Why are people so fixated on reversing into bay parking?
Discussion
I drive a pretty big car. If I reverse OUT of a parking space then I'm blocking almost the entire road before I can even see whether any other cars are coming. This means that I'd be relying entirely on other people stopping to let me out, and if somebody plows into the side of me then any claim will go 100% against me. Reversing IN to a parking space is a far safer prospect.
Probably been said already but at work ( gas terminal) offices its company policy, supposedly to assist in a rapid exit if things go tits up....
Bit of a ball ache for me to park as my cars are larger than average but its easier to exit at the end of the working day when im usually knackered.
Bit of a ball ache for me to park as my cars are larger than average but its easier to exit at the end of the working day when im usually knackered.
Edited by andysgriff on Saturday 1st November 21:56
Parking in a John Lewis carpark the other week we ended on the top level as it's crappy design with posts next to every space it would seem - and it's very, very tight.
As we went up the ramp we had to wait for a few minutes as a girl was trying to reverse her 206 into a space at the end of a row. And she was making a right meal of it too. An exasperated partner was watching through clenched eyes. Bear in mind over half the level she was on was totally empty; she could have parked pretty much anywhere but for some reason she was set on squeezing in next to a barrier and another car.
Anyway, we waited until she'd gone back enough so we could pass then parked up and spent another few minutes faffing about getting bags and a small child ready.
As we walked down the carpark to the store she was still edging backwards and forwards; her partner looked suicidal by now. I wouldn't have had the patience to wait and if I had any hair worth tearing out, it would have been torn. Neither of us had ever seen someone take so long to park a small car in big gap in an otherwise empty car park.
As we were leaving a little later the car had finally been parked; with about a 5cm gap between the drivers door and the metal barrier.
As we went up the ramp we had to wait for a few minutes as a girl was trying to reverse her 206 into a space at the end of a row. And she was making a right meal of it too. An exasperated partner was watching through clenched eyes. Bear in mind over half the level she was on was totally empty; she could have parked pretty much anywhere but for some reason she was set on squeezing in next to a barrier and another car.
Anyway, we waited until she'd gone back enough so we could pass then parked up and spent another few minutes faffing about getting bags and a small child ready.
As we walked down the carpark to the store she was still edging backwards and forwards; her partner looked suicidal by now. I wouldn't have had the patience to wait and if I had any hair worth tearing out, it would have been torn. Neither of us had ever seen someone take so long to park a small car in big gap in an otherwise empty car park.
As we were leaving a little later the car had finally been parked; with about a 5cm gap between the drivers door and the metal barrier.
Was told when learning it was preferable due to it being safer to do the going backwards bit into the empty space, rather than potentially into the path of a driver/pedestrian who may be distracted in a busy environment and not see you reversing out of a space. It also offers better visibility, making it easier to see if you're potentially pulling out into the path of a vehicle or pedestrian. It does make sense, especially when driving something without great rearwards visibility.
Downside is that it can be a PITA to get to the boot and put the shopping in, which makes the Boxster great for nipping to the shops in as it doesn't matter which way round you park it, you'll still be able to access a boot.
Downside is that it can be a PITA to get to the boot and put the shopping in, which makes the Boxster great for nipping to the shops in as it doesn't matter which way round you park it, you'll still be able to access a boot.
For me, it's simply a case of making leaving more convenient.
After a long day at work, or when your grumpy and facing the commute in the morning, it's just better to be able to hop in and drive off.
I have been driving small 2-seater roadsters for the last few years, so considerations of reversing out of a spot in a big car don't really influence me.
Soft-top hoods do tend to mean poor rearward visibility I suppose, just all the more reason to get the top down.
After a long day at work, or when your grumpy and facing the commute in the morning, it's just better to be able to hop in and drive off.
I have been driving small 2-seater roadsters for the last few years, so considerations of reversing out of a spot in a big car don't really influence me.
Soft-top hoods do tend to mean poor rearward visibility I suppose, just all the more reason to get the top down.
Ultimately the car is more manoeuvrable when driven in reverse. The back remains pretty much where it is and you can swing the front wherever you want. Hence reverse in to a space unless you need access to the boot for shopping, etc. Hasn't anyone else noticed that if you have a narrow space it's much easier to reverse in than to try to get in forwards?
In terms of places that tell you to park nose first, this is the case if the spaces are arranged in a herringbone pattern (only a loon would turn 135 degrees to get into a space backwards), or if there are fresh air intakes for the building aircon near the parking spaces so they don't want you reversing up with exhaust fumes. Not sure how much difference the latter makes in real life, TBH.
In terms of places that tell you to park nose first, this is the case if the spaces are arranged in a herringbone pattern (only a loon would turn 135 degrees to get into a space backwards), or if there are fresh air intakes for the building aircon near the parking spaces so they don't want you reversing up with exhaust fumes. Not sure how much difference the latter makes in real life, TBH.
I've spent more time driving vans with unglazed rears that I have cars, so religiously reverse park into bays. In fact, I can reverse park a large van in one smooth manoeuvre, but usually take two or three attempts to drive my Citroen C1 nose in to a space!
I've actually worked on a Lafarge site where they won't deal with you until you have reverse parked into a space!
I've actually worked on a Lafarge site where they won't deal with you until you have reverse parked into a space!
In a previous job, I had reason to be up on a windfarm under construction. One of the terms of the site insurance was that all cars must reverse into the spaces, otherwise any accident between a car and construction traffic would not be covered by the site insurance. I inquired as to the reasoning behind this and the site engineer said that there was much less risk of a collision between construction traffic and a car being driven out of a parking bay than compared to a reverse from the same bay. This was mostly due to the extra visibility happening sooner and smaller distance between head and vehicle extremities to the nose than to the tail.
Personally I like being able to show off with my parking by pulling up and with one smooth sure reversing movement, placing my car perfectly and correctly into the space and then being ready to drive out easily.
Personally I like being able to show off with my parking by pulling up and with one smooth sure reversing movement, placing my car perfectly and correctly into the space and then being ready to drive out easily.
jamieclueless said:
I usually reverse park as most of the time it makes sense, however every now and again some prat sits right on my tail and not seeing that I want to reverse park, stops about 2 feet behind me stopping me from reversing...time to get the newspaper out and wait for the penny to drop.
Once when I stopped ready to reverse park and one of the dreaded 'forward parkers' in a little fiat nipped in behind me to the space. When he didn't see my logic and laughed at my suggestion that he move on, I removed his hubcaps(it was a few years ago) and frisbee'd them into the local park. He moved then but I didn't feel safe leaving my car after that so moved on myself too.
I did this yesterday! By accident.Once when I stopped ready to reverse park and one of the dreaded 'forward parkers' in a little fiat nipped in behind me to the space. When he didn't see my logic and laughed at my suggestion that he move on, I removed his hubcaps(it was a few years ago) and frisbee'd them into the local park. He moved then but I didn't feel safe leaving my car after that so moved on myself too.
Well I was the 'dreaded forward parker' - which some on here seem to consider to be a disgusting perversion. Perhaps there should be a 'forward parkers' register'?
The other car, driven by a large old man, completed a baffling series of forward and reverse shuffles such that it began to resemble a typewriter carriage. Anyway I assumed that he probably didn't want the space, and nipped in forwards. In one go, and saved everyone a load of time. The old man left; perhaps to park elsewhere.
Ultimately it's just parking, why make such a fuss about it?
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