Why do people back into parking spaces?

[otnemem]

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Brag: I can parallel park w/o looking over my shoulder by just using the mirrors.

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I've never looked over my shoulder to parallel park, but I thought this was completely standard.

[fuzzwonder]

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I was pulling into the lot at work and was behind this woman driving very slowly. She then suddenly stopped and then her reverse lights came on and she spent the next 1.5 minutes backing into the space. This put me on life tilt. Why do people back into parking spaces??? I need to understand so I can function for the rest of the day.

Thanks,
-G

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+1. i see people spend infinitely more time setting up their quick get away when it takes +1 more seconds to do the same parking normally.

the only exception to this rule is when you are expecting snowfall and that too, not really.

[Y2Dennis]

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I never do it. I do drive thru though when the opportunity arises!

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My friends all back in and I bitch to them about it every single time. I can't wait for the day one of them hit a car backing in. I find backing into spots seems to make it much more likely to bump into another car/scratch your car than backing out.

Pulling through is an absolute must if you have the chance, though.

[Misfire]

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Isn't it easier to back out of a parking space than to back in?

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Not when you drive a large vehicle.

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[mbillie1]

meh just park on the sidewalk like a man

[gusmahler]

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My friends all back in and I bitch to them about it every single time. I can't wait for the day one of them hit a car backing in. I find backing into spots seems to make it much more likely to bump into another car/scratch your car than backing out.



[/ QUOTE ]But the potential damage is much different. Backing into the space, the worst that'll happen is you scratch your neighbor. Backing out, the worst that'll happen is a full collision between a you and a car you didn't see, or running over a pedestrian. It's easier to see going forward so you're less likely to run over a pedestrian or go head-on with another car while exiting a space you backed into.

Also, there are some spaces that are easier to get into when backing into it than heading into it.

Aside: hybrid cars are completely silent when backing up. They should be required to back into a space to prevent them from backing out of the space into a pedestrian.

(Note: I'm playing devil's advocate here. I actually go head-first into spaces.)

[Benal]

This is actually company policy where I work. It's pretty funny seeing a parking lot with about 75 cars, each one being backed in. Safety first!

[jba]

1. it's easier to back into a spot than it is to drive forward. this is why you always parallel park in reverse - the last wheels into the space can be turned. safety isn't an issue because there aren't moving objects in the spot.

2. it's safer to drive forward into a wide open area where there could be a bunch of moving objects (cars/people).

[Anacardo]

Grunch.

'Cause there's a lotta goddamn nits out there.

[Yeti]

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1. it's easier to back into a spot than it is to drive forward.

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um?