Yes, it is an odd title. But it sums up one of my biggest driving, or parking, related pet peeves. I simply cannot stand it when people feel the need to back into a parking space. It drives me nuts to have to stop my car in a parking lot, or my garage at work, while I wait for some idiot who can’t park a car the normal way tries to manage it going backwards. Let me lay out a few of the major things that really get me about this practice.
- Between the lines? Apparently this is not a rule you need to follow if you back in. Driving up the ramp in my garage everyday I would guess that roughly a third of the cars, perhaps more, are parked ass in first. Of these cars, at least 50% (I should count) of the people are on or over the line. Apparently the need to park correctly does not count for people who back in.
- Hope your not behind me. I wonder if safety is important to people who back in? The other day, I was driving up the ramp in my garage and what do you know the guy in front of me slams on his breaks, throws the car in reverse and starts backing into a space. I honk at him, he looks back at me and just sits there. He thinks I am going to back up for him so he can park his big truck that he is incapable of parking the right way. I honk again and he pulls up and off to the side so I can go around.
- Did I do that right? I watched a lady in my garage pull in and out of the space not once, not twice, not thrice, but FOUR times trying to get the car parked even remotely straight in the space. Each time she would open the door, look back, and then try again. It was about 80% straight when she was done, but I would hate to get into the car next to her.
I really don’t get the whole backing in thing. I was told by someone who has a huge truck that it is to hard to park these big cars into the spaces head in first. Apparently, there is not enough room to turn and get the correct angle. Of course, I do see trucks parked the “right” way so I am lead to believe that it is the drivers that cannot seem to get it done correctly.
Does anyone share this pet peeve? Am I crazy? (Skip that question.) Which way do you park?
Comments (2)
I’m with you on this…what about when you go to get out of your car and what do you know the idiot next to you has backwards parked. then your both staring at each other wandering who is getting out of the car first…you both can’t get out or your doors will hit. maybe if they would have just park normally, this would not be an issue.
I am completely with this. I am tired of people not seeing how dumb this is. If I pull in, the right way, and a numbskull pulls in the wrong way we cannot get out of our car at the same time. It leaves this awkward pause and faux politeness hovering around us to see who gets out first. Oh did I mention people usually take about 8 times as long to whirl there vehicle around and get it into a spot. I drive a big truck never have I thought “this would be way easier backing up.” Most people can’t drive straight ahead going forward!!! If you combine the time it takes to pull nose in and then backing out to leave it is still half the time most people take to back in initially. Stop the madness!!!!