Ask Lemmy

I'm blind in one eye so find it hard to judge distances and gaps. As a result I find it easier to back in, especially if I am doing it between two parked vehicles, because I can judge it more easily using my wing mirrors.

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.

Because I have worse visibility backing than going forward. There's a smaller chance that there's a kid suddenly walking into my parking spot than moving behind my car when exiting my parking space

I worked for a company that provided a car (incidentally a ‘benefit’ I will refuse in any future scenario).

They explicitly told us we had to back in to our parking spots whenever possible. They implied that some data they had showed it reduced accidents.

I feel like I can pull out of the parking space quicker and easier if the nose of my car is facing towards the street.

Also, and this sounds silly so please don't judge too hard lol...

I got a new car recently. My old car had front parking sensors that would beep in increasing frequency the closer you are to an item. My new car does not have front parking sensors. My new car has both a backup cam and rear parking sensors. So it is sometimes easier to back into a space.

However, I mostly only back in at my home parking space and in this one parking garage I go to with very narrow spaces. I get nervous in public when someone is waiting for me to back in so I don't do it super often in public.

Depends on the car and the parking lot, for me. When I drive my mom someplace we use her van, it's easier for her to get in and out that way. This van has a shorter front end, and no backup camera to compensate, so I back in and pull out of spaces so I have better views as I'm moving.

When I drive my sedan with my wife and kids, I pull in to spaces and back out, because the sedan has a much longer front end and a great backup camera/radar alert system that makes backing out of spaces the safer option.

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.

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.

1. 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.

2. My truck bed faces away from the street.

3. Makes loading/unloading easier and more private from prying eyes.

imo it doesn't matter if you have the kei car. they are very manueverable. also the introduction of backing cameras make things safer.

things change once you get into the bigger cars / pickups.

Don't do this a motel or an apartment complex, the carbon monoxide can end up in people's A/C intake.

I don't have a big, stupid, oversized, vehicle with blind spots. I can park normally.

Our driveway is bizarre.

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Yeah, it fits 2 cars, but not side-by-side. So one person backs into park, then gets parked in by the other car.

Generally not a big deal because I drive more than my wife does.

The shape of the driveway makes it easier for that car to back in than back out.

Because then I don't have to reverse out, which is far more difficult

Because I drive a truck so backing in and pulling out is just easier

One of our vehicles is a full-size pickup truck and in certain parking lots I have to find a spot on the outer edge and back in so it doesn’t stick out too much. It keeps inattentive drivers from gouging their cars on the trailer hitch. And if there’s anything interesting loaded in the back, it keeps it out of sight of curious persons with hand-wavy concepts of personal property.

Our other car is a little hatchback, and its reverse camera gets a good 180 degree view, far better than any driver pulling forward out of the space. I never park it backwards because I’m not silly.

I think driving forward is easier, so on days that I’m feeling good I back in, that way in the morning I have a little something to be happy about.

I'm going to guess that I'm in the minority here and say that I daily a long bed Ford F-250. It's big, it's long, and it's just generally unwieldy. Yes there are benefits to backing into a parking spot like better visibility and blah blah blah but for me it's actually more about just being able to get in and out of the parking spot. Especially in narrow parking lot aisles. Backing into a spot takes less room, because, idk, geometry. Similar to why a forklift steers with its rear wheels and that makes it more maneuverable (albeit less stable).

Though there is also the benefit of the tailgate and bed of the vehicle being less accessible and therefore less likely for someone to just walk off with something, if there's anything back there. My mom had the tailgate stolen off her Toyota once back in the 90s. I assume she pulled forward into the parking spot.

Because they’re cops.