How do you enter parking spaces?

[kenny]

How do you enter parking spaces?

 

[missy]

It completely depends on the space. Sometimes I back in and sometimes I go front end in first. That's for parallel parking.

For parking where it is not parallel parking it also will depend. Sometimes there are signs that state head on parking only no backing in and in those cases I enter front end.

Sometimes I prefer doing back end first so it is easier to leave the spot. As long as there are no signs stating otherwise

Do you remember this episode lol

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

I prefer backing in but I guess it depends on the spot itself. Backing in seems to make getting back out easier lol.

 

[Matata]

I rarely have a need to parallel park as lots are abundant where I live and street parking is not.
In lots, I prefer to pull through a head-in space to the one in front so I don't have to back out. I dislike backing in and backing out. In lots with smaller spaces, I let the car do the parking because I have poor distance judgment and I'm afraid of hitting cars on either side of me. One of the safety features I like best about my BMW is that it will search a parking lot for empty spaces and park itself.

 

[Avondale]

This reminds me of a funny argument I had with a friend last summer while we were on vacation. He's from a different country and was convinced the correct way to park is by heading in. I explained that the proper way to park is to back in because if you head in instead, you have very limited visibility when exiting the parking spot. By backing in, you can easily maneuver out with excellent visibility, making you less of a risk for other traffic.

He argued for a bit, then checked it himself and eventually conceded.

Of course, all that applies to perpendicular parking in particular. Parallel parking is always done in reverse, I don't believe the maneuverability of the car would allow anyone to parallel park easily by heading in instead.

 

[stracci2000]

I head in.
I park around the perimeter of large parking lots, away from everyone else if I can.
And I park on the line, because I'm a b!tch, and I refuse to let anyone park next to me and hit my car with their door. Unless it's a small lot, and I'm forced to park between 2 cars.

Before I started to do this, I had numerous people hit my car with their door, while I was sitting in it!
They got a tongue lashing, of course.

 

[pearlsngems]

I'm pretty bad at backing in accurately, so I head in.

If I'm shopping where I won't have a lot of groceries to load into my trunk, I pull forward to the space in front, if it's vacant, so I can exit head first also.

 

[Lookinagain]

I always head in when in a regular parking lot. Sometimes I'll pull through to the space ahead if it's open. But that's not common. I'm usually out doing some kind of shopping so like the trunk access. Backing out isn't an issue as the car warns me if something is straight behind me, or approaching from either side. Parallel parking I always back in.

 

[Tartansparkles]

I back in (or reverse). I always thought that to be the safer option, mostly because when you park the car you are in more control of the situation than when you will be driving away and don't yet know what the circumstances will be at that time. But @Avondale explained it much better.

Aberdeen is an oil and gas town, so very safety conscious. The car parks more or less mandate that everyone backs in. When you are not used to it, it's quite strange to see every single car in a car park all parked the same way.

(In 30 years of driving I have parallel parked maybe five times in total!. Each time successfully but I'd rather drive a mile out of my way than parallel park!).

 

[dk168]

I can parallel park which was one of the mandatory manoeuvres that I had to learn when I learnt to drive in the early 90s.

However, nowadays, I seldom find spaces where I can parallel park along the kerb side of a road.

When parking in a space in a line of spaces, I usually go head in; unless there are no vehicles on both sides or the space is very wide, then I would go back in.

Also, it depends if there is anyone behind me waiting to get past - if there are, then I would go head in as I am not very good with judging the space required if I were to go back in.

DK

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

Well, I tend to say Towanda when I do it.

 

[Matata]

Well, I tend to say Towanda when I do it.

Did you start doing shots of 90 proof earlier than usual today?

 

[Rebel Rebel]

I grew up in NY: You have to know how to parallel park there. It's good training.
In NC where I Iive, not much need for that.

So I head in, but I have a low, small car, so have to inch my way out with extreme caution because so many other cars are double or triple my size. I don't mind, I love my car.

 

[diamondringlover]

I park in the very last spot away from everyone and I pull thru...my SUV has enough door dings from the previous owner....

 

[jeaniefish]

Unless the parking lot was totally vacant , except for me and my midsize suv, I always head in and pull all the way through , but only if that space is empty … or it isn’t empty but my foot is stuck on the gas. Little old ladies such as myself have been known to do things like that. If I ever tried backing in ( unless parking lot is totally vacant as stated above ) , I would be spending my errand running time explaining to the nice police officer why I didn’t see the other car ,or misjudged the space between or was distracted by my favorite oldies song playing on the radio, or I had sneezed and closed my eyes for just a tiny minute while my foot was still on the gas. .Might as well just stay home and skip all the drama!
P.S. Back in the olden times when driving instruction was an actually, free but mandatory class in high school. my driving instructor ended up with a bad back because of me. I made a really quick left turn and he wasn’t proactively hanging on for dear life. He should have known better but I still feel guilty about it to this day. True story!

