Are you left handed, right handed, mixed or ambidextrous?

[slowworm]

I fear the vote will prove inconclusive. Perhaps it was a mistake to put Mixed as an option. What I am reading is a lot of people who might have been classed as Left handed have figured ways to work with both and have voted in mixed.

Yes, I expect many of the mixed would have voted left of mixed wasn't an option, I would have done.

I would normally say I'm left handed, as I write left handed. I voted mixed as I do many other things right handed. If it's something new to me I often don't know if I'll do it right or left handed until I try to do it. Somewhat strangely I'll paint as an artist with my left hand but decorate with my right hand. At some point I'll switch to doing fine detail with my left.

 

[Erbswurst]

If you come from France and march against Italy, Germany and Russia you have more shadow on the right side of the alley during the hottest time of the day.

I am pretty convinced that this was the reason to change it. Before the traffic went everywhere on the left because it's better for right handed horsemen.

Some states adopted later the right side traffic because it's indeed better for right handed modern car drivers.

 

[Scottieoutdoors]

Perhaps a better vote (in hindsight) would have been which hand do you write with/would have naturally written with had you not been forced to write right hand handed..

I guess most of us never paid attention nor were "forced" to do anything right handed (like drink, open doors or whatever), but picking up a pen would have been where some of you older left handed folks (I'd guess) would have been forced/encouraged to swap hands....

 

[Robson Valley]

I'm very impressed with the results so far. They reveal a broad spectrum of manual dexterities for all sorts of tasks. The "mixed" category is the most telling, plus the individual anecdotes.

The Canadian population shows some 15, nearly 16% who identify as left handed to be the most comfortable, writing. That includes me. However, it just seems so natural to do many things right handed that I don't pay any attention, just get on with it.

Last night, I made a slurp of dry vermouth on ice with several scrapes of orange peel zest. Stirred the drink, picked up the glass and had a sip. Think of all the steps. Great mix of LH and RH actions!

 

[stevec]

I identify as right handed. I can use my left for a bunch of stuff, but not writing and I wouldn't trust myself with a hammer. Other than that I can use both hands, I'm just not as good with my left

 

[TeeDee]

I wonder if much of these responses is akin to

"I can use both feet - I am predominately a right footer but I can use my left for many things , walking - running, Not so good on taking toe punt field goals but I can definitely kick it with the left "

 

[stevec]

I've been thinking about this since I posted a few mins back. I suspect much of this is muscle memory. I made lunch lefty today. And whilst it wasn't an issue, I certainly had to put more effort into the control of the knife etc than if I was using my right hand. Now I can shave with a cut throat so for that I use right and left hand for right and left side of face because I taught myself to do it, using a safety razor, I just use my right. Again I suspect muscle memory. When I used to travel for work the first trip I had was awful as I kept reaching into the driver door pocket for the handbrake. I got in the habit of driving with my right hand on the gear stick for the first couple of hours after getting a car to 'set myself' for driving in the continent. Muscle memory again.

 

[Scottieoutdoors]

I wonder if much of these responses is akin to

"I can use both feet - I am predominately a right footer but I can use my left for many things , walking - running, Not so good on taking toe punt field goals but I can definitely kick it with the left "

Yeh, that's my suspicion. My left hand is not some withered claw that is never used for anything... it opens doors, it can pick up things etc, but I'm still right handed.

 

[Erbswurst]

I asked my brother how these things developed during the years.
He became less good writing with the right hand because he stopped training it.
Otherwise at basket ball and table tennis he is far better with the right hand.

But if he has to use simple tools or those that are constructed for both sides like electric screwdrivers and one arm becomes tired he simply changes the side and continues. I can do that too, but not with knife, hatchet or hammer. He hits the nails equally with both sides. Here he is obviously trained at both sides because it's good to fulfill the needs of his job.

 

[forrestdweller]

If you come from France and march against Italy, Germany and Russia you have more shadow on the right side of the alley during the hottest time of the day.

