# 18 worst things for lefties.



## AlisonM (Aug 28, 2014)

Oh yes, I can relate.

Where can I get number 18?


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## Northerner (Aug 28, 2014)

Agreed! Some of the things I can cope with, but some are definitely severe irritants - certainly glad we didn't have desks like that at school/Uni! 

And I never realised that about ballpoint pens!


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## Pete H (Aug 28, 2014)

Lefties die up to nine years sooner ...... My god with this diabetes and being a lefty think I am going back on the beer


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## novorapidboi26 (Aug 28, 2014)

This is good..........

the ink was always annoying back in school/college/uni..........

For some things though I use the right hand, or at least do the same as my fellow right handers.....

for example;

I use games consoles controllers the same, it has never been a problem, I don't think they are designed that way anyway...

Cutlery, I use the fork in my left and knife in the right with no problems, it feels natural, probably as we learn this from others as opposed to a natural development....


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## novorapidboi26 (Aug 28, 2014)

Northerner said:


> And I never realised that about ballpoint pens!



Nor did I......


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## zuludog (Aug 28, 2014)

Number 13 is interesting
I've never understood why Americans have so much trouble with the Metric System and Centigrade

Now that former British colonies and countries such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand and, indeed Britain itself, have officially gone metric I think USA is the only country that has yet to adopt the Metric System


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## Annette (Aug 28, 2014)

Also Liberia and Myanmar. Backwards countries, all of them


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## Northerner (Aug 28, 2014)

The problem in this country is that we never let go of the Imperial system, so we have to deal with two sets of measurements  I still have a bit of trouble with metric, I always have to convert my weight and height to Imperial before it makes sense to me, and when running races have to mentally convert kilometres to miles!


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## AlisonM (Aug 28, 2014)

Working out in LSD always gave me a headache and I was so relieved when we started counting in tens, it meant I no longer had to remove my shoes to have enough digits.


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## Northerner (Aug 28, 2014)

AlisonM said:


> Working out in LSD always gave me a headache and I was so relieved when we started counting in tens, it meant I no longer had to remove my shoes to have enough digits.



We're the same age Ally, but I actually found the transition to decimal quite diffcult at the time! I remember being irked at the time because the coins all said 'New Pence' on them - when would they no longer be new then? Also, having to say 'two pence' instead of 'tuppence' so people could tell you meant the decimal ones!  

(little things!  )


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## AlisonM (Aug 28, 2014)

We'd been living in Germany for a few years just prior to the change over and I'd learned to use decimal/metric there, so the transition was easy for me.

The only imperial measure I still use regularly is Fahrenheit but that's only because I prefer it to Celsius and not because I can't convert.


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## Northerner (Aug 28, 2014)

AlisonM said:


> The only imperial measure I still use regularly is Fahrenheit but that's only because I prefer it to Celsius and not because I can't convert.



Hehe! All the summer temperatures I remember from the seventies were in Fahrenheit, then they changed it to Centigrade - then they mucked it about again and settled on Celsius!


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## Vicsetter (Aug 28, 2014)

No 16. This is a joke isn't it? of course it's long enough.
No 14. Get the JML electric no-hands opener.
No 13. I have 2 Pyrex measuring jugs, both made in Canada (inherited) and they measure in cups and Ounces on both sides.  So if you don't want metric measures don't buy them.
No 12. sit next to a leftie and use the table on the chair to your left, it's someone else's problem then.
No 10, get a keyboard without a numeric pad or get a separate numeric pad.
No 9 I find interesting - Americans of course drive on the right so the shift stick is on their right but the drinks holder should be in the door on their left and they shouldn't be drinking and driving anyway.  I don't have a problem with a drinks bottle in the centre on the left and I am right handed so I don't see the complaint.
No 8: well it's an Ipad, you get everything you deserve there.  On my tablet you just tap the left side to scroll or the right.
No 7: good news if you are on a date
No 2 and 1 - ever thought of turning them round so the binder is on the right - duh!

although we think we do things in metric, whats with timber being actually made in imperial but labelled in metric -1.8m (6ft nominal) or 2.4m (8ft nominal) lengths.


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## Pete H (Aug 28, 2014)

Northerner said:


> The problem in this country is that we never let go of the Imperial system, so we have to deal with two sets of measurements  I still have a bit of trouble with metric, I always have to convert my weight and height to Imperial before it makes sense to me, and when running races have to mentally convert kilometres to miles!



