Why are people so fixated on reversing into bay parking?

[HTP99]

It's also quicker in terms of speed of manouvering; driving front ways in, people can't see what the sides are doing so they do it very gingerly, leaning up and forward in a vain attempt at seeing where the front of the car is.

I watched someone in a Tesco car park the other day driving their Mercedes estate front ways in to a space, the wife in the passenger seat was leaning out of her window to see where the side of the car was so as not to scrape the car in the adjacent space.

They entered the car park ahead of me, I reverse parked in two manouveres; swung out and reversed straight in, I was in a big 4x4, I got out, walked 5 or 6 spaces to see the Mercedes slooooooowly pulling in to the space with the wife leaning out, I got to the entrance of the store and realised I'd left my trolley token in the car so walked back, past the Mercedes still attempting to park, got my token, walked back again and they were still trying to park!!

But hey front ways parking is quicker apparently.

Now just imagine the palaver all reversed; them reversing out!!!!!!!!

[nonsequitur]

HTP99 said:

It's also quicker in terms of speed of manouvering; driving front ways in, people can't see what the sides are doing so they do it very gingerly, leaning up and forward in a vain attempt at seeing where the front of the car is.

I watched someone in a Tesco car park the other day driving their Mercedes estate front ways in to a space, the wife in the passenger seat was leaning out of her window to see where the side of the car was so as not to scrape the car in the adjacent space.

They entered the car park ahead of me, I reverse parked in two manouveres; swung out and reversed straight in, I was in a big 4x4, I got out, walked 5 or 6 spaces to see the Mercedes slooooooowly pulling in to the space with the wife leaning out, I got to the entrance of the store and realised I'd left my trolley token in the car so walked back, past the Mercedes still attempting to park, got my token, walked back again and they were still trying to park!!

But hey front ways parking is quicker apparently.

Now just imagine the palaver all reversed; them reversing out!!!!!!!!

.tou gnisrever sedecreM. Easy!

[Dr Doofenshmirtz]

Reversing into a space is a LOT easier and more accurate than driving in, it just is. Driving in means you're worrying about the front wing missing things, which doesn't happen with reversing because you have a steeper steering angle to work with and mirrors to see the corners.
I can throw my car into a tight space in reverse a lot quicker than driving in, unless I have a really wide angle of approach.

[parabolica]

dvb70 said:

I have never quite understood the whole reverse in to parking spaces thing. It's far quicker to just drive straight in without causing hold ups for other drivers while you reverse in and I have never had an issue reversing out of a parking spot.

For me reversing in is slower and causes other drivers to have to wait for you. Reversing out is a far quicker than reversing in and less disruptive to other road users.

No, all you're doing is delaying the disruption to other drivers until later when you have to reverse out and you're sat at the other end of your car with limited visibility and a restricted view to see if the coast is clear or not.

Any driving god worth their salt should be able to quickly and accurately reverse their car into a space causing only minimal delay to other road users.

[Rich Boy Spanner]

Who gives a toss how other people park. What next, why do people lace their shoes in a certain way, or why do people wear brown gloves instead of black ones.

[DoubleD]

Some people find reversing quicker and some people find driving in forwards quicker.

My advise is to do whichever you prefer.

[B_Tank88]

Because it's people that park forwards that end up parking like retards.

[nonsequitur]

Rich Boy Spanner said:

Who gives a toss how other people park. What next, why do people lace their shoes in a certain way, or why do people wear brown gloves instead of black ones.

They just have no fashion sense. Everybody knows that it is slip-ons and white gloves.

[RobM77]

Dr Doofenshmirtz said:

Reversing into a space is a LOT easier and more accurate than driving in, it just is. Driving in means you're worrying about the front wing missing things, which doesn't happen with reversing because you have a steeper steering angle to work with and mirrors to see the corners.
I can throw my car into a tight space in reverse a lot quicker than driving in, unless I have a really wide angle of approach.

This is why forklifts and dumper trucks have rear wheel steering: you want the end that swings out in the open, rather than constricted by objects either side of it. When you reverse park into a space, the end that swings is out in the open right up until the last minute; whereas driving forwards the end that swings is stuck between two cars.

