And why do they always park next to me whan I go out of my way to get away from them

I tend to reverse in, same as everyone else really, it's easier to see when coming out. I might have been know to abandon it if I have the space

 

 

I do love the Panda though, being so small it it's super easy to park and the majority of the time you can still leave plenty of room either side (although I admit the car park above it very generous space wise)

 

I do love the Panda though, being so small it it's super easy to park and the majority of the time you can still leave plenty of room either side (although I admit the car park above it very generous space wise)

 

As three out of the four wheels are within the marked area, a figure of 75% would be considered a pass. 

Someone else in the photo could only manage 50% though!

Very little choice in our Sainsbury's ,as there's no space between in line bays ,as I need space behind car to get scooter out  ,Asda- I could, but if you blink, someone will be in the space before you. Aldi- little choice, as there's no space behind bay ,and again-it's grab a space before Ms braindead wonders what you are doing and decides to take space anyway.

The Fiat -not parked ,but abandoned. The other one (black one I presume) - no close up view, but it could be /have been carrying a disabled passenger ,who need the extra space .

I often park like this on end of bays (nearest doors) in JS if disabled is full .Parking lady has no problems.

I HATE supermarket car parks... they are the most hazardous driving environment there is!  If there are one-way lanes,  people ignore them.  People drive much too fast.  Pedestrians seem to be in a dream world,  completely unaware that there may be moving vehicles,  and they deliberately sneak up on you in some blind spot when you are trying to emerge from a parking space.  Trolleys have a will of their own,  and even if they are behaving,  their pushers seem unable to control them.  Cyclists think no rules or common sense applies to them (and that goes for on the roads as well, here in Cambridge).  People don't care if they ding your car when opening their doors.... etc.  etc.  etc.  Horrible places!

Come on, say what you mean, don't beat about the bush!!

I agree with every word! As Mrs Baxlin points out, I can never find a space in an empty car park, for all these reasons!

Yesterday evening, as we'd forgotten to buy something we needed early this morning, we drove to the local Tesco at about 10.45pm. The car park was almost deserted, and I have to admit, as it was raining, I parked fairly close to the entrance, but not near any other car. ( I usually park as far away as possible)

When we came out, there was a Mini parked so close Mrs B could hardly open her door, and as I started to move (forwards, as always!), another car drove in from the space behind to park alongside. As if there weren't dozens of other spaces they could have used..........

Going back to the OP, I will always reverse park, as it is wrong not to. My logic is that, IIRC, the Highway Code says not to reverse out into a main road, and in this context, I define main road as anything potentially busier than where I am. Which means everything, including car parks!

As three out of the four wheels are within the marked area, a figure of 75% would be considered a pass. 

Someone else in the photo could only manage 50% though!

 

Haha, the other car is there all the time, think he works there and parks on the end all the time to avoid dents. It is a nice car park though, nice wide bays. 

Come on, say what you mean, don't beat about the bush!!

I agree with every word! As Mrs Baxlin points out, I can never find a space in an empty car park, for all these reasons!

Yesterday evening, as we'd forgotten to buy something we needed early this morning, we drove to the local Tesco at about 10.45pm. The car park was almost deserted, and I have to admit, as it was raining, I parked fairly close to the entrance, but not near any other car. ( I usually park as far away as possible)

When we came out, there was a Mini parked so close Mrs B could hardly open her door, and as I started to move (forwards, as always!), another car drove in from the space behind to park alongside. As if there weren't dozens of other spaces they could have used..........

Going back to the OP, I will always reverse park, as it is wrong not to. My logic is that, IIRC, the Highway Code says not to reverse out into a main road, and in this context, I define main road as anything potentially busier than where I am. Which means everything, including car parks!

I guess I am lucky to live in an area with reasonable drivers (North Yorkshire), always park head-in so as to get good access to boot and not had a problem carefully reversing out into the driveway. 

