Why are people so fixated on reversing into bay parking?

Why are people so fixated on reversing into bay parking?

Author
Discussion

Vipers

32,796 posts

227 months

Monday 3rd November 2014
quotequote all
Nickyboy said:
Try working for UPS, you'll fail your driving assesment if you don't reverse first when parking.

It's pretty logical, you reverse into a space you know whats in it as you've just driven past it. Drive in forwards and when you come to reverse you have no idea what is behind you, kids, cars etc etc
My thoughts exactly. All I want now is something to stop pedestrians insisting walking behind you when your reversing............




smile

HTP99

22,443 posts

139 months

Monday 3rd November 2014
quotequote all
Vipers said:
Nickyboy said:
Try working for UPS, you'll fail your driving assesment if you don't reverse first when parking.

It's pretty logical, you reverse into a space you know whats in it as you've just driven past it. Drive in forwards and when you come to reverse you have no idea what is behind you, kids, cars etc etc
My thoughts exactly. All I want now is something to stop pedestrians insisting walking behind you when your reversing............




smile
It is also far easier to place your car in a tight spot, or between bollards when reversing when using your mirrors.

Red 5

1,021 posts

179 months

Monday 3rd November 2014
quotequote all
Manoeuvrability aside, I often park nose in to protect the car from being hit by other people getting in a pickle with their pedals!
Intercooler, headlights, rad, and other important bits out of harms way.
If someone reverses into the front, they will often take out something important.

The rear of the car is mostly a big high plastic bumper and cheaper to replace light clusters.
There's little back there, that if driven into firmly, would stop me getting home.

jamieduff1981

8,022 posts

139 months

Monday 3rd November 2014
quotequote all
JagXJR said:
jamieduff1981 said:
In addition, there's a good chance that the car you've wedged your passenger side up against came with passengers who may or may not try to squeeze themselves in without reversing the car out to load up. If there were children to go in this is pretty much non-optional. The PHers have taken all the P&C spaces as brats should have to walk and their Audi S-Line is more important, and neither a parent is going to want to ask toddlers to stand still in a carpark whilst the grownup moves the car out far enough to get the door open, whilst Mr or Mrs Average would have a fit if their escape from shoplifting was impeded by a car stopped in the lane between spaces to load passengers in.

All in all, a fairly wk idea. Everyone should just try to centre themselves in the spaces and we'll all get along fine.
Can you not slide across back seats these days? Parking this way give even more access room if everyone plays the game. Of course some people are too bloody-minded to do something sensible and insist on being awkward, you just can't help folks like that.

When I park this way you are not going to open the door or squeeze down the side as I am not stupid enough to give the option.


This is pretty much essential if I ever have to park the Alfa due to the long door and difficulty I have getting out (old knees don't help) unless the door is open wide. In most spaces I would not be able to even get out without a struggle. I usually park in end bays if able to to avoid the problem. And no I am not hugely overweight before the smart-arses chime in!
Try loading small children into the childseats they need from the wrong side of the car then come back and argue your point again...

MDMetal

2,775 posts

147 months

Monday 3rd November 2014
quotequote all
If your low at the front and high at the back it's much easier too, nothing worse than the grating sound your front lip makes on a high kerb!

WD39

20,083 posts

115 months

Thursday 27th November 2014
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good driver's reverse park ! Poor driver's drive in forward's .
[/quote]

That's it then. At last it has been sorted.
I am a poor driver.




grkify

366 posts

119 months

Thursday 27th November 2014
quotequote all
I always reverse in to spaces and I only have a little car just find it easier to judge the distance between cars either side of me. can reverse in to a space a lot quicker than driving in to one then getting out is a doddle.

Welshwonder

303 posts

187 months

Thursday 27th November 2014
quotequote all
Red 5 said:
Manoeuvrability aside, I often park nose in to protect the car from being hit by other people getting in a pickle with their pedals!
Intercooler, headlights, rad, and other important bits out of harms way.
If someone reverses into the front, they will often take out something important.

The rear of the car is mostly a big high plastic bumper and cheaper to replace light clusters.
There's little back there, that if driven into firmly, would stop me getting home.
Hmm, you've got that all wrong. If someone hits your rear quarter, then it could write off your car (depending on value obviously!) It's much easier to bolt on new front wings, lamps and intercoolers than it is to repair or replace a rear quarter!

RoadRunner220

940 posts

192 months

Thursday 27th November 2014
quotequote all
jamieduff1981 said:
LooneyTunes said:
Synchromesh said:
I think I have a reason that hasn't been mentioned yet...

