When a Door Doesn’t Say “Push” or “Pull,” What Do You Try First?

Have you ever walked into a door you thought was a “push,” but it was actually a “pull”?  You feel like an idiot, right?

This might be the most random survey question ever:  An actual scientific poll asked 6,000 Americans what they’d do if a door DIDN’T SAY whether to push or pull it.  What would you try first?

It’s a coin flip, so the overall results are pretty much 50/50.  But we do have a winner . . . 51% said PUSH.  (We’re only counting the people who chose one or the other.  Around a third said they weren’t sure what they’d do.)

1.  Men are slightly more likely to try pushing it first.  52% said they’d push, and 51% of women said pull.

2.  People in the Northeast are the most likely to be pushers, 57%.  And Midwesterners are the most likely to be pullers, 51%.

3.  Your answer might change as you get older.  59% of Americans under 30 said they’d try pushing the door.  54% of older Americans said pull.  (Makes sense.  Don’t want to slam into that door and break a hip!)

(YouGov)