Reverse angle parking

[mnrose]

I back into parking spaces as much as possible. It's not hard. And MUCH safer when pulling out when you can see exactly what's happening. My husband does it 99% of the time. I do it maybe 60%. We also worked hard with our kids on their backing skills. If you can't back into a parking space, you maybe shouldn't drive. It's no harder than backing OUT of the space. In Minnesota, they added a 90 degree back skill to the parking test. Fail that and you don't get a license.

 

[monorailsilver]

We don't have them but I find lots of people do not back in which I find annoying when everyone is trying to get out!

We back in, our oldest who is 17 even backs in and at school so it's easy for her to pull out and not have to back out in the steady line of teenage drivers who are not paying attention!

When we go to our sports games, especially soccer when 4 games are at the same time so 8 sets of parents/players all trying to back out at the same time is a nightmare. It takes them forever.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I think, much like round-a-bouts (or traffic circles), reverse angle parking is safer when people are used to it and handle it as they should, but the learning curve time period really gums up the works---especially if those who should be learning are too busy complaining about the change to put effort into doing it right.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Why not just angle it the other way and have head-in parking? Seems they just made a problem for themselves.

Because that causes you to back blindly into traffic when you leave.

The setup is actually brilliant, if not for the fact people can’t wrap their heads around the concept.

 

[kaytieeldr]

We have parallel parking here, and when the spaces are tight, one has to pull ahead of the space and back in. You can't drive forward, turning the front wheels enough to get the rear end into the space in one shot, unless there is a half space ahead to pull forward into, which rarely happens.

Isn 't that how parallel parking works? Granted, it's been years since i took driving lessons, but has the proper/official method of parallel parking changed?

After having several people drive up right behind me so I can't back into the space, essentially claiming the space for themselves, I've learned a little of trick of, yes, driving forward into the space, with my rear end still sticking out slightly at a weird angle, but not blocking traffic.

Here's a pic from our local paper - you can see how well people are following directions, lol

Sign is facing the wrong way. It should be placed so drivers pulling in can see it.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Why not just angle it the other way and have head-in parking? Seems they just made a problem for themselves.

Because:

We just installed some reverse angle parking in some areas downtown. It's supposed to be safer - no backing out into traffic and no standing in traffic to access your trunk.

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

I just can't see this working here. From my estimation, 75% of people can't use a traffic circle - how are they going to do this?

 

[PollyannaMom]

As a person who generally avoids angled on-street parking because I dislike backing out into traffic, I definitely see how this would make pulling out easier.

But I still don't think I'd like it any better...and it's not because I can't back up. - In a regular parking lot, my first choice is a pull-through, but my second is backing in. (I prefer that because I'm often parking someplace where people, especially children, are arriving at scattered times and leaving all together, so I'd rather avoid backing out when there are more pedestrians to worry about.)

I definitely see issues, though, with drivers behind the one backing in not understanding the new system. Locals probably would eventually get better at backing up with practice (though I think many actually will avoid going there instead) but there are always going to be strangers driving through who aren't used to it, and I can definitely see accidents happening.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Oh! I love it!! Makes total sense. Totally makes it easier merging back into traffic. If you can parallel park you can do this. This is easier And IMO anyone who drives should be able to parallel park.

It’s simple use your side mirrors. If you see space keep moving.

I wouldn't equate it to parallel parking because normally with parallel parking you're not doing it at an angle like that.

It will test people's backing in a spot skill combined with parking in an angled spot.

 

[dotfurio]

I back into parking spaces as much as possible. It's not hard. And MUCH safer when pulling out when you can see exactly what's happening. My husband does it 99% of the time. I do it maybe 60%. We also worked hard with our kids on their backing skills. If you can't back into a parking space, you maybe shouldn't drive. It's no harder than backing OUT of the space. In Minnesota, they added a 90 degree back skill to the parking test. Fail that and you don't get a license.

That's what a lot of locals commenting on the newspaper article are saying. Also, we have some oil companies here that require reverse parking of their employees, so a lot of people are used to doing it where ever they park.

I've never HAD to back into a space in my life, and I've been driving 30 years. It's only in recent years that I see people backing into spaces on a regular basis. I can parallel park fine and have no trouble backing out into traffic, so theoretically I should be able to back in. Like I said, I need to find a empty lot and practice, lol. I have to admit, it annoys the heck out of me when I have to wait in a parking lot for someone to reverse into a spot and they have to pull out and back in several times before they get it right. I don't want to be THAT person.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I think, much like round-a-bouts (or traffic circles), reverse angle parking is safer when people are used to it and handle it as they should, but the learning curve time period really gums up the works---especially if those who should be learning are too busy complaining about the change to put effort into doing it right.

You're right there's a learning curve but with roundabouts people do not 100% stay in the lines. I couldn't tell you how many times in a two lane roundabout I've been nearly hit--it's because I was paying attention that I didn't as I had to step on the breaks so I wasn't along side the line crossers. Plus the people who don't yield to those inside the circle. I have no problems driving them it's the other drivers I'm more concerned about. My mom hates them and goes out of her way to avoid them-she has not and probably won't get that learning curve. On that token though she doesn't know how to parallel park either.

The only newer type of traffic intersection where I actually haven't seen any issues like that is the diverging diamonds which are a step up from roundabouts in terms of safety. There's a learning curve there but a lot less chance of not being able to correctly follow the lines.