If the person next to you has parked nose in (as 95% of people do), and you reverse it, you have passenger side against passenger side. That means you don't have to leave enough space to open a door on that side, so you can leave more space on your driver door side.

I've even made a handy diagram to illustrate my point to the hard of thinking. Obviously I've exaggerated it a bit, I still always remain within the lines. This technique is especially useful if your car isn't the easiest to get in and out of - Elise and Ford GT owners take note!

That's going to work really well when the vehicle on the left of the picture leaves and is replaced by one that wants EVEN MORE space (or didn't see what you were trying to achieve) and reverses in... leaving the same gap between cars as you did with the one on the right hand side of the picture.
In addition, there's a good chance that the car you've wedged your passenger side up against came with passengers who may or may not try to squeeze themselves in without reversing the car out to load up. If there were children to go in this is pretty much non-optional. The PHers have taken all the P&C spaces as brats should have to walk and their Audi S-Line is more important, and neither a parent is going to want to ask toddlers to stand still in a carpark whilst the grownup moves the car out far enough to get the door open, whilst Mr or Mrs Average would have a fit if their escape from shoplifting was impeded by a car stopped in the lane between spaces to load passengers in.

All in all, a fairly wk idea. Everyone should just try to centre themselves in the spaces and we'll all get along fine.
I disagree.

A colleague and I do this deliberately. We know neither of us has a passenger so the passenger door won't be opened. She parks nose in and parks as close to the line to her left as she can. I arrive and reverse in next to her getting as close to her passenger side as I can, usually there's not even a big enough gap to walk between our two cars passenger sides.

It means we both have space to open our drivers door fully, and also means we're much less likely to have our car doors dinged by people parking next to us.

jmorgan

36,010 posts

283 months

Thursday 27th November 2014
quotequote all
Welshwonder said:
Red 5 said:
Manoeuvrability aside, I often park nose in to protect the car from being hit by other people getting in a pickle with their pedals!
Intercooler, headlights, rad, and other important bits out of harms way.
If someone reverses into the front, they will often take out something important.

The rear of the car is mostly a big high plastic bumper and cheaper to replace light clusters.
There's little back there, that if driven into firmly, would stop me getting home.
Hmm, you've got that all wrong. If someone hits your rear quarter, then it could write off your car (depending on value obviously!) It's much easier to bolt on new front wings, lamps and intercoolers than it is to repair or replace a rear quarter!
Do it hard enough and both ends get it so no matter which way you park.....

R33dk

74 posts

112 months

Friday 28th November 2014
quotequote all
Several companies I have worked for it is mandatory to reverse park.

Don't do it.... Written warning

Dk

jayemm89

4,002 posts

129 months

Friday 28th November 2014
quotequote all
I was always taught to reverse in. My last car was a BMW 645 which was a big old beast and pretty much impossible to do any other way - had a few times I've seen people drive forwards into a space with an empty car park to find it very hard to leave when the car park is full.

Particularly tricky if you're parking somewhere which is full of 4x4s in parking spaces designed when for cars of yesteryear!

PARTYANNA

28 posts

118 months

Friday 28th November 2014
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veevee said:
Just wondering if there's a specific reason? I park in a large car park nearly every day, and I see endless amounts of people going miles out of their way (and often struggling), doing multi multi point turns to reverse into spaces. I am quite happy to park forwards into a space and reverse out... am I doing the wrong thing?
The company I work for insist that all cars are reversed parked (500+ cars daily). They claim this is for health and safety reasons (?). I find it easier to reverse park so do it all the time.

405dogvan

5,326 posts

264 months

Friday 28th November 2014
quotequote all
The Highway Code requires you to reverse from the more major road/into the more minor one - it's one of the golden rules of driving - 100% solid common-sense - it's MUCH safer.

That means you reverse into side-streets and not out onto main roads - you reverse into your drive and you reverse into parking spaces (or drive-thru of course)

The only snag is in 2-deep rows in supermarkets where having your boot inaccessible to put shopping into is stupid

Oh - and probably asking people who struggle to drive FORWARDS to reverse in close proximity to other cars which is insane...

405dogvan

5,326 posts

264 months

Friday 28th November 2014
quotequote all
R33dk said:
Several companies I have worked for it is mandatory to reverse park.

Don't do it.... Written warning

Dk
You work for Asda as a truck driver then? smile

I bet they were pissed-off when you parked forward and they had to carry 50 trolleys into the shop ;0

jamieduff1981

8,022 posts

139 months

Friday 28th November 2014
quotequote all
RoadRunner220 said:
jamieduff1981 said:
LooneyTunes said:
Synchromesh said:
I think I have a reason that hasn't been mentioned yet...

