What Have I Got in My Pocket?

 

This isn’t the actual question I’m looking for an answer to today, but it is where it starts. Friday morning, I found something on Twitter that had me thinking all day and has generated more than its fair share of discussion, so I’ve decided it needs a post of its own. The line was “I don’t always carry all the groceries on one arm, but when I do, my keys are in the wrong pocket.”

Now, this was quite frankly shocking to me. I mean, who changes up the location of where their keys are? The items I carry every day go into the same locations every day. Apparently this is not universal behavior, so one does when faced with such a problem, I decided to take it to Ricochet.

So the questions are:

  1. Do you have a routine for the items you carry every day?
  2. If not, why? Additionally, what kind of strategy do you use, if it can be described as such?

I’ll also note that in the original discussion it was pointed out that women’s clothing is often short on pockets, so they may not always use them or have room for keys. Which is understandable but if your clothes don’t have pockets, I would assume you have a purse or other bag where your keys would normally be, and I don’t see why you’d take them out just to put them in your pocket.

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  1. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    Right front:  Wallet, keys, change.

    Left front: Swiss Army knife, Leatherman. Phone usually, unless it is temporarily in the breast pocket.

    Right rear: Comb.

    Left rear: Nothing*


    *or stuff that isn’t usually part of the usual compliment. Screwdriver, dikes, alligator clips and leads … had to stow it to free up my hands.

    • #1
  2. dnewlander Inactive
    dnewlander
    @dnewlander

    1. Yes. 

    2. N/A

    ;) I’ve already answered this

    • #2
  3. Matt Balzer, Imperialist Claw Member
    Matt Balzer, Imperialist Claw
    @MattBalzer

    dnewlander (View Comment):

    1. Yes.

    2. N/A

    ;) I’ve already answered this

    I appreciate it your expanding the data set anyway. Not that I’m sure what I could do with it even with a decent sample size.

    • #3
  4. Brian Wyneken Member
    Brian Wyneken
    @BrianWyneken

    I keep all my pockets stuffed with acorns – just in case.

    • #4
  5. WillowSpring Member
    WillowSpring
    @WillowSpring

    I have been spoiled by my wife’s car – an LR-4.  It has a key which signals the car when you are near.  You can lock or unlock the door by touching a button on the handle and start it by pushing the start button.  The key stays in my pocket.

    My car, on the other hand ( a BMW Z4 which I will keep until I can no longer drive it) is ‘normal’ and needs the key to lock/unlock the doors and the key must be put in the ignition to start the car.  I always find myself sitting in the Z4 with my keys in my pocket and need to go through some gyrations to get them out.

    On the other hand, my keys are always in my left pants pocket.

    • #5
  6. Matt Balzer, Imperialist Claw Member
    Matt Balzer, Imperialist Claw
    @MattBalzer

    Brian Wyneken (View Comment):

    I keep all my pockets stuffed with acorns – just in case.

    At least you’ll always know where the acorns are.

    • #6
  7. Matt Balzer, Imperialist Claw Member
    Matt Balzer, Imperialist Claw
    @MattBalzer

    WillowSpring (View Comment):
    My car, on the other hand ( a BMW Z4 which I will keep until I can no longer drive it) is ‘normal’ and needs the key to lock/unlock the doors and the key must be put in the ignition to start the car. I always find myself sitting in the Z4 with my keys in my pocket and need to go through some gyrations to get them out.

    I have the opposite issue – I need the fob to open the car, but it has a push button ignition so I have to stretch to get the keys back in my pocket.

    • #7
  8. Samuel Block Support
    Samuel Block
    @SamuelBlock

    No! I know you already know this Matt, but I want to go public. I have absolutely no strategy about how I pocket by belongings. 

    I only use the front two, but that’s just a matter of convenience. 

    • #8
  9. Matt Balzer, Imperialist Claw Member
    Matt Balzer, Imperialist Claw
    @MattBalzer

    Samuel Block (View Comment):

    No! I know you already know this Matt, but I want to go public. I have absolutely no strategy about how I pocket by belongings.

