Back In Parking (motorcycle, buying, racing, USA)

[Hankrigby]

Originally Posted by Therblig

Okay.

Explain to me, in short words and clear sentences, why you back into parking places, even when it's at least twice as much effort as pull-in and there are no reasons backing out of the slot will present any special problem.

(Just quote the above and give a clear answer, please. No editorializing or stories about driving in LA or speaking up to say you're one of the slight majority who don't back in. Just the facts, as you see them. Thanks.)


I've simply never lived anywhere where nose-out parking was... so prevalent.

My neighbors across the street will carefully back in five or six times a day as they come and go. They will not infrequently come out at the end of the day and reverse a nose-in parking job (without going anywhere or having any evident reason to do so). I have seen them open the garage, reverse the car to nose-out position, and close the garage door for the night. (Small cars, big garage and driveway mostly flat.)

I watch people back-and-fill two or three times to squeeze their tailgate into a tight slot that would present no problem for either pull-in or back-out.

This week, I watched an F-250 spend a considerable amount of time trying to back in, then 'circling the block' to be able to come at the slot from a better angle.

The day after that, I pulled out of a slot only to have another pickup that had just parked nose-in back straight across the aisle into my vacated slot.

Conceding that there may be the occasional good reason to back into a parking slot, and that doing the "pull through" of a double slot so you can pull out forward when you leave is a reasonable practice... please explain in calm, simple words why you spend a great deal of extra time and effort backing into parking slots. When... folks elsewhere hardly ever do.

So you can see when you pull out? The front of the car has headlights on it the back doesn't. If I go to a place where I'm going to be leaving after dark being able to see where I'm going is useful.

Further backing into a parking spot or backing out of it takes the same amount of time.

I also like to back in when I'm in a place where there may be a lot of children or pedestrians in the parking lot. It's easier to see them walking in front of your car when you're facing them.

[dkf747]

Originally Posted by echo7tango

This is why some people should back in park, not pull in.

If I have to explain it, you’d never understand…

https://imgur.com/gallery/6QLi4sE

I prefer backing in too, but i have seen people back in just as bad as that pic.

[SuperDave72]

Originally Posted by Therblig

Okay.

Explain to me, in short words and clear sentences, why you back into parking places, even when it's at least twice as much effort as pull-in and there are no reasons backing out of the slot will present any special problem.

(Just quote the above and give a clear answer, please. No editorializing or stories about driving in LA or speaking up to say you're one of the slight majority who don't back in. Just the facts, as you see them. Thanks.)


I've simply never lived anywhere where nose-out parking was... so prevalent.

My neighbors across the street will carefully back in five or six times a day as they come and go. They will not infrequently come out at the end of the day and reverse a nose-in parking job (without going anywhere or having any evident reason to do so). I have seen them open the garage, reverse the car to nose-out position, and close the garage door for the night. (Small cars, big garage and driveway mostly flat.)

I watch people back-and-fill two or three times to squeeze their tailgate into a tight slot that would present no problem for either pull-in or back-out.

This week, I watched an F-250 spend a considerable amount of time trying to back in, then 'circling the block' to be able to come at the slot from a better angle.

The day after that, I pulled out of a slot only to have another pickup that had just parked nose-in back straight across the aisle into my vacated slot.

Conceding that there may be the occasional good reason to back into a parking slot, and that doing the "pull through" of a double slot so you can pull out forward when you leave is a reasonable practice... please explain in calm, simple words why you spend a great deal of extra time and effort backing into parking slots. When... folks elsewhere hardly ever do.

Maybe it's me, but I find it EASIER (esp with a backup camera) to back straight in the first time vs. pulling in forwards, where I often have to straighten out.

[hendersj31]

My son and I back our trucks into parking spots for two main reasons. One has been mentioned and that is because of limited visibility when backing out of the space. Unfortunately far too many people speed through parking lots or simply do not give you the courtesy to back out. I see someone backing out and I politely stop, whether on foot or in my vehicle to allow them to do what they need to do. Sometimes I feel I am the only person on earth who does this.
The second reason is with trucks or larger vehicles you can get stuck when backing out because of the folks parked behind you. The turning radius can be tricky and driving out forward makes this easier. I have been in situations where I almost cannot leave when parked in lots with tight spaces. This is more of a truck and large SUV thing.

