Good Parking Spaces

Why do people back into their parking space in parking lots?

In my apartment complex, about one in every 15 or 20 vehicles has been backed into its parking space. Sometimes people hold up traffic in parking lots just so they can "back in." Is this because they think they are going to leave in a hurry and every .5 seconds counts? Is it because they are afraid they are going to hit someone if they back out? That wouldn't make sense though, because there isn't much traffic in my apartment complex parking lot. The fact is, it takes more time to back in than it does to back out. So the overall parking/leaving time of someone who backs into their space increases significantly. Do people just like to see the front of their car in all its glory?

Public Comments

1. LOL it's a guy thing.
2. If you're in a state that just has back license plates, maybe they're trying to hide them. It also could just be a guy thing.
3. For some people it's a safety issue. The idea is that, if you leave the space going forward (whenever you move your car again), you'll be able to better see what's going on in the parking lot that you're going into. Sometimes in certain situations I really do feel that backing into the space is easier (because of the way I've approached the space, for example).
4. Many people do that to save time when leaving. I used to do that, because, as a volunteer EMT, I needed to save precious seconds when responding to a call, so I would back into every space that allowed it.
5. some people like to have the sun on their front window in the morning...that way is is not misted up ( or frosted up in my case..)
6. At my work place it was required procedure to back into the parking space. It makes sense there because not everybody is arriving at the same time. But at quitting time it is 200% better to face forward when everybody is trying to leave at the same time. Once you get used to backing in it's easy and doesn't take that long. Experience helps.
7. I back into my parking space, because it is fairly tight and my daughter is just learning to drive, so it is easier for her to drive out, than to reverse out!
8. I don't know why they do that, but in many places in California it's actually illegal, since it does hold up traffic. I know sometimes people park at an angle so that no one can park close enough to them to ding the doors.
9. backing in is just cool, didn't you get that memo?
10. Some people do it to make it easier to get out . While others do it in case they have car trouble and need assistance , its easier to get a jump or get under the hood for any reason
11. well if you were me and have a tone of enemies you wana be out of there as fast as you can if some thing goes doun im going to run over somebody in the quicknes fuc* trying to back up it takes to damn long
12. When I back in it is usually b/c I want to get something out of the back of the car and have it close to my house. It is easier to carry stuff a shorter distance.
13. As a truck drivers daughter...Its instinct.... I just think its easier to get in out and around...as for people who cant back....just flip them off....Dont try it with people around if you are not able to do it quickly..It is very annoying
14. backing in to a parking space is actually part of a defensive driving technique. The theory is that by backing in while you have control of your surroundings, you are much less likely to get in an accident compared to backing out when you are in a hurry and don't know if someone else might come around a corner while you are backing out.
15. Insurance agents and cops will tell you...more accidents happen when you are backing up. That is why the phone company trucks always have a cone behind them when they park...makes the driver get out and check behind the truck before he goes. Much safer to back into a space when you have been on the road for a bit than it is when you get into the car cold.
16. It's often safer to drive out of a parking spot then it is to back out as you have more visibility.