I got done by weights and measures about 8 years ago telling me if I did not stop dealing in pounds and ounces they would prosecute me so I had to scrap three sets of scales and buy new ones, and even now my customers still ask for their meat in pounds and ounces.


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## Northerner (Aug 28, 2014)

Pete H said:


> I got done by weights and measures about 8 years ago telling me if I did not stop dealing in pounds and ounces they would prosecute me so I had to scrap three sets of scales and buy new ones, and even now my customers still ask for their meat in pounds and ounces.



So do you have to do conversions in your head Pete? We still have pints of beer and milk etc., why can''t we have pounds of beef? 

I seem to remember we used to get boxes of continuous computer printer paper that mixed imperial and metric dimensions - something like 387mm X 15.5 inches!


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## Pete H (Aug 28, 2014)

Northerner said:


> So do you have to do conversions in your head Pete? We still have pints of beer and milk etc., why can''t we have pounds of beef?
> 
> I seem to remember we used to get boxes of continuous computer printer paper that mixed imperial and metric dimensions - something like 387mm X 15.5 inches!



I have written it down so when customers ask for a pound I check my little charts and convert it, it's been a pain from day one, my argument was when my scales broke I would then replace them with kg scales but would not let me, gave me two months, then it would have been a court job and a £2500 fine. Still to this day a 1/4 is much easier than 114grams to me . I display everything in price per pound and price per kg.


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## Bloden (Aug 28, 2014)

A lot of my students are Timmy-handed, so the scissors/ballpoints/etc. got me thinking. They always seem to cope tho. Being leftie doesn't stop them from picking their noses mind! Errrgh.


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## robert@fm (Aug 28, 2014)

Northerner said:


> I seem to remember we used to get boxes of continuous computer printer paper that mixed imperial and metric dimensions - something like 387mm X 15.5 inches!



I suspect this may be what you're referring to, but I still have from my dot-matrix-printer days a (nearly full) box of continuous "Imperial A4" paper; just slightly shorter than real A4, not enough to be visible to the unaided eye, but instead of being 297mm long it's the nearest Imperial measure that Epson-compatible DM printers can handle.


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## Northerner (Aug 28, 2014)

robert@fm said:


> I suspect this may be what you're referring to, but I still have from my dot-matrix-printer days a (nearly full) box of continuous "Imperial A4" paper; just slightly shorter than real A4, not enough to be visible to the unaided eye, but instead of being 297mm long it's the nearest Imperial measure that Epson-compatible DM printers can handle.



It's just a vague memory Robert, but it was the big sheets used by mainframes. I seem to remember that it came in two sizes, one being slightly narrower than the other which meant adjusting the printer width when loading it. This was in the late 1980s. Probably for the reason you suggest


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## Bessiemay (Aug 28, 2014)

It's still the corkscrew that beats me. I love my battery operated tin opener.


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## Monica (Aug 29, 2014)

Bessiemay said:


> It's still the corkscrew that beats me. I love my battery operated tin opener.



Snap Bessiemay. I simply can't open a bottle of wine that has a cork in it. Luckily I don't drink wine anyway and if I need some for cooking I use a bottle with a screw cap.

I don't have any trouble with my cutlery, tin opener & scissors (use them right handed), keyboard (I use the numbers above the letters), playstation controller.

At school I always made sure I sat on the left hand side of the 2 person desk. Only once one school "friend" decided that she wouldn't swap places with me when I got stuck on the right. Well after just one hour of bumping elbows, she had enough and swapped.

Ring binders, well -take the paper out to write. The spiral one I simply turned it round, so that the spirals were on the right

I had a special Pelikan lefthander fountain pen, but of course I still managed to smudge and get an inky hand

haha, I'm lucky, the imperial and metric measurements on the jugs are just right for me


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## Northerner (Aug 29, 2014)

I used to sit next to left-handers at school, so not a problem for either of us


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## Monica (Aug 29, 2014)

Northerner said:


> I used to sit next to left-handers at school, so not a problem for either of us



There weren't many in my class of 23


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## Monica (Aug 29, 2014)

Just out of curiosity, how to you cope with your computer mouse?

I have our normal right-hander mouse on the left side and use my middle finger for left click and my index finger for the right click. I'm glad we have a cordless mouse and keyboard, as the cords used to get tangled all the time from swapping right to left and back again. Mind you, nowadays I'm the only one using the PC and if Fi uses it, she just reaches over to the left to use the mouse, as she's too lazy to swap it back to the right of the keyboard


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## Northerner (Aug 29, 2014)

Monica said:


> There weren't many in my class of 23



Interestingly, when I was doing Russian at Uni, 5 out of the 8 of us were left-handed! At secondary school we had about 5 in the class.  I have experienced the elbows thing at nights out at the restaurant though - most annoying!