I am pretty convinced that this was the reason to change it. Before the traffic went everywhere on the left because it's better for right handed horsemen.

Some states adopted later the right side traffic because it's indeed better for right handed modern car drivers.

which would proof again that i'm "secretly" left-handed (see my earlier post) as i'm more comfortable driving on the left side (= i drove a ford festiva 43000km in two years around Oz without problems while driving on the right somewhere in central america drives me nuts...; i also have a japanese driver's license (which would need renewal but i'm not there anymore :-( )

interestingly both Austria and Czechoslovakia had left-sided driving until they were annected but the Nazis in 1938 while korea has right-sided driving despite the fact that cars where introduced during japanese rule (and south korea has the worst car drivers i've encountered in any place i've been. met many expats who came to the same conclusion...)

 

[Scottieoutdoors]

I'd consider car driving to be a bit of an ambidextrous skill. Steering is as important as gear changes and accelerator control in conjunction with clutch control are both "joined" skills...

Driving a rhd vehicle when I have done was never an issue, and normally driving lhd cars..

 

[henchy3rd]

My nephew is left handed, he picked up my guitar which is right handed & started playing it.. it looked so weird as his hands were all distorted, I’ve no idea how his brain managed to comprehend it all?
I think he’s just weird.lol.

 

[henchy3rd]

which would proof again that i'm "secretly" left-handed (see my earlier post) as i'm more comfortable driving on the left side (= i drove a ford festiva 43000km in two years around Oz without problems while driving on the right somewhere in central america drives me nuts...; i also have a japanese driver's license (which would need renewal but i'm not there anymore :-( )

interestingly both Austria and Czechoslovakia had left-sided driving until they were annected but the Nazis in 1938 while korea has right-sided driving despite the fact that cars where introduced during japanese rule (and south korea has the worst car drivers i've encountered in any place i've been. met many expats who came to the same conclusion...)

I quickly learnt to drive in the Dordogne, France when I picked up a brand new hire car.. it was dusk & realised headlights coming straight for me.
Only once & never again.

 

[crosslandkelly]

which would proof again that i'm "secretly" left-handed (see my earlier post) as i'm more comfortable driving on the left side (= i drove a ford festiva 43000km in two years around Oz without problems while driving on the right somewhere in central america drives me nuts...; i also have a japanese driver's license (which would need renewal but i'm not there anymore :-( )

interestingly both Austria and Czechoslovakia had left-sided driving until they were annected but the Nazis in 1938 while korea has right-sided driving despite the fact that cars where introduced during japanese rule (and south korea has the worst car drivers i've encountered in any place i've been. met many expats who came to the same conclusion...)

Funnily enough, your post reminded me of this.

A ‘thrilling’ mission to get the Swedish to change overnight

Just over 50 years ago, Sweden conducted the biggest, most expensive traffic conversion project Europe had ever seen. Today, it’s a success story that continues to inspire economists.

www.bbc.com

 

[billycoen]

After a few years of martial arts training i purposely trained in southpaw stance,i'm right handed,took a while,but muscle memory is a wonderful thing,gets the opponent thinking too.

 

[oldtimer]

A French friend told me that the Belgians had plans to change to driving on the left. In week one at midnight on Sunday all the cars would drive on the left. If this went successfully in week two all the lorries would also change.

(I suspect this was his tactful version. The joke works better if one reads Brits for Belgians)

 

[Tengu]

Thats a very French joke.

 

[demented dale]

Right but I'm a much better thrower with my left.... go figure.

ime a lefty but throw with the right. that might be the norm x

 

[demographic]

Mixed.
Right handed for writing, sawing, hammering, and shooting a gun but left handed with a bow or catapult.
Right footed with a football but Goofy footed on a skateboard.

Maybe I'm just confused

 

[MrEd]

Almost ambidextrous but I can’t write left handed. Not as good as my right hand but I can do a lot equally - lots of years practise both as an amateur mechanic and professionally at work in healthcare