It’s also a good idea to back a motorcycle in, just in case the spot maybe on a slight hill. It would be pretty embarrassing to pull straight into a spot, then be unable to roll it up a slight incline to get out of it.
[Someone’s gotta do it]
Jesus Christ, SHAKES! All this time and you’re still drunk driving! I sure hope I’m never on the road after one of your little pub excursions, that’s for sure, asshole!
[/SGDI]
Interesting points both for and against so far, but nobody has mentioned the reason I suspect most people who prefer packing into car spaces do so, and that is simply to get the reversing part over and done with. In this way of thinking, it doesn’t matter which manouevre is the easier one, it’s just that it’s nice to be able to jump into the car, turn the key, and get out of there.
That said, I’m not one of those people. Usually, I just shoot into the spot, and reversing is something I’ll deal with later. This is because I agree with the argument that it’s less hassle reversing out into the wider space of the aisle than it is backing into a small parking space. In the average mall etc, I’ll drive straight in. The only exceptions are in my garage at home, if I know my girlfriend will be the next to use the car (she’s a competent driver, but I’ll back in just as a matter of courtesy), and in the carpark at my work, because, unlike a mall, everyone is leaving at the same time at the end of the shift, and I need to be nose-out so I can bully my way into the queue of traffic in the aisle. People who park nose-in at that place usually only ever do it once. And of course, the #$%^ SUVs sometimes force me to park nose-out.
I just pull in any which way, sometimes taking two spaces, sometimes not pulled in all the way, sometimes double parking. Why not? I’m more important than anyone else. I also never use turn signals and I speed in school zones. My truck is 8 feet tall and I play my bass so everyone can hear how cool I am.
Actually, I just prefer to back in, no reason at all. Unless the parking spaces are angled, which they do alot around here.
Three seperate and unrelated vehicle fleets I have driven in all have policies that drivers should back into parking places, rather than backing out of them, wherever that is practicable. In each case that policy was suggested by insurance providers who had found, (well reasoned logical arguments not withstanding :rolleyes: ) that the simple implementation of this policy reduced total claims.
Tris
Here’s some interesting trivia:
Everyone in Singapore (and possibly Malaysia too) backs into parking spaces. I’m not sure about other south-east Asian countries, but in S’pore at least it’s standard practice. There’s none of those angled parking spaces; in fact, I was informed if there was angled spots, they’d slant the opposite way so that people could reverse into them.
I’ll back in wherever practical,for all the abovementioned reasons,and one more.There are way too many idiots that use the 100 feet or more of a parking lot to see how fast they can drive in 1st gear.I want to see these jerks before I pull out.
WTF,don’t cops set up speed/reckless driving traps there?
This issue has pissed me for the longest time,particularly last week when some dumbass nearly clocked a wayward toddler in the parking lot.One who,incidentally couldhave been backed into by somebody backing out since her head wasn’t as high as the rear view mirror line of sight.
*"For ordinary situations, it’s stupidy and nothing more.
People delude themselves all the time with lame excuses, but pulling in is far safer. I esp. like the “backing out into traffic is risky” logic. Umm, in order to back in you will be going in reverse in the roadway so the logic is …?
Note that backing into a tight spot is far, far riskier than pulling in. Backing out of a tight spot is fairly trivial. It’s a win-win situation.
I’m always throwing things like logic at people about things like this and it is astonishing how many people hate well reasoned logical arguments."*
ftg - I’m astonished you consider the preceding a well reasoned argument. Calling people stupid (pre-emptively) because they disagree with your logic isn’t nice either.
Whenever possible, I will back in to park or drive through the parking spaces so that my van is nose out. I can do this quickly and safely and do realize that some people just aren’t capable of backing their vehicle into an 8 foot wide parking space.
My logic for doing this is like many others… if I am going to be moving INTO traffic I want to see as much as possible as to reduce the risk of an accident. Parking lots are dangerous places and besides other drivers there are also people wandering about who often don’t pay attention to what’s going on. If they’re in front of me when I’m pulling out everyone is safer.
When I back into a stall my visibility is far better than when I am backing OUT of the stall.
That is my reason as well. If you ever have to park in a really tight parking space (like all parking spaces in Japan) you’ll notice the difference. If you try to park head first, you first have to make a wide circle and align the car with the parking space (i.e. parallel with the adjacent cars) before you enter it. If you back into the space, you just stick the rear end into the space and swing the front over till you’re aligned. I have experienced this first-hand; first I try to park head first, find out there’s not enough space and am forced to back into the spot.
It also makes a big difference for driving out of the space. If you are backing out of a parking space, you can’t turn the steering wheel until you are clear of the adjacent cars. If you are driving forward, you can start turning much sooner, and use up less road space.
Lately I’ve been backing into parking spaces because the battery in my car keeps dying and I can’t afford to replace it. Backing in makes it easier for passing strangers to give me a jump start.
-fh
One reason not to is at a supermarket - the boot [trunk] is at the rear, and easier to put shopping into if you don’t have to squeeze past the car.
I would say, manouvering-wise it is easier to drive in and back out, but that you are supposed to be taught how to back in before the driving test, so you can drive out and back in, which is safer assuming you can do it.
I drive an Aerostar and when I’m shopping, I load all my purchases in the rear hatch. I can’t count on being able to open it if I back in. And when I back out, I do so slowly, watching for the idiots who speed in the lot. It’s been working for me for a lot of years - I can’t argue with success.
I don’t think they are allowed to because parking lots and stuff are private property. But I could be wrong…