To me, it seems objectively easier to pull into a parking space forward and then back out of the space when you are ready to leave. You don’t have to line up with the lines while driving backwards, and it’s easier to keep from hitting other cars as well. So why back in? To me, the only advantage I can think of is that you can get out quicker, technically.
Edit: I do not need driving instruction, just wondered why. The reasoning.
Like most everyone here, I feel that I can see the parking space better when I arrive than the roadway when I’m leaving. Seems safer. But the best is pulling through. Win/win!
I live for the pull-through. Wanna see me lose my shit? Be there as someone pulls into a space (which offers a clean pull-through) AND DOESN’T PULL-THROUGH. It takes every kilo of self control for me not to walk up to the window, rap on the glass and yell “DA FUCKSAMATTA WIT U?” I have passions.
As an agent of chaos, sometimes I’ll back in to a pull through spot (though really it’s because I’m already beside it intending to back in by the time I see the other spot is also empty and I might as well just keep pulling forward to back in to the spot instead of backing up to be able to turn my nose into the spot).
I work for a bank and we need a clear view of each other when we open the building, so we all back into our parking spaces. At first it was tricky and took some practice, but after a few tries you get so used to it becomes more intuitive to park that way. And it’s so much easier to leave without having to yield to cars and pedestrians passing by as you’re trying to back out.
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I can do it as fast after years of valet as a teenager, and its easier to make sure I’m centered since I can see the lines in my mirrors.
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It’s easier and quicker to get out, you never know if reversing out of a spot is going to be feasible and the visibility might not be as good when trying to exit.
True, but if you see the lines in your mirror, you have them adjusted wrong! Try adjusting them to see your blind spot. It takes a while to get used to it but it’s a game changer.
My mirrors automatically adjust downward when I reverse, I don’t have them set that way normally.
Oh, that’s cool! But one should still cover the blind spots with side mirrors instead of seeing what’s behind you, as you already have one that does this!
What? Who said I used my side mirrors to see behind me?
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My backup cam makes it easy to know how far to go in. Much easier for me than figuring out the front distance.
Have you ever seen a forklift? Ever noticed that it steers with the back wheels? That’s because it’s easier to maneuver at low speeds, in tight spots, with rear wheel steering. Since you’re driving backwards, you’re giving yourself rear wheel steering.
It’s safer to back into a spot than back out of it and personally I find it easier especially if it’s a narrow spot. Also means that my car is then straight in the middle of the it.
In all honesty it’s something I do mostly because it’s what I’ve always done. I also like to paraller park into tight spots because I like the challenge.
Ignore the reasons they give you. It’s literally 100% ego. They think it’s harder so doing it makes them better than everyone else.
Edit: They hated him because he spoke the truth.
Actually, it’s easy af.
“It’s so easy for me everyone, look how much better I am than you.” Proving my point but go on.
Or maybe it’s not that they are good drivers with egos about their abilities, but rather, you are a bad driver with an ego about judging others incorrectly.
I mean they asked a question to get an answer. Telling them to ignore and listen to your reason and that it’s to do with ego is a terrible way to deal with things you disagree with in life.
I just learned how to drive this year and reverse parking is not difficult, I do it quickly and get it right first try. If others find it difficult and need to go in head first, then go head first. I try to make it easier to leave. If it’s not for you, live your life. Not everyone struggles with reverse parking … I honestly didn’t even know people did. I figured everyone with a license could do it easily.
The thing is, I don’t actually disagree with it. I don’t care what other people do if it doesn’t affect me, I just understand why and I’m willing to say it out loud.
Oh, makes sense, totally respect that.
Because my HOA doesn’t allow it so I do it anyway as a fuck you to them.
… american HOAs are fucked
i have legitimately never heard a single positive thing about HOAs. i don’t think they exist in australia?… like we have owners corporations and stratas but i think they don’t have nearly the same power
We have Covenants at least in Victoria - https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/guides-and-resources/guides/all-guides/restrictive-covenants
Honestly, they’re kinda stupid and should have a mandatory end or review date, mine has stupid clauses like you can’t park a commerical vehicle within visibility of the street and restricts the material used for fencing etc
What? Please explain this madness!
It’s so they can repossess your car if you’re behind on payments or don’t update your registration after it expires. They literally hire a towing company to drive around the parking lot and look for vehicles to take. I don’t understand why the HOA cares.
Do you guys not have license plates on the front of cars too?
Not required in my state. And I’m glad because front license plates look stupid. They ruin the car’s appearance.
For a certain area, I back in to a parking space so that the sun in the afternoon is coming through the back window. This means that my drivers seat and steering wheel are not the temperature of the sun when I have to drive away. Other people may park in different ways to avoid the sun in the morning should they prefer to drive out to get lunch.
