The League of Left-Handers

[barb dwyer]

I tried a pair of left-handed scissors and couldn't maneuver them.

DO your pens unscrew themselves while you write?

I can't seem to use the fancier 'screw together' type pens for this reason.
Is it a left handed thing, or am I just ... on the outside again.

Am also back in school and there's NO left handed desks any more.

[Blake]

I tend to have to use all right handed stationery, as I find I'm even more cack handed with left handed stuff then right. Plus I've only ever come across left handed scissors that never seem to be able to cut, is it just people don't trust me with scissors or is this standard.

Always thought I had a doggy pen when thats happened to me never relised it was a common problem with pens. Can use the fancier ones just have o tighten them up alot.

Never in my life have I seen a left handed desk, but then most of the desk's I've used have been table's rather than desks.

[barb dwyer]

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=left+handed+school+desk&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=GeO&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=ivns&resnum=11&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1285&bih=590&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=15870532313310576463&sa=X&ei=KaQLTsa_G464sAPwvpicCQ&ved=0CGcQ8wIwAA

these are the desks that are at the college I attend.
The admin. told me (when I asked why no left handed ones)
that the left handed ones fell apart.

so I have to sit sideways in the chair
and by the end of three classes in one day
I can barely walk to my car.

I did compensate in some classes
(the ones that weren't so full)
by 'pulling the old lady card'
and sit up front
then pull another desk close enough
to write on it with my left hand.

Since I'm the age of most of the student's grandmother
no one complains.   
To my face, at any rate.

It took my decades to figure out
why pens always unscrewed themselves on me.
As well as why *I* was always the one with ink
(or pencil, as I'm an illustrator/ artist)
all over the side of my hand.

It was from dragging my hand through the fresh ink/graphite while writing.

I just remembered, however - I do bat right handed.

And will not shoot a bolt - action rifle.
Nobody wants a hunk of metal moving that fast
so very close to the end of ones nose.

I bought a Ruger P-90
for it's ambidextrous clip ejector
and decocker
not to mention Ruger's superior sights. (sites?)

I had a Winchester356 lever action rifle
that would leave cuts on my fingers
from cocking it from the 'rough' side.
Had to take it to a gunsmith
to have it smoothed down.

And shoot pool ambidextrous.
My ex bf called it 'bi-poolar'

methinks I should switch to the decaf.
apologies if boring.

[Blake]

have since I can remember had my hand below the writing, you don't get ink etc on your hand or smudges on the page but after a while the hand turns into a claw, not good for writing essays.

Never relised that about guns, I don't have any, know a few who have air guns might have to ask them if there's similar problems with theirs, although think they're all right handed. All of the weapons I have you can use with either hand.

[Blake]

just had a look at that chair, don't think I'd like to use one quite like that, there's barely any room for anything to go on it. Prefer the desk's I used to sit at when studying especially the old science ones.

[Janus Zarate]

When I was at UC Berkeley, some of the smaller classrooms did have a left-handed desk or two, but they were rare.  The lecture halls and auditoriums, however, usually had a left-handed desk on the left end of most rows.  That works out to about 6% or so of all seats in those particular rooms - unfortunately well below the proportion of people in the world who are Southpaws.

I did join forces with a left-handers club and petitioned to address the issue, but as of the time I graduated (in 2008), no substantial improvements had come out of our work yet...

[MWBailey]

I've noticed recently that now it's easier to write with my left hand when I'm doing patch therapy (dominant - left - eye patched for therapy for Alternating Exotropia). I've always been ambidextrous before. Odd...

[Demo]

Dear all,

May I join in this sinistrous endeavour of yours ?
I'm so much of a lefty ( or as we say in french " un gaucher" ) that even my political opinions tends to the left !

I used to fence using both hands : when I started training there never was enough left-handed foil, so I mostly used a right handed one and got in the habit of switching it from hand to hand.
When I later started saber and even later rapier, I kept on doing it, training both side.
I never was a very good fencer ( even if I love the sport ) but I was a tricky one, I could change hand in the middle of a bout !
For the mouse, I use my right hand : computers I learnt on where always set up that way, but nowadays I mostly use a trackpad.
 

[citizen_erased]

I trained myself to be largely ambidextruous. I was born right-handed, but I figured ambidextrosity is much more useful, so I can even sort-of write with my left hand (it`s a bit messy still, need to practice more. Writing kanji with my left hand has proven to be even more interesting XD). I do always use the computer mouse with my left hand without even thinking about it. I just pull the mouse over and start, to the amusement and surprise of people around me.

[Neibelungen]

I shall  announce myself as the latest  member of the left handed club.

Interesting  observation  I have always noted is that  LH wear watches  on the right arm.   Definately biased  since it  in nearly impossible to  alter tthem or wind them  without removal.

Muskets are right handed,  venting  pan being  in you face when  fired left handed.

I use a mouse right handed and cant cope with it in my left had,  the same with  sciissors too...  my school never having a single pair at all.

However life was ruined with the advent  of those vile vegetable  peelers of a horizontal type.  Untill then I had never had to peel a potatoe  in my life !!!!

[bicyclebuilder]

I shall  announce myself as the latest  member of the left handed club.

Interesting  observation  I have always noted is that  LH wear watches  on the right arm.   Definately biased  since it  in nearly impossible to  alter tthem or wind them  without removal.

Muskets are right handed,  venting  pan being  in you face when  fired left handed.

I use a mouse right handed and cant cope with it in my left had,  the same with  sciissors too...  my school never having a single pair at all.

However life was ruined with the advent  of those vile vegetable  peelers of a horizontal type.  Untill then I had never had to peel a potatoe  in my life !!!!