    I only use the front two, but that’s just a matter of convenience.

    I don’t normally use back pockets either, but then I don’t carry all that much stuff. Plus I look for pants with extra deep pockets.

    • #9
  10. Juliana Member
    Juliana
    @Juliana

    At work, my office keys are always in my right front pocket. I generally keep my office door locked if I am not in there, and the key also opens the restroom and staff work room and lounge.  But my car keys can be in either coat pocket depending on what I pick up in my hands. If I’m getting out of the car and grab my work tote bag from the front seat with my right hand, they go in the left pocket. If I am getting out at grocery store, they usually end up in the right pocket.  I miss having a coat in the summer because then I have to put things in my purse and fish them out again. I do make an effort to have the keys in my free hand when I need to unlock the house or car. I have yet to find the perfect purse, so I am continually changing how I carry my phone, credit cards, cash, and important cards (driver’s license, insurance cards, AAA, etc).  I dislike being inefficient with what needs to travel with me.

    • #10
  11. Samuel Block Support
    Samuel Block
    @SamuelBlock

    Matt Balzer, Imperialist Claw (View Comment):

    dnewlander (View Comment):

    1. Yes.

    2. N/A

    ;) I’ve already answered this

    I appreciate it your expanding the data set anyway. Not that I’m sure what I could do with it even with a decent sample size.

    Well this is all fascinating to me. It had never crossed my mind. So, unless I’m the only one, this does seem like a study could produce some interesting results.

    • #11
  12. Matt Balzer, Imperialist Claw Member
    Matt Balzer, Imperialist Claw
    @MattBalzer

    Juliana (View Comment):
    But my car keys can be in either coat pocket depending on what I pick up in my hands. If I’m getting out of the car and grab my work tote bag from the front seat with my right hand, they go in the left pocket. If I am getting out at grocery store, they usually end up in the right pocket. I miss having a coat in the summer because then I have to put things in my purse and fish them out again.

    When I can wear a coat I do tend to move most of my stuff there as well.

    I do make an effort to have the keys in my free hand when I need to unlock the house or car.

    That was something I forgot in the OP: people forgetting where they’ve put their keys. That hadn’t occurred to me because they’re always in the same place, but it seems to me that if I didn’t have them in the same place I’d make even more of an effort to be aware of them.

    • #12
  13. Dave L Member
    Dave L
    @DaveL

    1. Yes

    Phone left front pants pocket or temporarily shirt pocket. Keys, multipurpose knife, comb right front pants pocket. Wallet left rear, right rear usually ends up filled with receipts from the day.

    • #13
  14. Gumby Mark (R-Meth Lab of Demo… Coolidge
    Gumby Mark (R-Meth Lab of Demo…
    @GumbyMark

    Wallet in rear left pants pocket, unless I am somewhere crowded when I move it to front left pants pockets.  No systems for anything else – now you’ve made me realize why I can’t easily find anything else I carry!  Let me take a few days to devise the proper designated locations for everything else and I’ll get back to you.  Your OP  is just another example of the incalculable value of Ricochet.

    • #14
  15. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Matt Balzer, Imperialist Claw:

    • Do you have a routine for the items you carry every day?

    Everything must be in its place. I have systems for my socks, underwear, pants, shirts. Of course I have a system for my pockets.

    Matt Balzer, Imperialist Claw:

    • Additionally, what kind of strategy do you use, if it can be described as such?

    Left front pants pocket: Change

    Right front pants pocket: Hair tie, card case, main set of keys, separate key for each car to use in the ignition. (I have each car key on the main set as well, but use only as spares and that’s too heavy for the ignition.)

    Watch pocket: Watch or cell phone. (I have a small dumb, flip phone.)

    Right rear pants pocket: Comb and handkerchief.

    Left rear pants pocket: Nuffim!

    Pocket universe: Wallet and weapons.

    • #15
  16. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Great tags, by the way.

