Back In Parking (vehicle, SUV, toll, pickup)

[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.

[MagmaTomb]

I do not back in park, but if you Google the subject, there are plenty of articles extolling its virtues.

When I lived overseas, most of the locals back in parked, but all their cars had rear view cameras to make it easy.

[BarryK123]

I don't do it either, but here are a couple of thoughts:
1. quick getaway :-)
2. some cars have low fronts and can be scraped damaged by bollards or curbs
3. Teslas have charging ports in the back. It's necessary to back in to fast charge as the cables are fairly short

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

You say that folks elsewhere hardly do so. Here in Hawaii everyone backs in. I've never figured out why. Especially since it's easier to load my groceries in the trunk when I park nose in.

My question to you is: why is this so important to you? Not trying to be rude, but you've seem to have spent a lot of time observing and then writing a long post.

[gemstone1]

..."why you back into parking places"... Because it has been proven safer than nose in parking.
Search "safety of back in parking", you will have plenty to read.

[TCHP]

I usually pull in nose first, but there are occasions when I will back in. Particularly in a lot that has shorter spaces but has a curb or some other feature behind it that I can hang the bumper over. My vehicle is moderately long has a longer rear overhang than a front one and parking it backwards where I can gain additional front clearance does help me from taking up additional driving space.

[Vision67]

If you live in a neighborhood where many people park on the street, backing into your driveway improves visibility for the next getaway. That's especially true if you're driving a pickup or a tall SUV.

However, when I see someone backing into a slot at the grocery store, I don't get it. When you come out with your load of groceries, you need access to your trunk.

[daprara]

ignore it

[Taiko]

I remember going to a football game and the driver ignored the parking staff to back in. After the game when the rest of the fans drove straight out we were stuck due to his obstinacy.

In general people seem to want a quick exit and they discount a delayed entrance. Or perhaps it is normally safer to leave by pulling straight out rather than backing out.

[Hemlock140]

I almost always back in park, especially in our driveway. When parking it's easy to see that no one is behind or in front of me, so I can easily back in without fear of running into anyone. If I parked straight in, then you have to back out when leaving, and you cannot see what might be coming and run into you. It's just far safer.