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How Do You Park

By the99contour, September 5, 2006

Do you back in a parking spot (not on the street) so you can pull out when you leave or do you pull   

  1. 1. Do you back in a parking spot (not on the street) so you can pull out when you leave or do you pull

    • I pull into my spot and must back out when I leave
      0
    • I back into my spot and can simply pull out to leave
      0
    • I do both, it depends on the lot, how busy it is, etc.
      0


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  • 1,424 posts

This is to help Larry out since his original poll had problems.

I personally park both ways. It depends on the lot, etc.

In many large lots I find it to my benefit to back into the space. By doing this I can simply pull out when I leave and don't have such a hard time watching for other cars coming and leaving.

In smaller lots or when a lot is really busy and I feel it would be inconsiderate to take the time to back in, I will pull in. This is the easiest way to park, but it makes leaving difficult as you must look around the blind spots in your car and make absolutly sure nothing is behind you.

On some occasions I must parallel park. I personally find this task to be easy, but virtually no one I know can do it quickly, accurately, or at all in some cases. Parallel parking is an art, and it is quickly becoming lost in suburban and rural America. It is a simple procedure with 5 steps that aren't dependant on what car you're driving. I don't know why so many people can't do it. The most common mistakes I see are people who try to pull into a parallel space instead of backing into it, and people who cut their wheels too soon and end up hitting the curb or the cars around them before the front of their car is into the space. I personally try to avoid parallel parking at all costs, not because I can't do it, because I can, but because others are so bad at it that I don't want to risk damage to my car.

I park in an underground parking deck where it is already pretty tight for room. I back into a spot - that way I have a halfway decent chance to be able to get out later (read Corolla sandwich). Most people in my deck do not drive fuel efficient cars - spacing between lines leave me about a two feet on wither side of my car before it crosses over the line, when Bubba comes over with his Hummer H2 on one side and a buddy with a Infinity QX on the other, nt much wiggle room for me. There was one time that I had to get into my car ala NASCAR - through the window! Trying to back out past two vehicles like that and not being able to see until I get more than halfway out doesn't cut it.

Max

I prefer to back in, as it's easier and safer to do pull away from the space when I leave, but I won't do it if it would hold up traffic.

Bikeman982

I almost always back in. Just a leftover from my van driving days as well as from driving my motor home. I find it is easier to leave that way.

Wherever I park, I back my car in as I have already assessed the traffic/pedestrian situation and can do it safely. Backing out may not be a lucky as you don't have the visibility. I don't really have that problem anyway as I assess anything that can roll or ding my car before I park. All it means is a little bit of exercise if I have to walk a few extra moments from the far end of the parking lot to my destination. I'm proud to say I haven't had a parking lot ding since at least 1984 (touch wood) and hope to keep it that way. At work, I tend to park with my rear tinted windows pointed towards the sun. In the winter time I watch the flags and park my rear into the wind.

Contour: Thanks for re-doing this poll/thread for me; that was my first time creating a poll and the procedure wasn't exactly self-explanatory (at least not to me).

As I said in the original posting (poll), I usually back into parking spots, because I'm backing into a controlled space which is free of opposing traffic, pedestrians, obstructions, etc. I also do this because I make my living driving a Paratransit bus, which is 25 feet long, 7 feet wide, and 10 feet high. You don't stand much of a chance backing out of parking spaces with this thing, even though I can and do. But pulling out is one heck of a lot easier and safer, so I tend to back in to parking spaces whenever possible. My Corolla is always backed into my driveway at home, and I can consistently stop it between 16 to 20 inches of my garage door.

Now -- here's a twist on the original question: Do men and women park differently? I almost never see a woman back into a parking space, and they tend to not be too careful about parking squarely within the lines defining a parking space. Anyone else notice this?

I do both - back in and pull in. I don't have a preference at all and I just do what comes to mind, most of the time this is pulling in. Some municipal parking lots here have "Do not back in" signs. In some parking lots, I'll back in if I pass an open spot. Otherwise, I'll pull in.

I parallel park very well. I find that much easier than pulling in. Even if there are two parallel parking spots, I prefer to parallel park rather than pull in. If I pull in, I almost always hit the curb. I haven't figured out how to judge where the right front wheel is.

Now -- here's a twist on the original question: Do men and women park differently? I almost never see a woman back into a parking space, and they tend to not be too careful about parking squarely within the lines defining a parking space. Anyone else notice this?
^^^Now that's just plain sexism!

 

I can back into a parking space and also parallel park, and I always park between the lines. I only back into a parking space at work and at home. Elsewhere, I will go in forwards, usually so I can leave going forwards also, saves time, I park far away where there is less parking trafic.

Parallel parking, back-in always!!!

Owning small cars, "others" not cars but minvans, pick-up trucks and SUVs, always profit from my car's smallness which makes entering the car sometimes a challenge. In the past I have had to:

  • Have my 4 yr old son stand outside with his baby sister in the baby seat while I get out of the parking space, because there was no way I could open the door wide enough for the baby seat to get into the car.
     
     
  • Sit in the car and wait until someone else, in front or besides me. Both vehicules besides me were parked at an angle and crossed over the line, leaving me boxed in (this was with the Festiva which is half the length of most cars)
     

The only real place I've come across that you parallel park in is the downtown area. 90% of the time it's beside a store with large windows and I watch the reflection in the window to tell where I am in relation to the other vehicles.

The way I park:

- 99% time back in

- 1% head first - the odd case where I can drive forward to get out

- 0% parallel park - don't want to keep feeding the parking meter, I'm already tired of the $$$ tolls on my regular commute.