I always park so I reverse out. I don't know what your problem is with reversing out you must think that other cars are solid objects. You do realize that some cars have windows don't you? You can look through the windows of the cars next to you and see what's coming. Granted, not all the time but a lot of the time you can. And just go slowly, don't aim on using launch control in reverse, just edge out.

I always park so I reverse out. I don't know what your problem is with reversing out you must think that other cars are solid objects. You do realize that some cars have windows don't you? You can look through the windows of the cars next to you and see what's coming. Granted, not all the time but a lot of the time you can. And just go slowly, don't aim on using launch control in reverse, just edge out.

At last someone who agrees with me!! Thank you, I was beginning to think I was the only sane one here. 

It's just minimising risk, why struggle to see through 2 or 3 cars windows/a/b/c pillars, lots of places for people to disappear behind when you're trying to reverse out when you can reverse in unhindered and drive out easier, thats how I see it anyway. 

Edited 15 November, 201510 yr by matt1chelski

I reverse in using only my mirrors in the same way I have to reverse a HGV/Bus.

If you have an endorsed licence, it's a small skill that can be used anywhere with practice.

I positively avoid driving into any space which requires a reverse out, if only because I don't know what behemoth will hem me in whilst I'm away.

Parallel parking is the same, it's the only way you can get closed to the curb in one go.

I CAN understand many elderly people have degraded coordination and spacial recognition skills.

When I find I can no longer master this fundamental skill, I'll know it's time......

I reverse in using only my mirrors in the same way I have to reverse a HGV/Bus.

If you have an endorsed licence, it's a small skill that can be used anywhere with practice.

I positively avoid driving into any space which requires a reverse out, if only because I don't know what behemoth will hem me in whilst I'm away.

Parallel parking is the same, it's the only way you can get closed to the curb in one go.

I CAN understand many elderly people have degraded coordination and spacial recognition skills.

When I find I can no longer master this fundamental skill, I'll know it's time......

It's not because we can't reverse into a parking bay - it is because we choose to drive in so we can get easy access to the boot to load groceries and simple access to front doors without having to squeeze between door mirrors. Parking bays are known to be too narrow for modern cars so get 2 SUV's side by side then their door mirrors are almost touching and trying to get between them is a very tight fit.

It's not because we can't reverse into a parking bay - it is because we choose to drive in so we can get easy access to the boot to load groceries and simple access to front doors without having to squeeze between door mirrors. Parking bays are known to be too narrow for modern cars so get 2 SUV's side by side then their door mirrors are almost touching and trying to get between them is a very tight fit.

We understand from your original post why you do it. However, by clarifying the point further you paint yourself in a bad light ; you place ease of access to your boot over the safety of passing motorists and more importantly, passing pedestrians.

Can all of you people who have to drive in in reverse because you lack the skill and co-ordination to reverse out backwards,( in terror of potentially demented runaway drivers and lurking pedestrians), please explain to me how exactly you get to the rear boot to load up with a weeks groceries.

 

Do you simply drive out forwards until the boot is accessible, stop in the middle of the roadway and block all the traffic until you have finished loading up, lock the car, return the trolley to the store, walk back, restarted the car and finally drive off?

 

(Actually, scratch that as a question, of course you do, I meet you and your similarly challenged friends almost every day in car parks across this land - i have no idea what they do in Australia,)

It's never that difficult if you CAN do it.

Can all of you people who have to drive in in reverse because you lack the skill and co-ordination to reverse out backwards

That makes no sense whatsoever. If we have the skill and co-ordination to reverse in, why would we lack them reversing out when it is the same manoeuvre driving in reverse?

Edited 17 November, 201510 yr by Guest

We understand from your original post why you do it. However, by clarifying the point further you paint yourself in a bad light ; you place ease of access to your boot over the safety of passing motorists and more importantly, passing pedestrians.

Not at all, I have never had a problem reversing out of a parking space or jeopardised the safety of any pedestrian or driver; just takes patience - a rare commodity nowadays sadly - and spatial awareness of what's going on around you. 

