parking.....

[Carly_Roach]

If I'm backing into a traffic lane, missing my target and going 6 inches over to one side isn't going to make a difference. If I'm backing into a parking space, it could make a huge difference. The sides, for me, are the issue, not the area behind you. (I have a rear-view camera, so I always know what's right behind me when I'm backing up).

An excellent point. It's also a matter of being able to get out of your driver's side door next to another driver's side door without dinging someone else's car because you backed in badly (or someone else dinging your passenger door because you didn't leave enough room on that side for them to enter their car)

We're also dealing with the DIS phenomenon which I've mentioned before. This board is populated with people who can back into a parking spot perfectly, do it in 5 seconds or less, and don't really care if someone has to wait for them to do it. However, to paraphrase myself:

...we have to remember that the overall number of posters here on the CB are a small, infinitesimal subset of the public at large. And we aren't experiencing just these few poster's driving habits.

We're dealing with the public at large who, for the most part, aren't as squeakly clean, law-abiding or as nimble in their backing habits as DIS members purport to be.

 

[NikitaZee]

I back in because I have a small car and I feel safer if I can see past bigger cas next to me when I pull out. Sometimes it takes me longer than people would like, but if they'd stop grimacing at me as I'm doing it I'd be less nervous about it and just be able to do it without telling myself "hurry up hurry up". I try to tell myself 6o more seconds out of someone's life won't kill them.

Next time you notice someone giving you the evil eye over it, just smile and wave!

 

[Mrs. Darcy]

Next time you notice someone giving you the evil eye over it, just smile and wave!

Oh no I wouldn't do that! I really truly try to get in as quickly as possible, I don't want to piss anyone off!

 

[MICKEY88]

It is easier and safer to back into a parking spot than out of it which is why many companies have this policy with work trucks. What is usually ignored with the "you have to reverse at some point regardless" argument is that when you back in you are reversing from the open isle into the enclosed space (enclosed by vehicles) which allows you a greater field of vision than the other way around.

When you are reversing out of a parking spot you usually have a car on either side blocking your vision and in the case of smaller cars you are often next to a much larger vehicle. You can pull straight out if you have reversed in. At the same time while reversing in you are in the wide open isle and have a clear vision on all sides while you are backing into the space.

This is assuming you are a good driver and can pull straight back into the space without having to pull forward, then backward, than forward, and so on to actually get yourself between the lines.

ETA: If you do buy into the you have to reverse at some point anyway argument than it goes both ways. You will have to wait for someone to back into or out of a spot at some point anyway so does it matter which it is?

well stated

 

[Carly_Roach]

I back in because I have a small car and I feel safer if I can see past bigger cas next to me when I pull out. Sometimes it takes me longer than people would like, but if they'd stop grimacing at me as I'm doing it I'd be less nervous about it and just be able to do it without telling myself "hurry up hurry up". I try to tell myself 6o more seconds out of someone's life won't kill them.

BUT!! And this is an important !!BUT!! not aimed specifically at Mrs. Darcy but at anyone who has an attitude that 8 seconds, 20 seconds, 60 seconds isn't that big of a deal and others can just wait.

Who are these people who decide how others should spend their time and what they must wait for? Why is what they are doing so much more important? Why should others have to stop all activity and wait until these people have finished what they're doing?

Time spent waiting behind someone pulling into a parking space: 2 seconds or less
Time spent waiting for someone to back out of a parking space: 15-30 seconds (longer for the timid or distracted)
Time spent waiting for someone to stop, put their car into reverse, and slowly maneuver their way into a space so you can get on your way again: 30-60 seconds.

No, it won't kill someone to wait 60 seconds for someone else to back into a spot. But the act alone speaks volumns about the self-centered attitude of the person who thinks nothing of wasting another person's time. Which is one of the reasons why I won't do it. I have more consideration for other people and my actions demonstrate that.

 

[Carly_Roach]

Next time you notice someone giving you the evil eye over it, just smile and wave!

And pray they don't have a gun.

 

[NikitaZee]

And pray they don't have a gun.

I truly can't think of a response to that. I had no idea people could ever get that upset about backing in! That wouldn't even cross my radar as a 'road rage' type of incident.

 

[Carly_Roach]

I truly can't think of a response to that. I had no idea people could ever get that upset about backing in! That wouldn't even cross my radar as a 'road rage' type of incident.

I've heard enough stories to be firmly planted in the "no eye contact if possible, don't engage" category of drivers out there. You'd be amazed at how little it takes to set some people off.

Or maybe what could be the final straw that sets them off.

Being cheeky to someone who's already on a hair trigger (and you never know who that might be) probably isn't a good idea.

 

[Mrs. Darcy]

BUT!! And this is an important !!BUT!! not aimed specifically at Mrs. Darcy but at anyone who has an attitude that 8 seconds, 20 seconds, 60 seconds isn't that big of a deal and others can just wait.

I understand you weren't only speaking about me and I take no offense, but I'm really not selfish when I park. What happens in my case that backing in is safer for me (at least in my mind if not in reality) and the people who look aggravated when I start my move make me pressured to hurry up. I tell myself that it's only seconds of their time to make myself calm down, feel better, and just get into the spot! Trust me, I don't want to dawdle with parking spots either!

 

[xJenna]

I don't back in because I'm just plain awful at it. If I do, I try to make suer there are no cars around so I can take my sweet time and adjust as needed. I also tend to take my sweet time back out as well, just so people have enough time to stop and not hit me. I've parallel once or twice, and that is just a huge process that I try to avoid. I do tend to pull through, but I usually stop and wait to make sure no on is trying to pull in or if there are plenty of other spots around I go right through.

