I’m surprised no one has mentioned Denton Texas’ new back-in only parking policy in its downtown square. Here’s a local news report talking about the $50 fine. We were there a few weeks ago and the person who drove to the restaurant pulled in the space, when someone from the coffee shop came over and told us about the new law (and the too-small signs). Is this a first for the country?
Comedian runs afoul of parking creationists, protests: Comedian Eugene Mirman Takes Out Full-Page Ad to Protest Parking Ticket
2 other things I noticed about back in parkers:
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Most of them have to make two approaches into the space to get it right, so they take up even more of everyones time. Want to be a back in parker? Fine, but be quick about it. Otherwise, park normally.
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For most people, they want to save time getting to the building in question where they are parking for. So, but holding everyone up back up parking, you are causing an inconvenience. Odds are, for the rest of us its our only stop, and theres no time limit for when we have to arrive at the next spot (usually, home). So, it matters less that people take time to back up when they leave the spot.
How the hell do they know whether you’re coming or going? Another solipsistic, “I’m the only person in the world who really exists, let’s gun blind out of the space it into a pack of children and dogs” parking creationist…
Oh, your still here, huh.
Mirman’s dipping into that well again?
Get used to disappointment.
Until you or another idiot runs me over backing out of a space, yeah.
There’s gotta be a correlation between poor driving skills and poor punctuation. Clearly the case, here. Apostrophe. Contraction. Look them up, heel.
The line between narcissism and stupidity really blurs. The very idea that “most people” are leaving parking lots but never arrive at them is so incredibly mathematically impossible that an intelligent five year old can tell you what’s wrong with it. That we let people dumber than a five year old like russian heel drive at all is a miracle of tolerance.
Here’s how I see it:
You’ve got a few levels of parking expertise.
The Drooling Simpleton. Parks head in. Incapable of long term planning. Leaving the spot will happen later and thus can’t be considered because of lack of intellect. These are Low Information Parkers.
The Capable Driver. Always backs in. This is for many reasons a better method than parking head in. But these people will often back in even when a pull through is possible, strictly out of habit. Some people at the low range of this group are known to back in to angled spaces where they shouldn’t and are barely above Drooling Simpletons.
The Expert. Pulls through so gets the best of both worlds. Is aware of the benefits of backing in but doesn’t need to most of the time. Doesn’t back in when not appropriate such as angled spaces or garages with special rules. These are the 20% of the 80/20 rule. These people, if they all dropped dead tomorrow would leave the rest of the planet cold and alone for a whole generation until the median IQ came back up and there would be a time of great suffering and darkness. The only weakness of the Expert parking method, as others have mentioned is when shopping the trunk isn’t easy to get to. Hey, they’re not perfect.
The Zen Master. Pulls through when appropriate. Has all the skills of the Expert but takes it one step farther. Always parks at the back of the lot. The benefits of this are many. This way they can pull through yet not have other cars blocking them when they load up their groceries. There is much less chance of Drooling Simpletons parking next to them and banging their doors into the car. Plus, they get exercise due to the short walk into the store.
Guess which one I am?
Based on what evidence? This has been claimed repeatedly - doggedly even, and there have even been claims that “studies” prove it, but not one person has been able to produce any links to said studies. I have read countless articles, and they’re all based on vague “my boss says the insurance company requires us to back in” reasoning, but none with any data or statistics. I don’t think there are any such studies, because if there were, someone would have posted a cite by now.
[QUOTE=Debaser;18523348
Guess which one I am?[/QUOTE]
You’re a Teamster.
True enough, but what happens if you force a Drooling Simpleton to back in? Could be that for such folks, driving in is best for them because they are incapable of backing in without making several attempts, misaligning their vehicle, and bumping the vehicle beside them.
Best just seize their licences and vehicles, and give them bus passes for compensation.
And you’ve been told repeatedly that if you need a “study” to understand that it’s a bad idea to reverse into traffic blind, or that the same number of cars which arrive at a lot must later leave that lot, then you’re too stupid to be driving.
Nope. When they re-did the upper part of the main drag through town and put in traffic circles instead of lights, they also instituted back-in parking along the street. It seems to be working quite well, and is well sign-posted.
I know I’m going to back in one direction or the other, and that’s why I pull in forward - backing out into the aisle is much easier than backing into a space that’s barely wider than the car.
And that’s the philosophy of the front-in parker – do what’s easier for me, the shitty driver, even if it puts everyone at risk.
My wife did both of those the other day - the spot ahead was empty when she pulled in, and still empty (or empty again) when she backed out. I just shook my head and didn’t say anything…
You shouldn’t pull through unless ALL the surrounding spaces are empty. You can’t see around cars in adjacent spaces, and someone pulling into the opposite space won’t see you.