Why do you back in when parking?

[majorv]

Before retiring, the company I worked for required us to back in when parking on their property. I also have a phobia about backing into a passing car if I pull in forward ( yes, I made that mistake in a parking lot when I was younger). Besides, I also have a much better view of people walking by (not paying attention) while getting out of the parking space if I’ve backed in. Only thing is it makes it a little harder with angled parking.

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[Carl_Sj]

I’ve had this question myself as I almost always park head in. It’s just easier and takes less time for me. A friend who has a large full size pickup always backs in. I asked him why and he had what I thought was a good answer. The overhang in the back is much longer than the front overhang, so he can get his truck further into a parking spot if he backs in.

 

[OrangeStreak]

Before retiring, the company I worked for required us to back in when parking on their property. I also have a phobia about backing into a passing car if I pull in forward ( yes, I made that mistake in a parking lot when I was younger). Besides, I also have a much better view of people walking by (not paying attention) while getting out of the parking space if I’ve backed in. Only thing is it makes it a little harder with angled parking.

I am sub-consciously skittish about pulling into parking spaces front in but I do it anyway. A few years ago I was in a lined parking spot at church in a blinding snow snow storm with almost no visibility. I slowly backed out and into a car behind me that was illegally parked in the driveway entrance. No damage to my truck because the hitch protected it.

 

[theprinceofsnj]

Reverse was never my gear of choice. So yes, I pull straight in. And I still park crooked.

 

[OrangeStreak]

Reverse was never my gear of choice. So yes, I pull straight in. And I still park crooked.

I resemble that remark!

 

[theprinceofsnj]

I resemble that remark!

Poor baby

 

[DrPerez007]

Back in. Absolutely. For several good reasons. First, your visibility when arriving is generally better than when you are departing. You can back in and see everything around you; something you cannot do when you pull straight in and have to back out, even with backup cameras. Second, as a LE officer like the BIL, department policy is to back in. Many departments mandate this. But for nearly the same reason as officers, others should back in. For cops, we’ll call it “lack of situational awareness,” for everyone else we’ll call it “distraction.” This leads to crashes. Cops get called out and bolt for their cars. They’re running thru their mental checklist for the type of call and what they’ll need as they start up and drive off. Their minds are often more on the call and less on the immediate need to back out of a spot (ask our officer who backed out of his garage for an emergency call and took his lightbar off when it hit the garage door that he didn’t see had dropped a bit). Mom and dad, other ordinary people, some perhaps coming back from shopping or medical or vet appointments, are also distracted for different reasons, i.e., kids, pets, new purchases, medical results, text messages ?, etc. And third, perhaps the most important, in the majority of jurisdictions the person backing out of a parking spot does not have the right-of-way and if they back out and get hit by a passing car, they are most likely at fault for “failure to yield the right of way” to the passing motorist. Even if they are not ticketed for it in a private parking lot, their insurance company will consider it as an “at fault accident” on their record.

 

[RedDakooter05]

Easier for me to park, and easier for me to exit.
The A/B pillars block a lot of my visibility, then the seat headrests, ect.


Plus my frontier steers like a tank so I either have to look like a jackass and do overly wide turns, or back into spots in stores.

 

[OrangeStreak]

That's because you can't park straight and have to stay as far away from others as possible. Just look at the picture you're clearly over the left side line. ?‍

Pauls other car from a parking lot camera.

That's why I prefer valet parking...

 

[dozxab]

I always back in. I was with a lady friend a long time ago and she asked me why I always back in. I looked at her, smiled and said "Because I can". When I did construction, the boss wanted everything backed in because it showed pride in the equipment. My thinking is that it is safer to back into a controlled space than out to an uncontrolled space. Cars flying by, people walking by, etc. Also, being from snow country, it is much easier to connect jumper cables and/or drive forward out than to try to back out in heavy snow.

 

[Sojourner]

When I was a wee lad, a new 2LT at my armored cavalry squadron (back in the early 80s), my troop commander had his officers always back in. The idea was to enforce the mentality that you did the hard part standing down so that you were ready to go heading out.

It was a clever lesson about a small thing that reinforced bigger points: you refueled your tanks, APCs, trucks, etc. when you returned to the motor pool, not before you needed to leave. You cleaned your weapons when you returned, not the next day. You conducted your initial maintenance then, as well. Most units I knew just did quick checks and cleaning upon return. Our Troop didn't so we were always the last to be done upon return to the Kaserne, but was always the first to be ready when an alert was called. An important thing to be in Cold War Germany.

Anyway, it's a lesson still very much ingrained in me to this day. So much so that I try to back in more often than not. But when I don't and pull in, the little cavalryman still in residence (in my head) makes me justify why!

 

[Grumpaw]

Tip,,,,,
Always drive in reverse/backwards. That way when entering a parking spot, your just "pulling in" forwards...
Your "backwards" has now become your new "forwards" !!!

 

[Dr. Zaius]

I used to visit an account that dealt with chemicals and hazardous materials.

They had a strict policy that you MUST back into your parking space or you would be towed.

In case of an emergency requiring a fast exit, a parking lot full of people backing out would be total chaos.

 

[Msfitoy]

I always back into a spot mostly because my field of view is better to see anyone coming through the parking lot. I've avoided many accidents this way because most don't pay attention and just fly right through the parking lots. If you're backing up you have to many blind spots and I've had people cut right in behind me almost taking out my bumper.

Plus I always park far away in the rear of the lot but that never stops someone from still parking next to me. ?‍

That elbow wrist combo...

 

[Craig]

Other than needing to make a quick get-away. Why would you back in when parking?

My brother-in-law is in law enforcement and he always backs in. Presumably to get out faster, if needed.

I used to back in all-of-the-time. Then I realized; If I back in, this leaves the front exposed (hate it when that happens) and if I get hit, they're most likely going to mangle the front of my Ranger, which, I believe, is more costly to repair.

Don't get me wrong - I still park far away and/or next to a median in the parking lot (to at least save one side from door dings). I'd bubble wrap my Blue Bullet if that was feasible.

Just a question I was pondering. ?

Shorter jumper cables

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