[cjb762]

Originally Posted by Real Dodger

Another trend I've seen is people backing in to parking spaces. Which is ok, except it takes longer to park (and I am impatient and want to get around you) and the pickup trucks doing this with the big trail hitches tend to leave those hitches way too far in the other parking spot.

for some reason, almost everyone tries to back into spaces around here. Most of them have no skill for it whatsoever though, and no real reason to do it either. I am apparently exactly like you when it comes to patience - it drives me crazy to wait for some ass-hat to back into a space when they could have pulled into it like a normal human being in seconds. Most of them can manage to do it in 30-45 seconds with two tries, but I have personally observed one jackass work at it for two minutes - and he was still parked over one of the lines.

[zx10guy]

I back in to parking spaces too. I'm usually pretty quick about it. I do it because I can get my car very close to the curb using the passenger mirror tilt function. Which means I always park in end spots.

And then there are those who back in to spots because they've been overseas on some sort of government business. Allows you to quickly egress under high pressure situations if you get my drift.

[Samurai of 2day]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

Back in EVERYWHERE and even on 2 wheels. Even into my own driveway

Reason being I can see both direction when I start to back in. Backing out backwards with minimal vision space I prefer coming out forward where I can lean forward around obstacles

Absolutely.

It's easier and safer to leave the parking space if you backed into it.

And since I was trained to "combat park", that just translated to my regular day to day driving habits.

I usually park away from the crowds though and coupled with years of experience, backing into a spot doesn't impede the flow of traffic in the lot, even if I let any cars behind me pass before I put my car in reverse.

Reversing with the bike is even easier and less time consuming.

[UncleWede]

Originally Posted by cjb762

I am apparently exactly like you when it comes to patience - it drives me crazy to wait for some ass-hat to back OUT OF a space when they could have BACKED into it like a normal human being in seconds. Most of them can manage to do it in 30-45 seconds with two tries, but I have personally observed one jackass work at it for two minutes - and he was still parked over one of the lines.

FTFY. Plus far lower chance of damage to another car

[Samurai of 2day]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

FTFY. Plus far lower chance of damage to another car

Banned for backing the van in.

Can't see out those blacked out Windows!

[UncleWede]

Originally Posted by Samurai of 2day

Banned for backing the van in.

Can't see out those blacked out Windows!

Doesn't understand the dynamics of rapidly opening sliding van doors


Banned

[CTinline-six]

I HATE people who back in. And I'm not talking about those who posted in this thread, or those who "combat park". You are likely the ones who can back in properly without holding up traffic.

I'm talking about Joe Redneck with his jacked up Chevy who has to back in and out 15 times to get his truck straight in a space that would barely fit a Prius.

There is some idiot in a Ford Expedition who backs into a spot in the work parking garage. He parks in the corner spot on the downhill exit side of the garage. He must have to do a K turn when he leaves.

[Captain Blood]

Originally Posted by CTinline-six

I HATE people who back in. And I'm not talking about those who posted in this thread, or those who "combat park". You are likely the ones who can back in properly without holding up traffic.

I'm talking about Joe Redneck with his jacked up Chevy who has to back in and out 15 times to get his truck straight in a space that would barely fit a Prius.

There is some idiot in a Ford Expedition who backs into a spot in the work parking garage. He parks in the corner spot on the downhill exit side of the garage. He must have to do a K turn when he leaves.

You have trucks in CT?

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by Real Dodger

You have trucks in CT?

Yes, lots of them. Brodozers specifically. Most of them have the tow mirrors extended all the way out and are towing ghost trailers.

[ItsGary]

Originally Posted by CTinline-six

I HATE people who back in. And I'm not talking about those who posted in this thread, or those who "combat park". You are likely the ones who can back in properly without holding up traffic.

I'm talking about Joe Redneck with his jacked up Chevy who has to back in and out 15 times to get his truck straight in a space that would barely fit a Prius.

There is some idiot in a Ford Expedition who backs into a spot in the work parking garage. He parks in the corner spot on the downhill exit side of the garage. He must have to do a K turn when he leaves.

Tell me about it. Lifted trucks backing into small car parking spots only to be edgy as fuck.

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by ItsGary

Tell me about it. Lifted trucks backing into small car parking spots only to be edgy as fuck.

Right.

I mean who cares if they back in when they have the time, but this morning I came around the corner in the parking garage to a line of 8 cars. All waiting for some lady to back her F250 into a parking space.