    • #16
  17. Samuel Block Support
    Samuel Block
    @SamuelBlock

    Gumby Mark (R-Meth Lab of Demo… (View Comment):

    Wallet in rear left pants pocket, unless I am somewhere crowded when I move it to front left pants pockets. No systems for anything else – now you’ve made me realize why I can’t easily find anything else I carry! Let me take a few days to devise the proper designated locations for everything else and I’ll get back to you. Your OP is just another example of the incalculable value of Ricochet.

    That’s true. Lileks should know about this one. This will be stiff competition all week.

    • #17
  18. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Samuel Block (View Comment):
    Lileks should know about this one.

    @jameslileks?

    • #18
  19. Samuel Block Support
    Samuel Block
    @SamuelBlock

    Arahant (View Comment):

    Samuel Block (View Comment):
    Lileks should know about this one.

    @jameslileks?

    You’ve summoned him!

    • #19
  20. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Samuel Block (View Comment):
    You’ve summoned him!

    It’s the sort of thing I do. It is an interesting conversation and shows that some folks need to be beaten until they conform to standards.

    • #20
  21. Matt Bartle Member
    Matt Bartle
    @MattBartle

    Not having a system for what to keep in which pocket?? That’s crazy talk. That’s uncivilized chaos. I refuse to even contemplate such a thing.

    Next you’ll be telling me that people don’t organize the bills in their wallets so that they are face-forward, right-side-up, and in order of value. It’s unthinkable.

    • #21
  22. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Matt Bartle (View Comment):

    Not having a system for what to keep in which pocket?? That’s crazy talk. That’s uncivilized chaos. I refuse to even contemplate such a thing.

    Next you’ll be telling me that people don’t organize the bills in their wallets so that they are face-forward, right-side-up, and in order of value. It’s unthinkable.

    Amen, brother! Preach it!

    • #22
  23. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    In answer to the question “Why so many tools?” comes the response “It’s better to have it and not need it than it is to need it and not have it.”

    Plus, I don’t think that they would let me get away with a utility belt. Some people are prejudiced against batarangs. Go figure.

    • #23
  24. OldPhil Coolidge
    OldPhil
    @OldPhil

    One Ring to rule them all,
    One Ring to find them,
    One Ring to bring them all,
    And in the darkness bind them.

    • #24
  25. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    OldPhil (View Comment):

    One Ring to rule them all,
    One Ring to find them,
    One Ring to bring them all,
    And in the darkness bind them.

    Apparently you missed a bet in the tags, @mattbalzer.

    • #25
  26. Clavius Thatcher
    Clavius
    @Clavius

    Front left, bills

    Front right, change, a pocket knife, chapstick, and a keepsake coin (currently a 2 rupee coin)

    Back right wallet

    Back left tissue (allergies.)

    Keys are most often in the jacket pocket.

    • #26
  27. Matt Balzer, Imperialist Claw Member
    Matt Balzer, Imperialist Claw
    @MattBalzer

    Matt Bartle (View Comment):
    Next you’ll be telling me that people don’t organize the bills in their wallets so that they are face-forward, right-side-up, and in order of value. It’s unthinkable.

    It depends how many transactions I’ve conducted. If there are a lot of bills changing hands I’ll wait until the end of the day. I’m not stopping in line to fix it.

    • #27
  28. Jimmy Carter Member
    Jimmy Carter
    @JimmyCarter

    I remember having this conversation about this a while back.

    Front Right: keys

    Front left: phone, snuff, Gerber knife

    Right rear: wallet

    left rear: by the end of the day it will be a folded paper towel, receipts, and notes/messages/ideas I’ve scribbled on scraps of paper that a few will end up as bookmarks. 

     

    • #28
  29. Matt Balzer, Imperialist Claw Member
    Matt Balzer, Imperialist Claw
    @MattBalzer

    Jimmy Carter (View Comment):
    I remember having this conversation about this a while back.

    I know there have been a couple conversations about what you carry, I don’t know if how you carry it was included.

    • #29
  30. The Cloaked Gaijin Member
    The Cloaked Gaijin
    @TheCloakedGaijin

    “String, or nothing!” shrieks Gollum.

    • #30
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