If the person next to you has parked nose in (as 95% of people do), and you reverse it, you have passenger side against passenger side. That means you don't have to leave enough space to open a door on that side, so you can leave more space on your driver door side.

I've even made a handy diagram to illustrate my point to the hard of thinking. Obviously I've exaggerated it a bit, I still always remain within the lines. This technique is especially useful if your car isn't the easiest to get in and out of - Elise and Ford GT owners take note!

That's going to work really well when the vehicle on the left of the picture leaves and is replaced by one that wants EVEN MORE space (or didn't see what you were trying to achieve) and reverses in... leaving the same gap between cars as you did with the one on the right hand side of the picture.
In addition, there's a good chance that the car you've wedged your passenger side up against came with passengers who may or may not try to squeeze themselves in without reversing the car out to load up. If there were children to go in this is pretty much non-optional. The PHers have taken all the P&C spaces as brats should have to walk and their Audi S-Line is more important, and neither a parent is going to want to ask toddlers to stand still in a carpark whilst the grownup moves the car out far enough to get the door open, whilst Mr or Mrs Average would have a fit if their escape from shoplifting was impeded by a car stopped in the lane between spaces to load passengers in.

All in all, a fairly wk idea. Everyone should just try to centre themselves in the spaces and we'll all get along fine.
I disagree.

A colleague and I do this deliberately. We know neither of us has a passenger so the passenger door won't be opened. She parks nose in and parks as close to the line to her left as she can. I arrive and reverse in next to her getting as close to her passenger side as I can, usually there's not even a big enough gap to walk between our two cars passenger sides.

It means we both have space to open our drivers door fully, and also means we're much less likely to have our car doors dinged by people parking next to us.
Agreeing to snuggle your passenger side next to someone else's car is one thing. You shouldn't just do it to another car you find in a public carpark though.

JagXJR

1,261 posts

128 months

Friday 28th November 2014
quotequote all
jamieduff1981 said:
JagXJR said:
jamieduff1981 said:
In addition, there's a good chance that the car you've wedged your passenger side up against came with passengers who may or may not try to squeeze themselves in without reversing the car out to load up. If there were children to go in this is pretty much non-optional. The PHers have taken all the P&C spaces as brats should have to walk and their Audi S-Line is more important, and neither a parent is going to want to ask toddlers to stand still in a carpark whilst the grownup moves the car out far enough to get the door open, whilst Mr or Mrs Average would have a fit if their escape from shoplifting was impeded by a car stopped in the lane between spaces to load passengers in.

All in all, a fairly wk idea. Everyone should just try to centre themselves in the spaces and we'll all get along fine.
Can you not slide across back seats these days? Parking this way give even more access room if everyone plays the game. Of course some people are too bloody-minded to do something sensible and insist on being awkward, you just can't help folks like that.

When I park this way you are not going to open the door or squeeze down the side as I am not stupid enough to give the option.


This is pretty much essential if I ever have to park the Alfa due to the long door and difficulty I have getting out (old knees don't help) unless the door is open wide. In most spaces I would not be able to even get out without a struggle. I usually park in end bays if able to to avoid the problem. And no I am not hugely overweight before the smart-arses chime in!
Try loading small children into the childseats they need from the wrong side of the car then come back and argue your point again...
Agreed in a supermarket car park is not always practical. But they do have parent and child spaces for this purpose. Hardly the end of the world to pull forwards to allow access to the doors either. So your arguement does not fully hold water.

Would do it in works car parks where few vehicles have more than one occupant, wouldn't do it in supermarkets. Better to find an end bay instead.

tomjol

532 posts

116 months

Friday 28th November 2014
quotequote all
Where are the children while you're pulling forward?

anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 28th November 2014
quotequote all
I know on BP sites the rule is reverse in, drive out for the mentioned H&S reasons. I suspect if you disobeyed once you'd get shouted at quite badly and knowing how strict they are with other rules on dangerous sites you'd be immediately dismissed if you did it again. TBF if you can't follow a simple rule like that you probably ought not be working at an oil refinery anyway.

anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 28th November 2014
quotequote all
carmadgaz said:
Because I was half asleep last time I drove nose first into a space and did this



and it's much easier to see the numpties not paying attention when you are exiting the bay when you are nose out
That actually got an audible "oooohh ouch" from me. How much did that cost to sort out?