[rlmesq]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

Hard to idiot-proof anything because #idiots
Family is still amazed when riding in cage and I say "Watch, he's going to ..." and then he does

How did I know? Ride the motorcycle and it's a survival skill

But I have to admit that idiots sometimes surprise me by coming up with novel ways to express their stupidity. If only they could channel that creativity into something constructive, they would have more money than Bill Gates.

[rlmesq]

Originally Posted by CTinline-six

I HATE people who back in. And I'm not talking about those who posted in this thread, or those who "combat park". You are likely the ones who can back in properly without holding up traffic.

I'm talking about Joe Redneck with his jacked up Chevy who has to back in and out 15 times to get his truck straight in a space that would barely fit a Prius.

Holding up traffic while parking is pretty minor compared to people who back up on the freeway.

Most underwear soiling moment in my life:

I was on an interchange in Sacramento where three major freeways converge. I was in the #2 (second to fastest) lane of six when the car in front of me suddenly swerved into the fast lane... and I saw a car BACKING UP directly in front of me because the driver had missed an exit a half mile back.

Fortunately, I had a chance to change lanes, too. I turned on the local traffic report station a few minutes later and was relieved that the moron hadn't caused a massive pileup.

[dreamingat30fps]

Had just installed my dash cam last weekend when on the way home from Miami I'm in the express lane which is separated by those plastic sticks from the other side. Express lane is 2 lanes and is flowing fine everyone is doing 70+ on express lane.

Regular lanes are at a standstill. I know these people are morons so I'm already on the left lane of the express lane leaving an empty lane between me and the people in traffic. Sure enough a few minutes later some moron creeps between the poles to ge into the express lane and come sooooo close to being taken out by another car, luckily the other car manages to move to the left lane just in time to avoid this waste of human organs.

Of course I got home to look at the video and camera was not working right didnt record shit!

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

Of course I got home to look at the video and camera was not working right didnt record shit!

That's what worries me. I don't want to have to check the camera every time to make sure it's recording. It needs to just work. Start recording when I start the car. Stop recording when I kill the ignition.

[Violator]

Originally Posted by M_Six

That's what worries me. I don't want to have to check the camera every time to make sure it's recording. It needs to just work. Start recording when I start the car. Stop recording when I kill the ignition

Get one that’s WiFi capable and you can check it right in your vehicle on your smartphone.

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by Violator

Get one that’s WiFi capable and you can check it right in your vehicle on your smartphone.

Good suggestion. Still entails checking every time I start the car, though. Better than having to pull the cam off the windshield to check, I guess.

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by M_Six

That's what worries me. I don't want to have to check the camera every time to make sure it's recording. It needs to just work. Start recording when I start the car. Stop recording when I kill the ignition.

Yeah but I had not used it in over a year. I just plugged it in and threw it back on. I have to go through the settings to make sure they are correct.

[cjb762]

Originally Posted by
Originally Posted by cjb762

I am apparently exactly like you when it comes to patience - it drives me crazy to wait for some ass-hat to back OUT OF a space when they could have BACKED into it like a normal human being in seconds. Most of them can manage to do it in 30-45 seconds with two tries, but I have personally observed one jackass work at it for two minutes - and he was still parked over one of the lines.

Originally Posted by UncleWede

FTFY. Plus far lower chance of damage to another car

I have never seen anyone who could back into a small spot faster than a wide roadway. I don't agree that there is a "far lower chance of damage to another car" either. Plus, any time it might save you to pull forward out of the spot after backing in is negligible. 5-10 seconds tops - unless you really suck at backing up into the roadway, in which case it probably took you 5 minutes to back into the spot, so...

As far as "combat parking" goes - I'm sure there are genuinely people who need to be able to make an emergency type get away after picking up their low fat triple mocha lattes, but I would be willing to bet that 99% of the people who do it aren't that cool.

For those of you who do regularly back into spots, are you also the ones who pull through angled spots to be facing the wrong way in a one way lane?

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by cjb762

I have never seen anyone who could back into a small spot faster than a wide roadway. I don't agree that there is a "far lower chance of damage to another car" either. Plus, any time it might save you to pull forward out of the spot after backing in is negligible. 5-10 seconds tops - unless you really suck at backing up into the roadway, in which case it probably took you 5 minutes to back into the spot, so...

As far as "combat parking" goes - I'm sure there are genuinely people who need to be able to make an emergency type get away after picking up their low fat triple mocha lattes, but I would be willing to bet that 99% of the people who do it aren't that cool.

For those of you who do regularly back into spots, are you also the ones who pull through angled spots to be facing the wrong way in a one way lane?