I will admit though, while I can parallel park (and majority I've done it in my tiny coupe car with a great turning radius) I am not all the great with backing into a spot. I suppose that's mostly due to not doing it a lot though.

 

[NotUrsula]

I can go this one-better. In my neighborhood we have PART-TIME reverse-angle parking. Only on Sundays and days designated by the Police Dept. Here is why:

The blue dots are all churches. (When the neighborhood was built in the 1930's, the developer donated land for new churches facing the 4 corners of the park; clockwise from top left they are Greek Orthodox, Catholic, Church of Christ and Lutheran.) The street on the south border of the park is a busy one, with a large Catholic high school 6 blocks to the east of the park. The Catholic and Lutheran churches also have grade schools on their campuses, and there is a public school just south of the Orthodox church on the opposite corner.

As you can imagine, the schools and the park generated a fair amount of traffic as time went on and more people starting driving their kids to to the private schools and park instead of them walking, so the city tried to allow for passing room when drop-pff lines totally clogged traffic. The streets have been converted to 4 lanes, but only the one on the south boundary is really wide enough; the others have very narrow lanes. Normal parking around the park is parallel parking so that there is still room to pass if a drop-off line is blocking traffic, but on Sundays that just isn't enough parking for the Church services. So, on Sundays parking on all 4 sides of the park converts to reverse-angle. (Parking on the opposite sides of the streets remains parallel at all times.) Police can also change it to reverse-angle for special events, such as school sporting events, weddings or large funerals.

FWIW, it's been this way for about 30 years. Locals are used to it, but it does confuse folks who come for special events. The city chose to do it that way here because the congestion was caused by church services, which people tend to leave all at once. Leaving was a lot faster when they were pulling forward instead of having to back out.

I have been told that it is the proliferation of SUV's that is causing this style to become more popular with traffic engineers. Now that so many people are driving vehicles with large, high backs, backing out into traffic was becoming much more dangerous because of reduced visibility.

 

[tvguy]

I back into parking spaces as much as possible. It's not hard. And MUCH safer when pulling out when you can see exactly what's happening. My husband does it 99% of the time. I do it maybe 60%. We also worked hard with our kids on their backing skills. If you can't back into a parking space, you maybe shouldn't drive. It's no harder than backing OUT of the space. In Minnesota, they added a 90 degree back skill to the parking test. Fail that and you don't get a license.

I get what you are saying. In parking lots, I like to pull forward to the spot ahead so I can pull straight out when I leave, but I would never back into a parking lot spot to accomplish that. But I'm a native Californian, always lived in the suburbs. I try to avoid parking on the street. Most places I go have free parking lots where you can pull forward into a parking spot and rarely have to back up.

 

[debknight]

Yes, here in my town at least. The police say they will start writing tickets after a 30 day grace period. The fine is only $35, though. Hardly worth the paperwork for them I imagine.

Here's a pic from our local paper - you can see how well people are following directions, lol.

Didn't we all learn that you are not supposed to cross over a yellow line painted on a street?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Didn't we all learn that you are not supposed to cross over a yellow line painted on a street?

No, that's generally when you're still going straight. You can generally cross the double yellow when you're making left turns into business, driveways, etc.

What you're thinking of is when you're passing someone, or when you're on your side of the road but your car crosses over the double yellow while still going straight.

*Obviously different areas different rules.

 

[NotUrsula]

I forgot to mention that in this city, which has mostly parallel street parking, parallel parking (or reverse-angle parking) in a direction contrary to normal traffic flow will get you a ticket. (We had a police chief some years back whose elderly mother had a habit of parking backward next to her house; the press outed her for thousands of dollars of unpaid tickets after he was promoted to chief.)

 

[Lilacs4Me]

In many places near where I live (Chicago suburbs), finding an empty parking spot AT ALL is a major feat, so people don't complain a whole lot about the angle in which they have to pull into the spot. They are just happy to have found one somewhat close to where they need to be. And I LOL'd about the parking spot wars....something seen on a daily basis around here...

 

[Imzadi]

Q
question is how do they get back into traffic without stopping traffic or causing an accident? I hope they do not reverse all they back to cross lanes!!!

How do you get out of parking spaces at Walmart or Target? You do it the same way. You wait till the way is clear and you back out of the space.

With this reverse angle parking, a few people mentioned how if there is a person right on your tail because they don't know you are going to stop and back up, it actually causes more traffic flow problems. Usually there is no room for them to maneuver around you. So they have to back up or you have to move further forward, AWAY from the space, only to back up further. . . Only now there is another person, who wasn't paying attention, and they are in the same spot the previous person behind you was in. AND if there is another car right behind them, NO ONE can/will easily back up.

 

[mom2rtk]

I just don't see a system designed to rely on the graciousness of strangers to leave you space to back in to ever work.

 

[Imzadi]

Isn 't that how parallel parking works? Granted, it's been years since i took driving lessons, but has the proper/official method of parallel parking changed?

Sometimes, there is 1-1/2 spaces or 2 full spaces, so one can easily drive forward and angle into the space.

Seinfeld is about people living in NYC.

So yep! This is a true incident that we, who have cars in NYC and try to park on the streets, ALL go through.