- Car is dead center between the lines and centered front to back

The way my significant other parks:

- 79% head first

- 1% back in - hates it, no depth perception, just look at my bumper default_biggrin

- 20% parallel - since she doesn't want to back out of a spot and rather feed the meter default_ohmy.

- Car is almost always parked right to left at a 10 degree angle, at least it is centered front to back

HappyMom:

I apologize if I ruffled your feathers, I assure you that no "sexism" was intended. I was making a statement based on years of observation. If you're parking skills are fine, then please don't take it personally.

Bikeman982

My wife rarely backs in. I have tried teaching her to do it, but I think she doesn't care if it is more difficult to get out of the spot. She tends to wait longer for traffic than I do and it can take her a long time just to get out of the driveway or onto a main street. I am a little bolder and don't mind helping other drivers test their brakes as I pull out!

My wife rarely backs in. I have tried teaching her to do it, but I think she doesn't care if it is more difficult to get out of the spot. She tends to wait longer for traffic than I do and it can take her a long time just to get out of the driveway or onto a main street. I am a little bolder and don't mind helping other drivers test their brakes as I pull out!

HappyMom:

I apologize if I ruffled your feathers, I assure you that no "sexism" was intended. I was making a statement based on years of observation. If you're parking skills are fine, then please don't take it personally.

If that ruffled anyone's feathers, I'd hate to see what this site does, lol.

http://www.angelfire.com/pa2/antiwomendrivers/

Larry,

No offence taken. Car insurrance rates are based on claim statistics, so the difference in insurrance premiums that men and women pay speak for themselves.

My observation is that women are probably not as good at parking as men, but probably more careful (i.e patient and defensive driving) drivers. (Some) men tend to "compete" with the other drivers.

Muzak, if you don't like women drivers, then just move to Saudi Arabia default_tongue

Hey, it was only a joke. I know the insurance rates by the way are a lot lower. I'm paying only $300 extra on my policy to keep my daughter insured even though she doesn't drive the car. When she gets her own down the road she has that much more on her record. I don't know how long that will take though as she has bad credit going back to some stupid fitness club she enrolled in when only 15.

In a city I used to live in, there is a lot where you MUST back in. It was clearly signed, nevertheless the city was very happy to give parking fines to the many offenders...

Also, to get your driver's licence there, parallel parking is part of the test. Along with a few other maneuvers like straight reverse, downshift to 2nd gear in an automatic, or up-hill start using the handbrake in a manual (--possibly even parallel parking on a hill in a manual!).

Hopefully this level of testing makes drivers more capable than if they were to just 'hit the road and wing it' as seems to be the case in the USA...

Max

I had to do all those moves for my USA driver license.

Bikeman982

In a city I used to live in, there is a lot where you MUST back in. It was clearly signed, nevertheless the city was very happy to give parking fines to the many offenders...

Also, to get your driver's licence there, parallel parking is part of the test. Along with a few other maneuvers like straight reverse, downshift to 2nd gear in an automatic, or up-hill start using the handbrake in a manual (--possibly even parallel parking on a hill in a manual!).

Hopefully this level of testing makes drivers more capable than if they were to just 'hit the road and wing it' as seems to be the case in the USA...

In the USA people get a "Drivers Permit" first, so they can practice driving and get the experience. No ability is required, except passing a questionaire based on the rules of the road. Then they take a driving test to get their license. The driving test usually includes parking.

 

 

Hopefully this level of testing makes drivers more capable than if they were to just 'hit the road and wing it' as seems to be the case in the USA...
ok ok, I was making a cheap shot at the US licensing system... But seriously, when I took my driving test in Florida, I was told to drive out the back exit of the parking lot, had one 4-way stop, did a three-point turn, drove back, and front in parked. Test time: ~15mins. Waiting time at the DMV: ~6 hours...

Max

bleo! Yes, that's Florida for you. I lived there briefly. Very briefly. My driver's road tests in other states were much like you described in your earlier post, though. In Florida, I only did a written test.

Bikeman982

My motorcycle driving test - "Go over there, do three circles clockwise, three circles counterclockwise, three figure eights and don't let your feet touch the ground". I did it and passed.

Yes, with motorcycles, it was easy to get a licence in those days. On my 16th birthday, I walked in, took a written test...got outside and drove my 65cc Honda penny farthing around the block (with nobody following) and had my licence that day. When I was 19 all I had to do was go a couple of blocks with the instructor and had my car licence.

I wonder how things would be if they were that liberal today???

ok ok, I was making a cheap shot at the US licensing system... But seriously, when I took my driving test in Florida, I was told to drive out the back exit of the parking lot, had one 4-way stop, did a three-point turn, drove back, and front in parked.
bleo, you just described my road test here in MA. During the 3-point turn, the officer even told me I could back up some more when I as about to complete the turn.

Bikeman982

Yes, with motorcycles, it was easy to get a licence in those days. On my 16th birthday, I walked in, took a written test...got outside and drove my 65cc Honda penny farthing around the block (with nobody following) and had my licence that day. When I was 19 all I had to do was go a couple of blocks with the instructor and had my car licence. I wonder how things would be if they were that liberal today???
You had a 65cc - that's pretty small.

 

 

You had a 65cc - that's pretty small.

Yes, that was way back and later had Honda's..150/450/750/750/900...I got married (the first time). Honda then, back around 1980 came out with a replica of the old Honda 65. It was called a 70cc Passport and I'm sure was exactly the same body as you could even see where the old signal lights were now plugged with stoppers. It would go around 50mph which was quite fine for the city. The only part of that bike I have now is the licence plate which is on my new bike.

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