[tommy64]

It's easier to put the vehicle in the center of the space when backing. I hate people who crowd one side and make it hard for the car next to them to open the door, or make the space unusable altogether. It's also safer in-and-out because you can see cars and pedestrians.

[z28lt1]

Originally Posted by SuperDave72

Maybe it's me, but I find it EASIER (esp with a backup camera) to back straight in the first time vs. pulling in forwards, where I often have to straighten out.

Yes, this is basic geometry on most cars (I'm aware there are a handful of cars with 4 wheel steering) only the front wheels steer and the back are fixed. As such, the front wheels are the pivot point and the back makes a greater arc than the front for the same distance traveled. So, if you are backing into a tighter spot, it is physically easier to back in than to go in front first -- you need to travel a greater distance to get the front to make the same arc as the back.



This is also why in parallel parking (assuming only one open, normal sized open space) you have to back in to make it work, as going in frontwards and putting the front where it belongs where not leave enough room to get the back where it needs to be, but going in backwards allows you plenty of room to swing the front in.


It's also the same geometry that causing your back tires to hit a curb on a tight turn even though your front tires cleared it just fine....



It is absolutely (scientifically) easier to back in (assuming the skills to do so are there) to tighter spots than to go in frontwards, and why I do it more so in my larger SUVs versus my small sedan, where there is room enough to be easy either way.

[Parnassia]

Originally Posted by z28lt1

Yes, this is basic geometry on most cars (I'm aware there are a handful of cars with 4 wheel steering) only the front wheels steer and the back are fixed. As such, the front wheels are the pivot point and the back makes a greater arc than the front for the same distance traveled. So, if you are backing into a tighter spot, it is physically easier to back in than to go in front first -- you need to travel a greater distance to get the front to make the same arc as the back.



This is also why in parallel parking (assuming only one open, normal sized open space) you have to back in to make it work, as going in frontwards and putting the front where it belongs where not leave enough room to get the back where it needs to be, but going in backwards allows you plenty of room to swing the front in.


It's also the same geometry that causing your back tires to hit a curb on a tight turn even though your front tires cleared it just fine....



It is absolutely (scientifically) easier to back in (assuming the skills to do so are there) to tighter spots than to go in frontwards, and why I do it more so in my larger SUVs versus my small sedan, where there is room enough to be easy either way.

While the geometry described makes sense, I know of one or two pretty essential local parking lots here where attempting to back into a space would just about guarantee a fender bender, not to mention a rather unpleasant confrontation! There simply isn't a one-size-fits-all answer here IMO. Evaluate the circumstances and choose accordingly.

[macroy]

Originally Posted by Parnassia

While the geometry described makes sense, I know of one or two pretty essential local parking lots here where attempting to back into a space would just about guarantee a fender bender, not to mention a confrontation! There simply isn't a one-size-fits-all answer here IMO. Evaluate the circumstances and choose accordingly.

Can you provide more details? Unless you're talking angled spots or an edge spot next to a wall/curb in a LONG tight alley (where you'd almost have to back into the alley in the first place), I'm having a hard time picturing how backing in would be impossible (outside of skills). But with angled spots, it's sort of a given that you are going in front first. And those wall/edge spots are just bad parking spots if they don't provide some indentation in the curb.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by macroy

Can you provide more details? Unless you're talking angled spots or an edge spot next to a wall/curb in a LONG tight alley (where you'd almost have to back into the alley in the first place), I'm having a hard time picturing how backing in would be impossible (outside of skills). But with angled spots, it's sort of a given that you are going in front first. And those wall/edge spots are just bad parking spots if they don't provide some indentation in the curb.

I'm guessing it may be like a parking garage I have to use when I go to a couple of my doctors. People are racing to get a spot and won't give someone else the space or time to back into a spot.

[Parnassia]

Originally Posted by macroy

Can you provide more details? Unless you're talking angled spots or an edge spot next to a wall/curb in a LONG tight alley (where you'd almost have to back into the alley in the first place), I'm having a hard time picturing how backing in would be impossible (outside of skills). But with angled spots, it's sort of a given that you are going in front first. And those wall/edge spots are just bad parking spots if they don't provide some indentation in the curb.

Well, it's an overcrowded busy lot with narrow parking spaces on both sides of a tight traffic lane. If you don't whip right into an empty spot as soon as you see one, you'll lose it! Conversely, when you start backing OUT of your spot the traffic is willing to sit there and wait...most likely because they already have dibs on it.