why do people park cars "backwards"?

[fumbduck]

if this isn't a parody thread then eber deserves to be shot

 

[Chumpman]

Originally posted by: Twista
i cant do either lol. Still learning.. love the permit

wtf ... parking is as hard as turning the damn wheel (i too have my permit)

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: Bootprint
Safer to pull out, if you back in to a parking spot.

You trade off the safety hazzard of trying to back into a narrow spot.
(a) safely pull in forward - have a hazzard backing out, or
(b) hazzardly pull in backwards - have a safe time pulling out.
Either way the total safety risk is about the same.

In many locations backing in is illegal. The "Dear Abby" newspaper column once recommended people back in for the "safe pulling out" reason. Within weeks she was flooded with complaints of people who tried it and got a ticket. She later retracted the advice.

 

[jjones]

I do it for a fast getaway because when I'm leaving stores the security guards are always chasing me.

 

[ElFenix]

i back in a lot because the front of my car is low enough to catch on the parking curb.

 

[LongCoolMother]

Originally posted by: dullard

Originally posted by: Bootprint
Safer to pull out, if you back in to a parking spot.

You trade off the safety hazzard of trying to back into a narrow spot.
(a) safely pull in forward - have a hazzard backing out, or
(b) hazzardly pull in backwards - have a safe time pulling out.
Either way the total safety risk is about the same.

In many locations backing in is illegal. The "Dear Abby" newspaper column once recommended people back in for the "safe pulling out" reason. Within weeks she was flooded with complaints of people who tried it and got a ticket. She later retracted the advice.

like 0rooo said. its safer to back into a space than the back out of one. therefore your total "safe" rating is higher by backing into spaces, not lower.

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS
Makes it far easier & safer to leave the spot.

I hate it when people ride my ass in a parking lot, makes it impossible to do that.

If you're halfway decent at it it doesn't take much longer.

Viper GTS

I agree 100%. I have a truck and I do it; no ricemobile here. The past few years, I've noticeda disturbing trend.

Of course, it happened to coincide with the release of the "Fast and Furious" movies.

People HAUL ASS in parking lots! It's usually the >25 crowd, but I've seen the older set do it too in their Crown Vics/Devilles. In a parking lot, if someone backs out in a hurry, you've got MAYBE two seconds to stop to avoid hitting them. How are you supposed to do that if you're doing 30mph?

I do no more than 5mph in a parking lot for a couple of reasons:

1. Gives me more time to react to the idiots around me
2. WHEN it happens AGAIN that some idiot plows into me in said parking lot, I can say with all truth that I was doing 5mph.

 

[RU482]

you are saving a shift on a cold transmission

 

[Koing]

I always do it. Faster and easier to park backwards like this.

You are required to park like this on the driving test in England. If you can't park backwards then you are focked and won't be passing.

She was just slow or something. If she was a beginnner well that was her excuse.

Koing

 

[Viper GTS]

Originally posted by: dullard

Originally posted by: Bootprint
Safer to pull out, if you back in to a parking spot.

You trade off the safety hazzard of trying to back into a narrow spot.
(a) safely pull in forward - have a hazzard backing out, or
(b) hazzardly pull in backwards - have a safe time pulling out.
Either way the total safety risk is about the same.

In many locations backing in is illegal. The "Dear Abby" newspaper column once recommended people back in for the "safe pulling out" reason. Within weeks she was flooded with complaints of people who tried it and got a ticket. She later retracted the advice.

How is it more dangerous to back into a spot? If anything it's safer.

Viper GTS

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

I pull my car through a parking space so I can be facing outwards as long as it isn't angled parking. I drive a long bed truck and I have been in situations where I can't get out of a parking spot because other people have parked so close.

 

[speg]

Uh, dude it's a lot easier to back into a space than it is to drive forward into it. That is once you master the technique, I know people who do it all the time. It's easier to line stuff up and everything.

 

[johnjbruin]

i do it all the time. just a habit now. i think it came from the fact that when parking at home, i HAVE to back in the car.

 

[VTEC01EX]

It's not parking "backwards"... in the rest of the world, reversing into the spot is the norm. I do it where I can, but most of the parking I encounter is the angled type with one-way rows, so I'd be pointing the wrong way.

 

[johnjbruin]

Originally posted by: speg
Uh, dude it's a lot easier to back into a space than it is to drive forward into it. That is once you master the technique, I know people who do it all the time. It's easier to line stuff up and everything.

exactly. mirrors are great *if* you know how to use them.

edit: its a whole different ballgame when people park by reversing into angled parking. that is pretty moroninc and there are a lot of people that do that

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS
How is it more dangerous to back into a spot? If anything it's safer.

Viper GTS

Simple, going backwards you have less control, things are backwards - you have to turn the wheel the opposite direction, and people are idiots. Put the three together and you'll see accidents (especially due to the latter).

Either way you have to leave into heavy traffic - so both exits are dangerous (although yes forward out in many cases is a bit safer than backing out).

 

[Asharus]

I only do it if I'm backing up to a parking space I missed.

 

[eakers]

i find it easier to both park and get out of a parking spot, especially if the parking lot is very small.

 

[conjur]

<--- always backs in when parking at work or at home.


At the mall or wherever, I just pull in.

 

[murphy55d]

When possible, I pull through to the next spot, so I'm facing out. If I can't do that I just pull in normally.

 

[vi edit]

You can back into a tigher spot much easer than you can "pull" into it, or so it seems to me. You also have a lot better forward visibility when pulling out.

Unless you are complete bumbling fool behind the wheel, there are no inherent risks associated with backing in. At least no more than you would normally be subjected too if you truely were that crappy of a driver.

 

[kami333]

Originally posted by: VTEC01EX
It's not parking "backwards"... in the rest of the world, reversing into the spot is the norm. I do it where I can, but most of the parking I encounter is the angled type with one-way rows, so I'd be pointing the wrong way.

Yeah, it's normal in Japan to back in. I actually find it easier to back into tight spaces than have to go back and forth getting the car situated.

 

[fyleow]

Originally posted by: dullard

Originally posted by: Viper GTS
How is it more dangerous to back into a spot? If anything it's safer.

Viper GTS

Simple, going backwards you have less control, things are backwards - you have to turn the wheel the opposite direction, and people are idiots. Put the three together and you'll see accidents (especially due to the latter).

Either way you have to leave into heavy traffic - so both exits are dangerous (although yes forward out in many cases is a bit safer than backing out).

That makes no sense, if you park "normally" and then back out to exit the parking lot everything would still be in reverse (you have to turn the wheel in opposite direction, you have less control, things are backwards).

If anything, it is safer to back into parking spaces. When you back into a parking space at least you know you're safe and nothing is going to move. When you're exiting a parking space by reversing, there might be some idiot ready to hit you or some idiot backing out at the same time.

I try to back into parking spaces as much as I can...it's a mandatory skill and if you don't practice it enough you're going to be fvcked for parallel parking.

 

[rh71]

If you can't do it on the first try, you shouldn't be allowed to do it. :|

 

[DaWhim]

I like to park it that way more. maybe just to piss my sister off. she was backing the car in the drive way for the first time and the right side mirror was GONE. lol