Do you have to back into every parking space?

[Anonymous]

Rude people do this. They make everyone wait while they maneuver that thing in. Pet peeve of mine.

[Anonymous]

I back in now because I've had several absolutely terrifying near-misses from drivers flying through parking lot lanes while I'm in the middle of backing out of a space I pulled into.

There is absolutely zero reason anyone needs to be going 30-40 mph in a mall parking lot or parking garage, but they do with regularity. So I'm backing out, and can't quite see peripherally down the lanes yet because of the other cars on either side of me, so all I can see is what's directly behind me as I back out. Then some nut comes flying down the row, horn blaring, missing me by inches.

This seemed to happen at least every other time I was at Montgomery Mall. Finally, I just got tired of being white knuckled every time i was backing out of a space.

Now I back in and pull out, so I can see there a-holes coming.

I think the people casting aspersions on people who back in are the same creeps that are doing 40mph in a parking lot.

I wish they'd all die.

[Anonymous]

I don't mind people backing in as long as they don't completely suck at it. If I have to sit there while you reverse in and out 6 times and still end up with the back of your car crooked and over the line into the adjacent space, then I get annoyed. I know I'm no good at backing in, so I don't do it.

[Anonymous]

Ummm. I have a back-up camera. It makes it easy to park. Yeah.

[Anonymous]

I got the stink eye from a guy in the Trader Joe’s parking garage last week. I can’t park a minivan in a small garage space by pulling in forward. I used to drive professionally, and have parallel-parked a 7 passenger limo. It’s not like I don’t know what I’m doing.

Experienced drivers back in for a good reason.

[Anonymous]

It was not prevalent at all until cars started having backup cameras. Now people just want to do what’s easiest and convenient for themselves and justify it with “safety”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I rarely back into spaces because I'm lazy. I don't mind other people doing it with the exception of when I'm in a parking garage and someone is doing it on a parking space on one of the ramps up to the next floor. Seriously, go to the next floor and back into a space. There's a huge line of cars in both lanes waiting for you.

This is the point of the thread. No one cares if you back in when there aren’t cars around waiting for you.

Isn't that going to be offset by the time you would have to wait for me to back out if I had pulled in to begin with? One way or the other, you are going to have to wait for me. The difference is that I'm less likely to back into you (or your kid or your stroller or anything else) if I'm backing into the space versus backing into the lane of traffic. And before you call me a shitty driver, its not me saying so; it's the statistics that say so. Did you know that 9% of pedestrian deaths occur in parking lots?

Saying "I might run over you if I back out of a parking spot" kind of detracts from your other main argument that "people who back into parking spots are better drivers". You're admitting that if you had to back out instead of back in, you would probably run someone over.

Imagine you've returned to your car to find that vans or SUV's have parked on either side of you. There is absolutely no way to see to either side, and you are forced to back out while taking that nervous leap of faith that no person or thing is about to appear directly behind your car. We've all seen that kid or old person walk right in the path of a vehicle in this circumstance. Some are lucky, but sadly, some are not.

Don't most cars have rear cameras at this point? When I bought in 2014 it was standard even in the cheap models of the cars I looked at (mid range stuff like Subaru)

No. I would guess that “most” cars on the road are pre-2014. Check your privilege.

[Anonymous]

If you think backing in is "safer" then you really shouldn't be driving, period.

Backing out is not dangerous at all, if you're actually paying attention and looking around/over your shoulder like you're supposed to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you think backing in is "safer" then you really shouldn't be driving, period.

Backing out is not dangerous at all, if you're actually paying attention and looking around/over your shoulder like you're supposed to.

The data says your anecdote is wrong, but I'm sure that doesn't matter to you.

Guess what? Backing OUT takes longer than pulling out headfirst. You're going to have to wait a few seconds on the front end or back end, so just calm down and accept it.

[Anonymous]

If I were dating a guy and found out he was a backer-inner, I would have to end it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you think backing in is "safer" then you really shouldn't be driving, period.

Backing out is not dangerous at all, if you're actually paying attention and looking around/over your shoulder like you're supposed to.

The data says your anecdote is wrong, but I'm sure that doesn't matter to you.

Guess what? Backing OUT takes longer than pulling out headfirst. You're going to have to wait a few seconds on the front end or back end, so just calm down and accept it.

That makes absolutely no sense. If you're backing in, then presumably you're doing so because you think it's safer than doing directly in a space. Meaning you are incapable of going in, and backing out safely. It's such a basic driving skill and if you have difficulty doing so, you really shouldn't be driving at all. You're distracted, you're not looking over right, left, right, left, then again. Slowly. It's not difficult at all if you're backing out correctly.

And you're only counting half the equation regarding time. You can't possibly expect to be taken seriously!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rude people do this. They make everyone wait while they maneuver that thing in. Pet peeve of mine.

It’s just it’s as annoying when you’re backing out of a space and it’s takes you 3 or 4 attempts before moving along. Either way someone will wait, on the way in, or the way out. Who cares.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I were dating a guy and found out he was a backer-inner, I would have to end it.

+1

Ditto for someone who doesn't know how to park evenly in a single space. Or take the 3 seconds it takes to straighten. JFC people it's not hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you think backing in is "safer" then you really shouldn't be driving, period.

Backing out is not dangerous at all, if you're actually paying attention and looking around/over your shoulder like you're supposed to.

The data says your anecdote is wrong, but I'm sure that doesn't matter to you.

Guess what? Backing OUT takes longer than pulling out headfirst. You're going to have to wait a few seconds on the front end or back end, so just calm down and accept it.

That makes absolutely no sense. If you're backing in, then presumably you're doing so because you think it's safer than doing directly in a space. Meaning you are incapable of going in, and backing out safely. It's such a basic driving skill and if you have difficulty doing so, you really shouldn't be driving at all. You're distracted, you're not looking over right, left, right, left, then again. Slowly. It's not difficult at all if you're backing out correctly.

And you're only counting half the equation regarding time. You can't possibly expect to be taken seriously!

I back in because I know my surroundings backing in without anything coming up unexpectedly (pedestrian, Car in a blind spot). I like driving forward with full visibility of the parking lot activity. I can see kids running away from mom, rolling shopping cart, another car about to back out. It just makes more logical sense to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you think backing in is "safer" then you really shouldn't be driving, period.

Backing out is not dangerous at all, if you're actually paying attention and looking around/over your shoulder like you're supposed to.

The data says your anecdote is wrong, but I'm sure that doesn't matter to you.

Guess what? Backing OUT takes longer than pulling out headfirst. You're going to have to wait a few seconds on the front end or back end, so just calm down and accept it.

That makes absolutely no sense. If you're backing in, then presumably you're doing so because you think it's safer than doing directly in a space. Meaning you are incapable of going in, and backing out safely. It's such a basic driving skill and if you have difficulty doing so, you really shouldn't be driving at all. You're distracted, you're not looking over right, left, right, left, then again. Slowly. It's not difficult at all if you're backing out correctly.

And you're only counting half the equation regarding time. You can't possibly expect to be taken seriously!

I back in because I know my surroundings backing in without anything coming up unexpectedly (pedestrian, Car in a blind spot). I like driving forward with full visibility of the parking lot activity. I can see kids running away from mom, rolling shopping cart, another car about to back out. It just makes more logical sense to me.

Right. It means you lack elementary driving/parking skills and should park on the far end of the lot anyway, or not drive at all if you find backing out so challenging. I assure you, most normal people don't find it remotely unsafe because they know how to properly back out of a space due to basic driving skills.