Good Parking Spaces

Why back into parking spaces?

What's the deal with backing into parking spaces. I'm not referring to parallel parking, which is properly done by backing in. I mean in a regular parking lot at the supermarket or the mall. It takes more time and effort to back in, and it is no issue at all to back out of a spot. So, all you back-in-ers out there, what's your story? Terri -- maybe it's easier to pull out when it's time to leave, but it's harder to pull in when you're pulling in. So, at best its a wash - why not just pull right in and get into the store quicker, and you'll be out quicker.

Public Comments

1. I don't do it, but maybe the are parking in the handicapped spot and don't have handicapped tags.
2. It is so much easier to see when you are pulling out and easier to pull out instead of backing out. I pull in and back in, just depends on where and what I am doing at the time. If I pull in and the spot in front of me is free, I will pull all the way through. Its just easier to pull out when its time to leave. Edit: its not hard to back in at all. Quite easy actually, easier to back in then pull out instead of pull in and back out, because of the exact reasons the other answerers are stating... Like I said, I do both (pull in and back in), it just depends on how busy the parking lot is when I come to shop.
3. Easier to pull out. I don't think backing in is harder than backing out (I do have sensors for backing in though).
4. Well for angled parking backing in doesn't really work because then if you just drive straight out you'll be going the wrong way - so that I don't understand. I assume that most people don't actually back in but rather just pull ahead if the spot in front of them is open. This works for straight parking which then you can just drive out and it doesn't matter which way you are going. As to why? It's easier I guess.
5. Obviously you've never been stuck in a spot waiting for the idiots to let you out. It's MUCH easier to get out of a spot in a busy parking lot when you have backed in.
6. 3 spaces together....easy money.....take the middle...that's if you know how to operate a motor vehicle..just saying...there's a few out there..
7. I used to drive a car with a long front end, and a really short back end, so backing into the parking spot was actually easier for me. And it ALWAYS made it easier to get out again...you don't have to worry about seeing pedestrians coming at the last minute, because you are facing forward, and pulling forward it's always easier to judge the amount of space between you and the next guy--even if he might have parked really close to you.
8. if youre a good driver like me, it doesnt take too long to back in, get in and out thats why i do it.....
9. I think it's people who want to hold up traffic that are really fond of doing this. It's even worse when you have to park in a parking garage for your job, trying to make it to work on time and some moron is trying to back into the spot and can't get it just right...so back and forth back and forth back and forth like 5x or more until garage traffic is backed up to the street because some moron insists on backing in. Ugh! They actually had a rule at my old apartment complex that people could not back in.
10. If you back in to a spot, the only thing you have to worry about backing into is pretty much the stationery cars on either side, and what will be the car behind you. If you pull into a parking spot, and you have to back out, you're having to be careful of the two stationery cars on either side of you, but also cars coming down row in the parking lot (which can be hard to see considering that you don't have a good line of sight), shoppers, shopping carts, toddlers, etc.... It takes more time, and is a pain, but if you get used to backing into parking spots, instead of pulling in and backing out, you can see what you could be hitting, and keep from hitting something that really matters. If you do it a lot, it becomes second-nature, and so it's not much more difficult, but it is much safer.
11. 1. If I am at an event where everyone will be leaving at once, it's much easier to pull out than back out when it's over. 2. Otherwise, it might look like I backed in, but I just pulled through from the other side.
12. When backing out of a parking space, it often is difficult to see other cars that are coming down the lane--and it always amazes me how fast some cars are driven in parking lots. Many drivers don't seem to realize that they can see my car starting to back out well before I can see them coming, and yet they go whizzing right by, narrowly missing an accident. So I always prefer to park so that I can pull out of the spot going forward, which allows me so see other cars coming my way sooner and more clearly.
13. I live in Louisiana and it's actually illegal to back into a space or to pull your car all the way to the front of two spaces. Personally, i think it's a waste of time.
14. The library I work at has a very tiny parking lot. If I don't back in when I start my shift, I'll be backing all the way out when I finish (as there won't be room to turn around.) (Note; I also live in Louisiana & it's not illegal to back into a parking space or to pull up through 2 spaces.)
15. I hate backing out of parking spaces in shopping car parks ~ people walk all over the place and sometimes right behind the car as I'm backing out. I really like driving out with full vision in front. It's up to the individual, I guess, not everyone is going to want to back in, or out!
16. I usually back in instead of head in when the car to my left has parked too close to me to comfortably get out of my vehicle. If I back in, I can still park properly even when others haven't and have enough room to open my door.
17. I personally don't do it because I am horrible at backing in. However, my father was a volunteer firefighter and had to pull out of his parking places fast. He was so used to doing it at home and work that it became a habit and he backed in everywhere. Other people pull up to a space. I dislike this in a diagonal spot because then people are going the wrong way down a one way lane. And others just do. Maybe they think it makes them look cool, when in fact it just irritates the people waiting for them to get parked already!
18. I don't drive now but I had a car when I lived in the US. Only time I'd do this is if it was still quiet when I arrived and I knew it would be very busy when I would be leaving; either at an event ending at a certain time or just a much, much busier time of day. That way I could back in when I had loads of room, and drive away straight when there was traffic, both cars and people walking to their vehicles, all over the place. If traffic was about the same on arriving and leaving, I agree with you, then it'd actually be a little harder to back in than to back out.
19. No, it's not harder to back into a parking space. In my truck it's actually easier for me to back into a space than to turn into it. When riding my motorcycle I'll always back in as well (or U-turn into the space if there's 2 open side by side), because my legs are the only reverse gear. There are a lot of issues with backing out of a spot, poor visibility number one. Most parking lot accidents are caused by one or more people backing out of a parking space and not seeing traffic in the aisle.