Furthermore, when you reverse into a space you get a perfect view down each side of the car in each door mirror. Driving forwards you're guessing much of it, especially if you sit low in the car (as with many PH type cars).

Lastly, in most cars the driver is closer to the front of the car than the back, so it's far safer to drive forwards out of a space than to reverse. If you reverse out, then you're sticking a load of car out into the road without proper visibility of what's coming. This is why the Highway Code recommend reversing into a driveway.

These reasons are so compelling that I only drive forwards into spaces if I really have to; for example to access the boot more easily.

Edited by RobM77 on Monday 27th January 14:44

[The Mad Monk]

HTP99 said:

They entered the car park ahead of me, I reverse parked in two manouveres; swung out and reversed straight in, I was in a big 4x4, I got out, walked 5 or 6 spaces to see the Mercedes slooooooowly pulling in to the space with the wife leaning out, I got to the entrance of the store and realised I'd left my trolley token in the car so walked back, past the Mercedes still attempting to park, got my token, walked back again and they were still trying to park!!

It's easy for you, you are clever.

[rossub]

Totally pointless thread.

Those parking forward will not be persuaded to do otherwise, because they prefer it,

Those reverse parking will not be persuaded to do otherwise, because they prefer it.

The end.

[DoubleD]

rossub said:

Totally pointless thread.

Those parking forward will not be persuaded to do otherwise, because they prefer it,

Those reverse parking will not be persuaded to do otherwise, because they prefer it.

The end.

Yep, they are both as easy as each other.

Just do whichever you prefer.

[Vipers]

Dr Doofenshmirtz said:

Reversing into a space is a LOT easier and more accurate than driving in, it just is. Driving in means you're worrying about the front wing missing things, which doesn't happen with reversing because you have a steeper steering angle to work with and mirrors to see the corners.

I can throw my car into a tight space in reverse a lot quicker than driving in, unless I have a really wide angle of approach.

Each to their own, but I agree with you, and cant argue it's safer when you drive out rather than reverse out, demonstrated last week with two drivers reversing out toward each other.

Drive in, and by the time you get in, start the engine etc, you have no idea if people or kids are walking past you as they do, or as some have found out, other cars.

Probably no right and wrong, but there is safer and less safe method.

[nonsequitur]

Vipers said:

Dr Doofenshmirtz said:

Reversing into a space is a LOT easier and more accurate than driving in, it just is. Driving in means you're worrying about the front wing missing things, which doesn't happen with reversing because you have a steeper steering angle to work with and mirrors to see the corners.

I can throw my car into a tight space in reverse a lot quicker than driving in, unless I have a really wide angle of approach.

Each to their own, but I agree with you, and cant argue it's safer when you drive out rather than reverse out, demonstrated last week with two drivers reversing out toward each other.

Drive in, and by the time you get in, start the engine etc, you have no idea if people or kids are walking past you as they do, or as some have found out, other cars.

Probably no right and wrong, but there is safer and less safe method.

Controversial / way out / left field. I'm a nose in driver. On exit i will, depending on the configuration of the car park and the space available, put my hazards on as a warning to those pesky pedestrians who may about to step into my path. So far so good.

[ging84]

The person who is best placed to decide how it's safest for them to park is the driver, any company that mandates a particular way of parking without having particularly unusual parking circumstances should have a good look at its self, see if it's health and safety committee is actually useful, or a mix of unqualified people who a desperate for a bit of power and / or will do anything to get out of having to do their job for a couple of hours a month.

[Vipers]

ging84 said:

The person who is best placed to decide how it's safest for them to park is the driver, any company that mandates a particular way of parking without having particularly unusual parking circumstances should have a good look at its self, see if it's health and safety committee is actually useful, or a mix of unqualified people who a desperate for a bit of power and / or will do anything to get out of having to do their job for a couple of hours a month.

Seems to becoming quite common now, we have it at work, then again I have always reverse parked since I learnt to drive in a Bedford RL 3 tonner 1970, HGV3 covers a car, so never learnt in a car. Never found it a problem.

But as I said, each to their own. I do chuckle though when people drive in their driveways, and have trouble backing out again into traffic.