Plus, I can only use a spoon properly in my left-hand, so have never mastered that spoon and fork method of eating some puddings (as my fork also needs to be in my left hand!)


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## Monica (Aug 29, 2014)

Northerner said:


> Plus, I can only use a spoon properly in my left-hand, so have never mastered that spoon and fork method of eating some puddings (as my fork also needs to be in my left hand!)



Actually, now you mention it, I use the spoon in my left hand


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## Sally71 (Aug 29, 2014)

Monica said:


> Just out of curiosity, how to you cope with your computer mouse?
> 
> I have our normal right-hander mouse on the left side and use my middle finger for left click and my index finger for the right click. I'm glad we have a cordless mouse and keyboard, as the cords used to get tangled all the time from swapping right to left and back again. Mind you, nowadays I'm the only one using the PC and if Fi uses it, she just reaches over to the left to use the mouse, as she's too lazy to swap it back to the right of the keyboard



You should be able to go into the settings and swap the mouse buttons if you want to, so that you can still use your index finger for all "left click" stuff.

Might get confusing though when someone tells you to left click and you are now actually right clicking....

My hubby is a leftie and he used to do it that way, not sure if he bothers any more though, he seems to manage quite well doing most things either way.


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## Monica (Aug 29, 2014)

Sally71 said:


> You should be able to go into the settings and swap the mouse buttons if you want to, so that you can still use your index finger for all "left click" stuff.
> 
> Might get confusing though when someone tells you to left click and you are now actually right clicking....
> 
> My hubby is a leftie and he used to do it that way, not sure if he bothers any more though, he seems to manage quite well doing most things either way.



I didn't know that!
I don't think I'll change it, as I've been doing it this way for years and I'm used to it. I'd probably only confuse myself and then confuse other users, when (not if) I forget to change it back


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## Northerner (Aug 29, 2014)

I use a touch pad now on my laptop, but when I was using a mouse at work I always had to move the lead around to the left-hand side of the keyboard. Never bothered changing the keys around, I just use my index finger for either button.

I remember in the 1990s when handheld consoles came out being impressed with the Atari Lynx, which could be turned around so that the buttons were appropriate for a left-hander, with the screen also rotating. At the time, I think it was the only one that accommodated us lefties


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## AlisonM (Aug 29, 2014)

My last Palm Pilot did the same. It was really useful like that.


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## Northerner (Aug 29, 2014)

So, you lefties - do you wear your watch on your left or right wrist? Right for me


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## AlisonM (Aug 29, 2014)

Right. And my med ID too.


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## Bloden (Aug 29, 2014)

Northerner said:


> Interestingly, when I was doing Russian at Uni, 5 out of the 8 of us were left-handed!


Wow, you dark horse. Obviously a leftie language. How d'you say I'm diabetic in Russian?


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## Northerner (Aug 29, 2014)

Bloden said:


> Wow, you dark horse. Obviously a leftie language. How d'you say I'm diabetic in Russian?



Я болею диабетом (Ya boleyu diabetom) - literally means 'I am ill with diabetes'


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## Monica (Aug 30, 2014)

Northerner said:


> So, you lefties - do you wear your watch on your left or right wrist? Right for me



When I used to wear one - on the left wrist


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## Steff (Aug 30, 2014)

Northerner said:


> So, you lefties - do you wear your watch on your left or right wrist? Right for me



right for me same as carry a bag on my right to


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## Monica (Aug 30, 2014)

Steff said:


> right for me same as carry a bag on my right to



same here. I tend to have the strap across, but the bag has to be on the right side.


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## Northerner (Aug 30, 2014)

Monica said:


> same here. I tend to have the strap across, but the bag has to be on the right side.



Backpack always on right shoulder for me  

What about feet? I'm right-footed


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## Monica (Aug 31, 2014)

Northerner said:


> What about feet? I'm right-footed



So am I! It causes no end of trouble with coordination. Well, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it


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## Steff (Aug 31, 2014)

Northerner said:


> Backpack always on right shoulder for me
> 
> What about feet? I'm right-footed





Monica said:


> So am I! It causes no end of trouble with coordination. Well, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it



left for me haha


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