Why are people so fixated on reversing into bay parking?
Discussion
Unless your car has rear wheel steering, the correct way to park is always by reversing in. If you park nose in and subsequently have people either side park very close to you it could be impossible for you to be able to get out, or would require a million point to turn. Whereas reversing in in the same scenario would only need say a 3 point turn to get out.
It's preferred in some company car parks, as long as you're not reversing against an air inlet, mainly so that someone at the far end of the car park doesnt have to wait for every other person to reverse their car out in a 45 point manoeuvre.
Supermarket car park is the only time I'll park nose in
Supermarket car park is the only time I'll park nose in
I always thought I was a bit of a retard for finding it a bit harder to reverse out of a spot but it seems I am not alone 
I prefer to back in and drive out, it's just easier and safer. Cars have to stop to let you reverse in, getting one to stop and let you reverse out is a chore at times.
I prefer to back in and drive out, it's just easier and safer. Cars have to stop to let you reverse in, getting one to stop and let you reverse out is a chore at times.Meltham Terrier said:
Mainly for security reasons to protect the boot, we have a company policy that all vehicles should be reverse parked against a permanent object as far as reasonably possible to prevent thiefs.
Not just this but when I'm returning to a space it tends to be later on in the day. If it's dark and some scrotes are hanging around I prefer to be able to drive straight off rather than reversing out and having to turn. It's just best practice unless of course you're going to be loading the vehicle and access is easier parked nose in.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 w
k idea. Everyone should just try to centre themselves in the spaces and we'll all get along fine.
As I said, that diagram was exaggerated to get my point across. My last car, a mk2 MR2 was a bit tricky to get in and out of when there wasn't much space (low slung, long doors) so sometimes this had to be done to an extent, in order to make it physically possible to use the space.All in all, a fairly w
k idea. Everyone should just try to centre themselves in the spaces and we'll all get along fine.I'm with the OP.
Its way, way faster to drive straight into a parking space. Nearly every day I'm out of the car and half way into the office while the reverse parkers are faffing about.
Never had a problem reversing out of a space and never come close to hitting anything either.
Each to their own though.
Its way, way faster to drive straight into a parking space. Nearly every day I'm out of the car and half way into the office while the reverse parkers are faffing about.
Never had a problem reversing out of a space and never come close to hitting anything either.
Each to their own though.
My company`s HSE department insist that people reverse into parking bays on our premises, and apply penalties to those who drive in / reverse out. They argue that it is unlikely someone will be standing in a parking bay as a vehicle reverses into iy, but it IS likely that a pedestrian could be walking past the bay as a car is trying to come out, and that therefore it is safer for pedestrians if cars drive, rather than reverse out.
My company`s HSE department insist that people reverse into parking bays on our premises, and apply penalties to those who drive in / reverse out. They argue that it is unlikely someone will be standing in a parking bay as a vehicle reverses into it, but it IS likely that a pedestrian could be walking past the bay as a car is trying to come out, and that therefore it is safer for pedestrians if cars drive, rather than reverse out.
Pan Pan said:
My company`s HSE department insist that people reverse into parking bays on our premises, and apply penalties to those who drive in / reverse out. They argue that it is unlikely someone will be standing in a parking bay as a vehicle reverses into it, but it IS likely that a pedestrian could be walking past the bay as a car is trying to come out, and that therefore it is safer for pedestrians if cars drive, rather than reverse out.
I can see that. And in supermarkey car parks, any awarenes seems to desert people once they are pushing a shopping trolley. There's a slight variation at my local gym where they let their small children run a few yards in front.When I learnt to drive, cars didn't have heated rear screens demisters, so it was a pain if you came back to your car and needed to reverse out.
When I got my first car, I would park it nose-first in the drive, until the first time it wouldn't start and I had to phone a helpful chap in work to come around with some jump leads and help me get it going. From that point on, I've always reverse-parked wherever possible. Also, as we park two cars side by side on a double-width driveway that only has a 1.5-width entrance, I can back in and swing the front end around leaving both cars parallel, which I cannot do nose-first. This satisfies my sense of order.
Actually I have had to wait longer in car parks where someone has reversed out of their parking space,
right into the back of someone reversing out of their bay across the access way, or into a car already moving down the access way, not least because vision when reversing out can often be blocked by car in the adjacent bays until the back of the car being reversed is well out into the access way. I think I will stick with reversing in / driving out, like my car the way it is thank you, and driving straight out is so much safer and quicker.
right into the back of someone reversing out of their bay across the access way, or into a car already moving down the access way, not least because vision when reversing out can often be blocked by car in the adjacent bays until the back of the car being reversed is well out into the access way. I think I will stick with reversing in / driving out, like my car the way it is thank you, and driving straight out is so much safer and quicker.
UrbanLegend said:
You should always reverse into your drive and pull out forwards. Especially important if you live on a main road.
Not if you have a kid in the car though - I drive forwards on to my drive so that access to the rear passenger door doesn't involve us walking carrying my daughter/her walking around the back of the car, near the road. Before I had a kid I used to reverse on.
It ain't black and white
Pan Pan said:
My company`s HSE department insist that people reverse into parking bays on our premises, and apply penalties to those who drive in / reverse out. They argue that it is unlikely someone will be standing in a parking bay as a vehicle reverses into it, but it IS likely that a pedestrian could be walking past the bay as a car is trying to come out, and that therefore it is safer for pedestrians if cars drive, rather than reverse out.
You have a Health and Safety department?Oh, strewth.
Don't worry, when I take over I'll put them in front of the wall and let them witter on about the dangers of pointing loaded rifles at people.
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