I once heard “to keep your tailgate from being stolen” but that seems like it’d be a rare case.
Because, unless you’re driving a forklift, the point of a vehicle’s rotation is in line with the rear wheels, meaning you can take turns at a much more acute angle when reversing than going forwards. Which makes backing into spaces much easier.
Notice that most of the half-assed parking jobs you see are generally people who have driven forward and left the car parked at a diagonal half out of the space, because getting the vehicle lined up in that situation is more difficult.
Obviously so everyone knows I’m better than them
I have way more maneuverability backing into a space.
Think of it in terms of circles (well, arcs, really) . If you front park in a space perpendicular to the road, your front wheels make a large circle and your back wheels a smaller one. The parking space needs to be big enough to accommodate the larger circle. If you back into the same space, the larger circle happens on the road.
Was looking for this one.
In Australia, you’re considered at fault for reversing accidents. Backing out is riskier.
For years, I worked in a large building that required all employees and visitors to back in for a few safety reasons, with approximately 600 spaces and an almost full lot most weekdays. It was stated in our safety training that it was easier to see other people and vehicles when exiting facing forward and faster evacuation in times of extreme emergency. It had the benefit that it did seem to quicken flow of traffic when everyone left around the same time at the end of the day.
If a parking spot is straight, I tend to back in for those reasons, but if it is an angled spot, it typically denotes a singular directional flow, and it makes more sense to pull in and back out.
I guess it depends on the kind of places where you are parking. Where I am, we usually have big open parking lots with lots of space. I rarely ever back into a space, because backing in is more difficult than backing out. However if you are in more of a congested city or something, and the spots are narrow and you have a lot of cars moving around, then the situation flips and it can be more difficult to back out of the space than to back in.
I almost find it worse in the city because inevitably they rode your ass even with the turn signal on, so once you go past the space and put it in to reverse they’re sitting there blocking the space.
When reversing into a space it can be easier to turn away from it first. So as you approach turn towards it and then just as the front of you car gets to it or just past it turn away from it so the back of you car is now pointing towards the space. Most cars following slow down because it takes them a second to realise what you are doing and it makes the angle you need to reverse it much smaller.
When you are approaching a parking spot you’re already looking everywhere and can find obstacles as you back in. If you drive into a parking spot backing out may have issues because you may not have seen obstacles that would be in the way. We are not always as observant approaching our vehicle as we are when we have already been driving it. Plus, it’s a whole lot easier to get back out of the parking spot if you can just drive away.
Simply having to sit and watch as morons poorly attempt to back in suggests they don’t have a good grasp of their surroundings.
I swear part of it is regional. In the mid-Atlantic region - low volume lot, perpendicular spaces, maybe 1/2 full at max - you can watch people spend minutes faffing around to back into a spot.
It’s just easier to get out, you even have to park like that when taking the exam.
I drive a large pickup truck for work. With the backup camera, it is WAY WAY WAY easier to back into a tight spot than to pull head in. I pretty much always back the truck in.
I first learned how to drive on these old pickup trucks at a summer camp I worked for as a teenager.
The nice old fella who maintained the trucks (and who, not incidentally, taught me how to drive) said to do it that way and would get disappointed if you didn’t.
So, I guess it’s because I first learned it that way, but also because I don’t want to disappoint Alan (who may or may not be dead by now, I’m not sure.)
Because you have more control and visibility both when you get in and get out.
In and out of the parking spot right?
Actually having to sit and watch these morons attempt to back in in the first place says otherwise.
Now imagine having to sit and wait and watch them back out instead. Ugh.
People back out into wide open thoroughfare far more easily and quickly than their shitty backing in between two vehicles.
I wait longer for back-in’s every time than I do for back-out’s.
Sounds like projection.
Lol you cant park? that’s soooo uncool.
Go practice.
I can and have parallel parked a giant van on a busy downtown LA road very quickly. I passed my original driving test in one of the largest SUVs on the market at that time (my parents were idiotically obsessed with large vehicles. I’ve driven some of the largest rental box vans. I have zero crashes on my record. I also know how to drive a manual and have changed timing belts and do my own oil and who fucking cares cause I know you don’t.
Not projection. Fuck people who back in. Especially when they suck at it. Especially especially when they suck at it in a pointlessly oversized vehicle.
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When I’m coming home, I’m usually in less of a rush than when I’m departing. I can reverse into my spot as quickly as backing out when leaving, so it’s a tiny trade for time.
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My truck bed faces away from the street.
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Makes loading/unloading easier and more private from prying eyes.
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Easier to get in Easier to get out Safer (was trained to do it) Why do you pull in forwards?
Literally easier to pull straight in and stay centered between other vehicles. The literally easier to back out since there’s far more space available in the parking lot lane I’m backing out into.
Never had an issue with this in my life. Never hit a car, never took forever to do it, never hit anyone, and cannot believe the mental gymnastics people do to convince themselves backing in is somehow better.
I don’t have a big, stupid, oversized, vehicle with blind spots. I can park normally.
But I do have a big, stupid, oversized vehicle with blind spots and I can’t park normally!
I also had a Mini Cooper that I would back into parking spots for the reasons outlined in many other comments here… because “normal” isn’t always better.