Can all of you people who have to drive in in reverse because you lack the skill and co-ordination to reverse out backwards,( in terror of potentially demented runaway drivers and lurking pedestrians), please explain to me how exactly you get to the rear boot to load up with a weeks groceries.

Do you simply drive out forwards until the boot is accessible, stop in the middle of the roadway and block all the traffic until you have finished loading up, lock the car, return the trolley to the store, walk back, restarted the car and finally drive off?

(Actually, scratch that as a question, of course you do, I meet you and your similarly challenged friends almost every day in car parks across this land - i have no idea what they do in Australia,)

Pick up shopping, then walk to the back of the car and place it in the boot.

WHat happened to the popcorn emoticon?

Pick up shopping, then walk to the back of the car and place it in the boot.

Or

If you've given yourself so little room at the rear you can always move forward one foot and NOT choose to block the road like people with their trolleys must do apparently as they risk being run over......the argument goes both ways you see. (not you matt)

Edited 17 November, 201510 yr by Ryeman

Or

If you've given yourself so little room at the rear you can always move forward one foot and NOT choose to block the road like people with their trolleys must do apparently as they risk being run over......the argument goes both ways you see. (not you matt)

Yes but the trolleys still at the front of the car "blocking the roadway" while you unlock the doors, get in the drivers seat, start the car, drive one foot forward then switch off the engine, exit the car and walk back to the trolley! And that's before you start loading the boot from the trolley, then I assume you get back in the car, reverse it one foot (don't want to block the driveway do we), lock the car and finally take the trolley back to the trolley-park. How much time does that all take???

Yes but the trolleys still at the front of the car "blocking the roadway" while you unlock the doors, get in the drivers seat, start the car, drive one foot forward then switch off the engine, exit the car and walk back to the trolley! And that's before you start loading the boot from the trolley, then I assume you get back in the car, reverse it one foot (don't want to block the driveway do we), lock the car and finally take the trolley back to the trolley-park. How much time does that all take???

You can hold to your theory as long as you like but I've never had to move forward or obstruct anyone nor been unable to to get safely between vehicles.

You can hold to your theory as long as you like but I've never had to move forward or obstruct anyone nor been unable to to get safely between vehicles.

 

I suspect that as Australia has more land than it knows what to do with (other than dig it up in huge quantities and sell it of cheap to China) that your car parking spaces are wide enough to park a hugely oversized Ute and still leave room for 2 camels and a Kangaroo to safely graze between the vehicles.

Sadly in our small overpopulated island there is seldom more than a few inches between parked cars in any car park.

 

Matt must be as thin as a racing snake if he can manage to slide between his pride and joy and the one adjacent whilst clutching 2 "bags for life" full of groceries.

 

The standard bay in UK is 2.4 m wide by 4.8 m long (and has not changed since the 1980's).

A an example a Yeti is 1.956 m wide.

Assuming that everybody parks perfectly centrally within the bays (you'll be lucky) and that no one has a bl**dy great SUV etc. (even luckier) that leaves exactly 444 mm space down each side to scramble down to the back.

 

No thanks,

I'll continue to drive in forwards and load from the rear, and to continue to back out of bays, whilst also continuing to do so without slamming into innocent 3rd Parties, by careful use of my years of skill and experience,  eyes, ears, mirrors, spacial awareness and, more recently, reversing sensors.

An ignorant woman didn't give my sensors time...she drove into me as I crawled out blindly.

People reversing out of residential drives where there is clearly no reason why they couldn't reverse onto them is far more annoying. Particually the 'screw you I'm coming out' brigade.

 

I always prefer revering into parking as it's not fighting against the design of the car. Most supermarkets have quieter areas to park more than ten steps from their entrance which often mean you can get easy access to the boot. If you can't get to your boot with a couple of bags it's going to be a struggle to get into the car anyway.

Edited 20 November, 201510 yr by WesBrooks