 

[Mermaid02]

An excellent point. It's also a matter of being able to get out of your driver's side door next to another driver's side door without dinging someone else's car because you backed in badly (or someone else dinging your passenger door because you didn't leave enough room on that side for them to enter their car)

We're also dealing with the DIS phenomenon which I've mentioned before. This board is populated with people who can back into a parking spot perfectly, do it in 5 seconds or less, and don't really care if someone has to wait for them to do it. However, to paraphrase myself:

You know what Carly? Just because you suck at something- doesn't mean other people don't do a darn good job at it.

And why is it harder to get out of a car if it's backed in? You open the door and get out. Seriously.

 

[Carly_Roach]

You know what Carly? Just because you suck at something- doesn't mean other people don't do a darn good job at it.

Really? You sure about that? I hope you have some kind of taped evidence of my driving skills to back up your claim. I'm also willing to bet that in a head-to-head competition, not only could I beat your espoused backing skills but I could parallel park the crap out of anyone, any day. You don't work downtown for 10 years without knowing how to use these basic skills.

However, when it's a choice of inconveniencing someone else with my actions because I think I'm right or doing the right thing by my fellow man, I'll nearly always choose to do the right thing by my fellow man. Actions will always speak louder than words.

 

[MICKEY88]

I'm one of those guys that will let some one make the left turn in front of me, because I truly do have consideration for other people, and see no harm in delaying the line behind me for a few seconds, in order to save the person making the left turn, what could be a matter of minutes, waiting on the line behind me


Hmmm who are these people that don't allow themselves enough time to deal with every day common delays, the same people who think that everyone else should rush and do things as quickly as possible, even if it increases the risk of an accident.

This alone speaks volumes about the self-centered attitude of the person, who thinks nothing of expecting other people to take on increased risk of harm, just to save themselves a few seonds..

 

[pixiewings71]

Sorry to be confusing.

I know this isn't exactly the same as backing in and out of parking spaces, but for example when someone goes to turn around because they've just realized they are going the wrong way, they can either turn into a side (minor) road and then back out onto the main road facing the other way, or they can do the opposite - back into the minor road and drive forward onto the main road in the opposite direction (on a bigger road you can u-turn, but that's not reality around here). The point is that backing out onto a road that has so much happening on it at the same time is far more dangerous that backing into a quiet road. Same with parking spaces - there is usually nothing going on in the parking space itself, and lots going on in the wider parking lot.

I can't argue about the skill (or lack of) of reversing - around here it's not an issue, so I assumed everyone could do it well enough.

ok, got it. Around here all roads are big enough to just do a U type turn. Not all of them, but most of them are quite wide.

I noticed something today while I was out with the kids, I had a couple errands to run and I noticed that the majority of parking lots around here have spots you pull into diagonally, so you really can't back in and you really don't have to worry about traffic coming from both directions.

 

[SookieStackhouse]

I am not one to back into parking places, I just look around 'til I find one I can pull all the way through... yes I have had a drivers license for many years but backing up just bothers me, so I avoid it at all cost.

 

[disfan07]

ok, got it. Around here all roads are big enough to just do a U type turn. Not all of them, but most of them are quite wide.

I noticed something today while I was out with the kids, I had a couple errands to run and I noticed that the majority of parking lots around here have spots you pull into diagonally, so you really can't back in and you really don't have to worry about traffic coming from both directions.

Yeah, diagonal parking spots seem to be very common in a lot of california. The majority of the parking lots where i live in SoCal have one way diagonal parking spots. It makes parking much easier.

 

[Lassie Lynne]

Where we live, we tend to have a huge amount of SUV's backing up....my issue there is that there are one or two people who really really do not back up well. If you have to attempt a back up three times EACH time you park, you should really just pull in.....yes, Mr. Hummer Driver, I AM talking to you .

 

[bellebud]

Really? You sure about that? I hope you have some kind of taped evidence of my driving skills to back up your claim. I'm also willing to bet that in a head-to-head competition, not only could I beat your espoused backing skills but I could parallel park the crap out of anyone, any day. You don't work downtown for 10 years without knowing how to use these basic skills.

However, when it's a choice of inconveniencing someone else with my actions because I think I'm right or doing the right thing by my fellow man, I'll nearly always choose to do the right thing by my fellow man. Actions will always speak louder than words.

we could always have a "Greg and Marcia" driving competition between you two.

 

[bdcp]

Where I work there is a large parking garage. I have NEVER seen anyone back in in the same amount of time (or even close) as someone who pulls in. Yet, people hold up others while doing so. I have followed many people in who decide to back in. Even if they do it in one pull up, pull back, I can still pull straight in, get out of my car with my purse and lunch and lock my door and be walking before they even get their car in their spot. It is never faster to back in. I just think it's rude to block people from going by while backing into a spot. Turning into a spot front end first doesn't block other drivers.

I never back in and I've been driving for 35 years and have never hit anyone or anything.

 

[Cinderella94]

This thread is ridicuous and I don't remember which posters said it---I'm not going to go back and look for the posts now--but yes, backing out of a spot and being "off" by 6 inches as to where you think you would've ended up can make a huge difference. People typically walk in parking lots, yes? Hello! What if someone was standing in those 6 inches that you didn't think you were going to hit!

My oh my.