We had a look around today at the Filinvest mall beside marina spatial that just opened on Thursday. Very few of the shops open yet but there are three selling laptops and suchlike, a kids play area, a hairdresser but none of the restaurants open yet. It's a nice place and has a basement parking area, i found it amusing that all along the white walls in big black letters instructions to park facing the wall but a lot of vehicles had reverse parked. I am always amused and sometimes annoyed when i have to wait in Robinsons car park as some people show their lack of reversing skills and sometimes need 3 or 4 attempts at getting into a parking space
CharlyB, I can only speak of my own experience here in UK. There are two reasons I always reverse into a parking space, One, it is easier to vacate the space forwards, especially if large SUV's park next to me, that restricts my view. and the second reason being when reversing out of a space, I wonder why do other motorists go round you, or people insist in walking behind you with their shopping trolley, knowing you are attempting to exit!!! It's much safer to face outwards, than to risk reversing outward these days........ just another thought for today
Not everyone can combine there knowledge of calculus and geometry to their hand eye coordination well enough to back between parallel lines. Which is why I have my driver drop me off at the door. He has instructions to circle the block or parking lot until I'm done. Just kidding. After my service time I spent a few years driving 18wheel semi trucks. I learned to back in was easier. If there is a pull through parking spot further away, I do that and consider the walk as exercise and an opportunity to stop and answer my phone behind anyone attempting to back out.
Reversing in is MUCH safer. I will always ignore signs to park facing in. If security guards want to blow a gasket with me, their problem. I do get the issue with pick-up and SUV drivers trying to manoeuvre vehicles way above their capabilities though. Last week I waited in Lee Plaza car park entrance while a pick-up driver took 10 minutes to drive out of the space from facing out. DUH!!
If there is no one behind me I will back into the spot. I've had people on behind me steal my spot when I tried to back in. If there is someone on my bumper then it's nose in. Backing out of a spot can be an adventure. Once at Robinson I was backing out of my parking spot. I was half way out and someone important pulled up close to my rear bumper and laid on the horn. I suspect they wanted me to pull back into the spot so they could continue on their urgent mission. In the immortal words of the Rolling Stones "you can always get what you want". Being marginally skilled at driving a car I managed to get out of the parking spot with a 10 point turn (I could have done it in 5 points). During the process they blew their horn a couple more times. I was unhappy buy the time I got out of the parking spot so I decided it was time to share the "unhappiness". I drove to the exit at 2 KPH.
I always back into a parking spot, just safer in my opinion when pulling out. It does anger some folks that may be behind you as they may perceive it as taking longer for you to park...don't care. Shawn
