-handed mouse is ok if you're going to use it in your own home, but please don't stock a whole computer lab with right-handed mice! (Note: I use a mouse with my right hand, as a majority of lefties do. This is because most of us don't want to have to rearrange every computer we ever sit at. Additionally, the most common windows shortcuts are left handed (select all, cut, copy, paste, save), so using the mouse with your right hand can speed up many processes. (What about on a Mac? Seems like that funky "apple" button is on the left.)
Other times, there is simply no way around it. There are many things that fall into this category, like screws. Yes folks, screws are right-handed. In general, putting a screw into something (a wood board, for instance) is harder than taking it out. Putting a screw in means twisting to the right, which for a righty means twisting your arm "out" (Shannon would know the technical term for this direction of twisting). Twisting in this direction is a much more powerful move than twisting "in". Try it. Even if you're just turning an imaginary screw driver. Twisting "in" makes your elbow poke out weird, and anything that makes your elbow poke out weird is probably not a very strong move. For lefties though, we're forced to drive screws with that awkward elbow poke. We're much better at taking screws out. That's where our power lies. But, a screw has to be either right handed or left handed. It just wouldn't work otherwise. So it might as well benefit the greatest number of people. (For the engineers out there: can you design an ambidextrous screw?)
I'm always on the lookout for items that are handed (either right or left). And they crop up in places that you wouldn't expect. The one I've discovered (or maybe just been reminded of) lately is zippers. About 2 months ago, my right thumb nail underwent some unknown trauma. I really have no idea what happened to it, but it seems to have died and then restarted. So, for the last few weeks, I've had tattered ends of half a nail on my right thumb. It's a bit tender, and I notice when I have to use it. And zippers on pants are all right handed. BUT, all this time in the bathroom thinking about handedness has made me realize that toilets are generally LEFT handed. Apparently people don't want to zip up their pants with the same hand they just flushed with.
8 comments:
Don't guy zippers open a different way than girl zippers? Maybe you should borrow some of Shannon's pants?
Supination. That's the word you're looking for, Clark.
I'm pretty sure the zippers on pants are the same for men and women. Shirt buttons are opposite, but I think zippers are the same.
BUT, if they weren't, he totally could use my pants, since I'm not wearing them right now!
whose pants are you using then, shannon?
or...
gasp!
are you not wearing ANY??!!
I think that here is a clear reason that the toilet is a left handed item.and it may be a cultural one. I wont make any ties to left handed people though.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure pants are all the same way, regardless of gender. I don't try on Shannon's pants all that often though. They'd be a bit short.
As for what I am doing, I have 9 other fingers that work very well. It's possible, though cumbersome, to wrap around and use your left hand, or use two of the other 4 fingers on my right hand, or just use my thumb carefully.
Really, I can do quite a few things without my thumbs. As a parlor trick, I will sometimes play the piano with my thumbs stuck way up on the back of my hands. I also routinely open doorknobs by grasping the knob between my index and middle fingers. I don't know why, but it's certainly not related to any recent thumb injuries.
Turns out our Mac is ambidextrous (or ambisinistrous as you like to call it). It doesn't have an apple key at all, but the command key serves a similar function as the control button on Windows and there is one on either side of the space bar. Also, I read your post this morning and while out shopping later I had to take Adie to a public restroom and I noticed the flusher (is that a word?) was actually on the right side when facing the toilet. There may be hope yet for you lefties :)
Sabrina,
But what are the shortcut commands? A PC keyboard also has a control key on both sides, but the most used shortcuts are ctrl+a, ctrl+s, ctrl+x, ctrl+c, ctrl+v, alt+tab. All of those commands are easier to do with your left hand than your right, and probably easier to do with your left hand than with both together. (I believe this is intentional, so you can work the mouse and these shortcuts at the same time. In which case, the shortcuts aren't really left handed. . . . they are actually right handed, because the logic is: right hand on mouse, therefore shortcuts have to be left handed.)
I'm proud to say I have a completely handedness neutral mouse. I never ever even thought about screws.
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