I've learned to use the mouse righthanded. It seems easier than to constantly move the mouse to the other side and reverse the buttons. Also, it keeps my writing hand free.

About the venting pan from a musket. This also applies with mechanical equipment. They always seem to blow in my face.

I use righthanded scissors with my left hand. I have to squese them a bit to make them cut properly.

[Birdnest]

I shall  announce myself as the latest  member of the left handed club.

Interesting  observation  I have always noted is that  LH wear watches  on the right arm.   Definately biased  since it  in nearly impossible to  alter tthem or wind them  without removal.

Muskets are right handed,  venting  pan being  in you face when  fired left handed.

I use a mouse right handed and cant cope with it in my left had,  the same with  sciissors too...  my school never having a single pair at all.

However life was ruined with the advent  of those vile vegetable  peelers of a horizontal type.  Untill then I had never had to peel a potatoe  in my life !!!!

I've learned to use the mouse righthanded. It seems easier than to constantly move the mouse to the other side and reverse the buttons. Also, it keeps my writing hand free.

About the venting pan from a musket. This also applies with mechanical equipment. They always seem to blow in my face.

I use righthanded scissors with my left hand. I have to squese them a bit to make them cut properly.

A warm welcome to another who uses the RIGHT (correct  ) side of their brain.

I find myself using my mouse with my left hand for drawing and right hand for most else.  I can hand draw, and do most other stuff right handed ... but writing right handed is quite ... er... horrible. And scissors ... same as you.

For the shooting of muskets (and other rifles), I've learned to shoot right handed (I've been stung in the lip by flying burning stuff before).  Auto pistols are used right handed with a reflex scope, and revolvers are whatever hand I happen to favor that day.   'Round here you've got to be quick and accurate, what with all of the beasties about (lions, bears, wolves and such) 

[MacCabre]

I do everything left handed except golf, I'm not sure why that is. I'm also yet another left-handed bassist.

As for not being able to find good left-handed scissors, I actually did once at Joanne Fabrics, but I lost them somewhere during my recent move so I've been reduced to using filthy-peasant scissors.

[MWBailey]

As for not being able to find good left-handed scissors, I actually did once at Joanne Fabrics, but I lost them somewhere during my recent move so I've been reduced to using filthy-peasant scissors.

They work better if you wash the peasant off of them first.

[Banfili]

I am a lefty, but can work/write with both hands (a necessity when I was growing up) - I can also write with both hands at the same time, & used to do it backwards but don't anymore because it was getting too confusing! My first pair of left-handed scissors were provided by my work, put someone nicked 'em, probably thinking they were RH ones - had my name engraved on 'em, too. I use the mouse RH, mainly because I like to have the pen in my left, for note taking, etc., & because I have some arthritis in my left thumb.

Guitar is played RH, because years ago when I was given my first acoustic my younger brother & my dad both played RH (dad was ambi - batted left, threw right), so, even though it was MY guitar, I had to use it RH. My youngest nephew plays LH, & I once told his mum off for making him use his knife & fork RH.

P.S. Try finding a LH long bow!!
P.P.S Am a genius, too!!

[bicyclebuilder]

When I'm co-writing/drawing with someone who is right handed, I usually sit on the left. That way, the right handed person can see what I'm writing and I can see what he is writing.

When I'm having dinner with some people, I usually sit on the left. Even though I use my knife and fork the right way, I tend to use more elbow room.

[Birdnest]

P.S. Try finding a LH long bow!!
P.P.S Am a genius, too!!

funny, my longbow is both-handed.  so is my revolver 
And, yes all left handers are genius

[greatestescaper]

Left-hander chiming in here.  I was most bothered when right-handed folks would take left-handed desks because they were more comfortable in there.  WHAT?!?!??!  I have to suffer constantly in your inadequate desks, and now, at my chance for an ease in the classroom you rob me of it?  AUGH!  There are so many things during the day that just don't work because I'm left-handed.  Though to be honest I never thought of being right handed and feel that if I were I would wish I were a lefty.  I know an unfortunate number of left handers who would prefer to switch.  Is that a common thing?

[bicyclebuilder]

Not for me. I'm a southpaw and I'm proud! In a righthand oriented world, you have to find creative sollutions to common day problems. This is why we are superiour more creative than others. 
Be left and proud.

[BB BlackDog]

I was soundly thrashed at school from an early age each time I used my left hand to write or eat.
Use my right for most things now.
But still find myself half through my lunch sometimes before I realise the knifes in my left hand.

[OswaldBastable]

I think eating is about the only thing I do right handed, no doubt due to 'helpful' correction at school

[Banfili]

I wrote R handed at school, mainly because when I was a little tacker we learnt 'proper' writing with ye olde post office pen & nib & ink, & the page used to look, well, sort of horrible after I'd written a line across it then used my following hand/arm to spread it around a bit. We weren't allowed fountain pens until high school, & Biro's weren't allowed in infants & primary school either!

[Nathaniel Flood Harwick]

We have a thread like this on a paintball forum that I frequent. I'm a petty but I'm right eye dominant. This causes me me to shoot right handed because it makes it easier to use the sights. However I use pistols left handed because it feels better, but I hold it fitter over to the right so its sights line up with my dominant eye.

[MWBailey]

I keep catching myself with the knife in my left hand and holding what I'm cutting with the fork in my right, which is opposite of what they forced me taught me to do repeatedly when I was young. I also find that I can write with both hands on the chalkboard/whiteboard, which comes in handy on unruly days...

[Demetrius Rust]

Another southpaw chiming in...the only lefty in a family of muggles- er, right handers. Kinda odd, though because I play guitar and bass right handed and can write equally well with either hand. Nice to see such a concentration of fellow lefties in one place!