Many Americans do, indeed, keep bulging tri-fold wallets in their rear pockets. And they even drive their cars and sit at their desks with them.

Often you will spot them with a month's worth of paper receipts crammed inside so the poor wallet is about to burst.

It is just conventionally where a man's wallet goes in America--One of those things where you don't apply common sense because it's just "how it is" and you've never really thought about it.

I'm British and I do that...

What happens is you grow a dent in your butt, and get a lopsided spine. Yay!

I'm American and I never understood the back-pocket thing until I moved to the West Coast and started carrying my (bulky, remote) car key in addition to just house keys. Once you have those and a phone in your front pockets, something has to go in your back pocket.

Born and raised in Cali. I've always had keys in my right, phone in my left, wallet in back right.

I remember before I even had a cell phone myself and people in general still put their wallets in the back right, and it was cool to have a chain attached to it and hooked to your front right belt loop. I'd use my front pockets for all sorts of random crap, but I think I always had my keys in my front right. I've been really good about virtually never having lost a key in my life. I used to carry a pocket watch in my left.

Now I am faced with a pocket dilemma. I carry one phone for data and a 5s that I am using with a SIM (connected via pdanet/foxfi hotspot). So the two phones are taking up both front pockets! I'm currently either putting my keys in my jacket or in my back left pocket, which can potentially be quite uncomfortable to sit on. Would be cool if there was an easy way to flatten keys like a wallet.

I'm european, and hold my wallet in the back pocket or in my jacket. I just take it out and put it on the table when sitting.

I simply do not buy pants which don't come with extra pockets over the thighs. They are really hard to find, but they Solve The Problem. (I'm Brazilian, but atypical in this habit)

Wait, there are trousers which don't come with pockets in the front/over the thighs?!

I meant extra pockets, also in the front, over the lower thighs, for a total of 6 pockets, 4 of which in the front.

Unlike the upper pockets, those extra two are in an area which you don't squeeze when sitting.

I have a money clip, a smart phone and keys. Phone needs to be in a front pocket so that I don't sit on it and break it. Keys need to be in my front right pocket so that they are accessible and I do not sit on them and never sit again.

Thus my billfold must go in one of my rear pockets.

For me, the money clip and keys are in the right pocket, and the smart phone goes in the left front pocket.

The keys and money clip are distinct enough that I have no problem pulling out the right thing. And the keys are not going to damage the money clip like they would damage the phone.

Same here. Phone in left. Keys, money clip, change, pocket knife and everything else in right. I try very hard to never put anything in my pocket with my phone. mostly for ease of access but also to avoid scratches.

I feel that the money clip and keys create too large a disruption in the line of my trousers, esp. with the newer fitted trousers.

Also, with the fitted slacks it's harder reach past the keys to the money clip or vice versa.

Phone is too big to be comfortable in a pocket, so I use a horizontal belt clip, which is pretty unobtrusive, especially if you wear a jacket or loose shirts. Wallet and keys in front pockets, leaving my arse free for comfortable sitting.

lmao, so do I. I got a slimmer wallet though, no coins and not much room for junk, six cards and a note container. Made out of plastic. Lasts forever. Kinda destroys the magnetic strips on credit cards though, oops, and cards in the back aren't very accessible.