# Backing into parking spaces. Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 10, 2001, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backing-into-parking-spaces-why/49391 "2001-01-10T20:13:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2001, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backing-into-parking-spaces-why/49391/21 "2001-01-11T18:16:05Z")
I’m, not I. I’m, not I. I’m, not I… :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Carina42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@Carina42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carina42)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2001, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backing-into-parking-spaces-why/49391/22 "2001-01-12T00:11:22Z")
I usually back in, and I’m a girl. Should I get checked for testicles? ::poking, prodding…feeling around.:: Perhaps I should have a professional check. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Geobabe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/geobabe/32/3908_2.png) [@Geobabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geobabe)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2001, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backing-into-parking-spaces-why/49391/23 "2001-01-12T04:44:08Z")
As I recently discovered, if your battery goes dead, it’s a heck of a lot easier if you’ve backed into the space because the end with the battery is pointing out. Otherwise, if there are cars parked on both sides of you, you have to push the car out of the space before you can jump it. Which is very difficult to do in the wintertime when there is ice on the ground. ---
**Author:** ![AVSC916](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@AVSC916](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AVSC916)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2001, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backing-into-parking-spaces-why/49391/24 "2001-01-12T05:32:55Z")
I often back into a space if traffic permits it because when I used to be a delivery guy, the company I worked for insisted on us doing this as often as possible. It turns out it’s quicker and safer to pull out again later on. Over the holidays, I backed in a lot when shopping because trying to leave while backing out and having to avoid not only stacked up cars wanting your space but pedestrians walking by got to be a pain. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2001, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backing-into-parking-spaces-why/49391/25 "2001-01-12T06:21:36Z")
Ooo, I have another reason. I only back in when parking overnight in my lot in the winter. There are trees on either side of the parking lot, and they do a fine job of shading whichever part of the car is parked in. Well, I’d rather have my front window defrosted in the morning by the sun then the back one, so I back in. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2001, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backing-into-parking-spaces-why/49391/26 "2001-01-12T15:15:01Z")
Ok, this is going to sound stupid (big surprise there) but while people THINK I back in, I don’t - I pull through from the other side. I do this because I drive a stick shift pickup and I don’t do reverse real well. It’s hard to explain - but it’s a hard gear/direction/let’s get everything working togeter - appendages/tranny/clutch/gas kind of thing for me to do. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2001, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backing-into-parking-spaces-why/49391/27 "2001-01-12T15:33:33Z")
Another female who backs in checking in… I do this most of the time. It’s easier to get out when you leave. I can back right in most spots, none of that ‘back and forth-back and forth’ crap. I also always back into the garage. I always do it when I pick my girls up from school. The parking lot is wide, but only has two rows of spaces for cars, facing away from each other (each row faces away from the other, with a wide space to drive between them). When I get there to pick them up, there are usually only a few spaces left. If there are no more spaces, people just pull up and block a couple cars while waiting for their kids. When my kids get in the car, it’s easier (as a couple people already mentioned) for me to just pull forward to get out, rather than try to back out. ---
**Author:** ![malden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@malden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malden)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2001, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backing-into-parking-spaces-why/49391/28 "2001-01-12T22:33:36Z")
What about pulling through spaces in parking lots where the spaces are diagonal rather than at a right angle to the aisle? It drives me berserk to see people do that. Is it that hard to back up? I always thought the whole point of those angled spaces was to make the aisles ONE-WAY, so they can be narrower and you can fit more rows of parking spaces in the lot. But if you pull through so that you park facing out of the space, you end up facing against the flow of traffic when you try to leave. Many lots put little barriers at the end of the spaces to prevent this. \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \<-one-way- / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / -one-way-\> \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \<-one-way- / / / / / / / / / / / / BTW, **Jman** , your reason to back into a space is the best one I’ve read so far! **SmackFu** ’s solar angle reasoning is a good one too. ---
**Author:** ![anya\_marie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@anya\_marie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anya_marie)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2001, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backing-into-parking-spaces-why/49391/29 "2001-01-15T08:22:29Z")
Quite a few of the parking lots in my town have the diagonal spaces, and since i cannot back out very well, ``` * ``` ///// ///// ^ \>x and if x is the car i am driving, and i pull forward and turn into the space at the arrow, so that i am facing toward the point marked by the asterisk, i can get out of there faster. I will park at the back of the lot and then pull forward so i do not have to back out. ---
**Author:** ![anya\_marie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@anya\_marie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anya_marie)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2001, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backing-into-parking-spaces-why/49391/30 "2001-01-15T08:25:41Z")
where did i go wrong with my diagram? that asterisk and star were e over farther… i hope y’all can understand what i am trying to say. ---
**Author:** ![Mnementh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@Mnementh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mnementh)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2001, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backing-into-parking-spaces-why/49391/31 "2001-01-15T12:38:58Z")
All this is making me reconsider getting a Humvee, since I suck royal ass at reversing at ALL. Oh man… I can just see my insurance bills… That said, I’d rather back in. For getaway reasons, of course. Not that there’s anything I’d need to get away from, I just like to pretend I’ve done something thrilling in the Mall and now have oh-so-many people after my blood… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backing-into-parking-spaces-why/49391.md?page=1)