Before you go hating on us back-in parkers too much consider this:

1) If you are backing out of a spot and get hit, it's your fault. No matter what the other driver was doing. Even if she freely admits she was driving 10 to 15 MPH over the speed limit and on the wrong side of the street. The fact that YOU were backing up puts YOU at fault. Ask me how I know. I'm still pissed off 20+ years later....

2) Pedestrians these days are glued to their phones in parking lots and have lost all survival instincts and skills. I've had a couple close calls where I'm backing out of a spot and a pedestrian comes out of nowhere and walks directly behind my car as I'm backing directly into them. One such occasion happened in my wife's car which has a freakin' back up alarm! The dude still walked within a foot of our rear bumper, face in phone, ignoring the backup alarm and 4,000 pounds of steel moving towards him. If you back over a pedestrian you are flat out F'd.

So for me, backing into a spot has nothing to do with being cool or getting out fast, and everything to do with self preservation in a world where personal accountability is out the window.

[cjb762]

Originally Posted by DETRoadster

Before you go hating on us back-in parkers too much consider this:

1) If you are backing out of a spot and get hit, it's your fault. No matter what the other driver was doing. Even if she freely admits she was driving 10 to 15 MPH over the speed limit and on the wrong side of the street. The fact that YOU were backing up puts YOU at fault. Ask me how I know. I'm still pissed off 20+ years later....

2) Pedestrians these days are glued to their phones in parking lots and have lost all survival instincts and skills. I've had a couple close calls where I'm backing out of a spot and a pedestrian comes out of nowhere and walks directly behind my car as I'm backing directly into them. One such occasion happened in my wife's car which has a freakin' back up alarm! The dude still walked within a foot of our rear bumper, face in phone, ignoring the backup alarm and 4,000 pounds of steel moving towards him. If you back over a pedestrian you are flat out F'd.

So for me, backing into a spot has nothing to do with being cool or getting out fast, and everything to do with self preservation in a world where personal accountability is out the window.

Huh... weird. I have been driving for over 35 years and have never gotten into an accident while backing out. Of course, now that I say that, I'm probably screwed.

I am also going to guess (honestly haven't done the research here) that you would be at fault in most jurisdictions whether you get hit backing out of a spot or pulling forward out of a spot, since the driver in the roadway has the right of way - and you generally have a legal obligation to yield to the driver with the right of way.

Yes, pedestrians suck... but you are also flat out f'd if you drive forward over a pedestrian. Trust me on this one, I have checked into it just to make sure I *really* can't do it...

I certainly believe there are times and places where backing into spots is not only appropriate, but preferred - for example there was a parking garage in DC where you literally couldn't pull forward into a spot because they were so tight and the driving lane was so small. That is the exception rather than the rule though.

Bottom line, tell yourself whatever you need to to make yourself feel good about backing in. I don't know you personally, and I'm sure you are a really great guy, and you shouldn't be concerned about one random, anonymous internet guy's opinion - so believe me when I say "I think people who back in are generally asshats", it is not a personal comment on you.

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by cjb762

Huh... weird. I have been driving for over 35 years and have never gotten into an accident while backing out. Of course, now that I say that, I'm probably screwed.

I am also going to guess (honestly haven't done the research here) that you would be at fault in most jurisdictions whether you get hit backing out of a spot or pulling forward out of a spot, since the driver in the roadway has the right of way - and you generally have a legal obligation to yield to the driver with the right of way.

Yes, pedestrians suck... but you are also flat out f'd if you drive forward over a pedestrian. Trust me on this one, I have checked into it just to make sure I *really* can't do it...

I certainly believe there are times and places where backing into spots is not only appropriate, but preferred - for example there was a parking garage in DC where you literally couldn't pull forward into a spot because they were so tight and the driving lane was so small. That is the exception rather than the rule though.

Bottom line, tell yourself whatever you need to to make yourself feel good about backing in. I don't know you personally, and I'm sure you are a really great guy, and you shouldn't be concerned about one random, anonymous internet guy's opinion - so believe me that when I say that I think people who back in are generally asshats, it is not a personal comment on you.

You may be right about pulling forward vs. backing out of a spot into a roadway. All I remember is both the cop and my insurance company telling me that if you are reversing you are immediately at fault. The way I see it, I'm generally less likely to drive forward into someone or something than I am backing into something.

No offense taken! I was simply offering up some alternate perspective on why some folks back in, aside from being a douche bag.

Happy motoring!