Excellent logic! Sometimes I do the same at work. When I was a smoker, I used to decide orientation so the sun is not shining on the front of the car or into the driver side directly so i could sit in my car and smoke without my arm sunburning on breaks. (Thankfully, I quit smoking and making my car stinky, tho I let passengers smoke if they want to, just occasionally.)
Once you know the proper method, it’s easy and efficient. Knowing the proper method is requested to get a licence so many people don’t forget.
A big bonus is that you see where you go when leaving. So if a car comes on the street you see it.
Finally many companies have a back parking mandatory as it’s safer in case of emergency evacuation. Not an issue in a supermarket but definitely a thing on a chemical factory
Because you know what the situation is when you park, but you don’t know what the situation will be when you leave.
Also cause its cool as fuck
It’s actually kind of inconvenient to be behind someone doing this. It takes longer than pulling in and sometimes it’s unexpected. Like I thought this one guy was turning but he was just lining up to back into a spot. He got mad when I pulled up behind him lol
Takes about the same amount of time as someone backing out when leaving, so it’s balanced out eventually. It’s a little unexpected but I don’t put my car anywhere I’m not 100% sure is safe, and backwards parking isn’t particularly rare, so I’m never really taken aback that much
sounds like your jealous of how cool they were
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Apart from the visibility argument. With this kind of parking spot you have to leave the spot in the other direction than you came in. So you’ll only get the enhanced agility for one of the moves.
Would you rather have more agility when getting into the tight parking spot or when leaving onto a larger street?
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You can just pull out of the spot and go, no need to change direction etc.
In a tight car park I have almost got stuck once because there wasn’t enough room for me to back out and get my nose out from between the cars on either side to move forward
Its more of a visibility thing. Backing out, your vehicle has to be three quarters of the way into traffic before you can really see.
Yep I’m all about setting myself up for success. And backing into parking spaces does that. Also it’s drilled into my head from the oilfield that you will always back in because it’s safer.
I like this answer, and had not considered it. Good insight. I knew people would have specific situations like certain parking areas or certain street parking, but I really wanted “general” answers, and this is a good one. Thanks.
My grandfather had two habits drilled into him in the Army: never put your hands in your pockets so they’re always ready for action, and always park your vehicle so it’s ready to go.
This means he always backed in, and always parked as close to the exit as possible. And he did post-drive checks to ensure fluids, lights, brakes etc. were as they should be and the vehicle was ready for immediate use.
And he wasn’t even a getaway driver after the war.
And he wasn’t even a getaway driver after the war.
That you knew about
Visibility. When you back in you have full awareness of your surroundings.
When you back out there’s a gap of time between getting in your car and backing out (opening the door, starting the car, seatbelt, adjusting radio, etc…). If you have cars parked on either side of you, you won’t be able to see the cars driving past you.
Then there’s efficiency. If you get a call while you’re in wherever and have to go somewhere quickly, it’s faster to have your car pointed in the right direction.
Situational awareness is what I use to sum it up. You have it coming in, but not going out.
In addition to the ease with front wheel drives that other people have mentioned, it is also safer. When you back in to a space you have full awareness of what’s around you in the car park, and are blocking the main driving route while backing into a place where no one is driving so are unlikely to have some speeding idiot hit your car. But when backing out of a space you lose vision on the driving route and are backing into it so you have a bigger chance of being hit by someone you can’t see not stopping
While you can feel pressured by other drivers waiting while you backing into a space, it’s far less pressure than when you back out of a space and don’t know what’s around you.
Similarly if you have a drive way at home, it’s safer to back in to it as you have better awareness of pedestrians and other drivers versus if you are backing out of the space into a road.
They actually teach reverse parking as part of driving instruction here in the UK because, as many people have pointed out, it’s safer, easier and more convenient.
Lots of people with sound, logical explanations of why it’s better and easier but nobody talking about, with the common angled parking lots these days, how you then end up pulling out the opposite direction of everyone else and going the wrong way down a one way lane or doing a u-turn and basically fucking everything up for anyone else.
Where I live, people give zero fucks about which direction the spaces are aligned. Even with giant arrows painted on the lanes, they will drive down the wrong way every damn time. I will stop my car and wait for their dumb asses to back up the way they came before I move. I could honestly care less which way you go into a parking spot, but driving the wrong way on one way lanes drives me insane.
I mean, those are lots in which I wouldn’t back in. Aside from the points you made, angled parking lots eliminate the drawbacks of pulling in. There’s better rear visibility towards one-way traffic, and the angle makes the alignment issue disappear.
I’m assuming all the arguments in favor of backing into parking spots are geared towards parking spots perpendicular to traffic.
Yeah I’m sure there are plenty of people who have the sense to think it through like you did, it’s just that I encounter the other type a couple times a week and felt like bitching about it.
Back-in-only spaces with the arrows pointed accordingly is sounding more and more like a superior solution.