 

[Matata]

I had sneezed and closed my eyes for just a tiny minute while my foot was still on the gas.

GUILTY AS CHARGED....a few years ago as I was backing into the garage, I sneezed really and shot backward at a high rate of speed crashed into a bank of steel storage shelves and almost added another entry into the laundry room. When I told that to the body shop manager he said "sure lady" and rolled his eyes

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

If I can I pull in to a front spot. But that is purely for convenience, as I can pp or do what is needed. Truth be told, I like to park as far away as possible and walk. That said, even when I do this, I come back to my car and a F 1-350 is parked next to me on either side and I need a can opener to get inside my car.

cheers--Sharon

 

[stracci2000]

HI:

If I can I pull in to a front spot. But that is purely for convenience, as I can pp or do what is needed. Truth be told, I like to park as far away as possible and walk. That said, even when I do this, I come back to my car and a F 1-350 is parked next to me on either side and I need a can opener to get inside my car.

cheers--Sharon

That's why I park on the line! I really dont care if anyone thinks I'm a jerk.
It actually keeps people from parking next to me.

 

[canuk-gal]

That's why I park on the line! I really dont care if anyone thinks I'm a jerk.
It actually keeps people from parking next to me.

Not where I live! Folks here like to cozy up to your door! While I am a rational person, I get back to my car and say to myself RU F***ing kidding me??

 

[Matata]

Not where I live! Folks here like to cozy up to your door!

Same where I live. People see it as a way to teach a lesson to others who they think don't know how to park.

 

[Bianca201]

I park in the outskirts of the parking area, just cuz I don't like waiting for all the other cars to get out of my way. And I always park head in, unless there is a sign mandating something else.

The husband, well, he seems to prefer backing in to a parking spot, especially when we are running late and it takes ALL.of.my.willpower not to tell him how dumb his parking is.

 

[Kim N]

I find a spot where I can head in and pull forward to the spot in front of it so I don't have to back out later.

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

Did you start doing shots of 90 proof earlier than usual today?

What?! I have better insurance

 

[HGar]

Back in at least 98% of the time. I’m pretty great at parallel parking so even if my Merc says that it won’t do it automatically, I’ll override it and do it myself.

 

[Bron357]

Reminds me of back in the day I lived in a top floor Art Deco apartment building and my front window overlooked the street. It was inner City and a one way street. A vacant parking spot was pure gold! As rare as a 5 carat IF diamond!
I was sitting eating dinner and saw someone trying to reverse into a spot on the opposite side of normal. Bemused for a while I watched maybe 5 unsuccessful attempts. I finished dinner and cleaned up and went and looked out the window again. Unbelievably the person was still trying to reverse park into the space. It had been like 20 minutes or more. Seriously.
I put on my shoes and went downstairs.
I politely knocked on the drivers window and he wound it down.
“I can’t bear to watch this any longer, I’ll do it”.
I go into his car and did it first attempt. Got out, handed him his keys and went back inside.
I’ve got a weird sort of spatial awareness, I can reverse park into a space, first attempt, even with only an inch or two space either end. In my mind I do it from above outside the car.
Yep, officially weird.

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

Reminds me of back in the day I lived in a top floor Art Deco apartment building and my front window overlooked the street. It was inner City and a one way street. A vacant parking spot was pure gold! As rare as a 5 carat IF diamond!
I was sitting eating dinner and saw someone trying to reverse into a spot on the opposite side of normal. Bemused for a while I watched maybe 5 unsuccessful attempts. I finished dinner and cleaned up and went and looked out the window again. Unbelievably the person was still trying to reverse park into the space. It had been like 20 minutes or more. Seriously.
I put on my shoes and went downstairs.
I politely knocked on the drivers window and he wound it down.
“I can’t bear to watch this any longer, I’ll do it”.
I go into his car and did it first attempt. Got out, handed him his keys and went back inside.
I’ve got a weird sort of spatial awareness, I can reverse park into a space, first attempt, even with only an inch or two space either end. In my mind I do it from above outside the car.
Yep, officially weird.

I am dying with laughter at the mental image but I also want to applaud you. I've actually been that person who has needed kind strangers to bail me out and while it's kind of embarrassing the sheer relief of being out of that situation outweighs everything lol.

The first time it happened I tried to drive into a space in a crowded lot but had to awkwardly round around a car that was sticking out too far. Misjudged the angle so I had to wiggle the car back and forth. Unfortunately there was another car parked behind me so I got stuck. I tried for 15 minutes - I'd gotten so badly stuck I couldn't even get myself out and try again for a different spot. Eventually someone took pity on me and knocked on my window to tell me what to do. I was in near-tears at this point - I just bolted out of the car and begged him to park it for me

I wish I had your abilities! I absolutely suck at parking, especially parallel parking! I can get the car kind of level but never close enough to the curb