Parking spaces and driveways - Back in or pull in?

[roadman]

Most days, I park at an off-street lot adjacent to a commuter rail station with 'straight' parking spaces.  I've noticed that at least two-thirds of the other drivers pull into the space instead of backing in.  I, and about one-third of the other drivers who use the lot, back into the space instead (a habit I developed after nearly being broadsided by a car going way to fast for my street many years ago).

So, the question is simple - When parking in 'straight' parking spaces or in your driveway, do you pull in or back in?

[oscar]

Not so simple.  What about "pull-through" pairs of parking lot spaces, where you pull in to your space through another space, and drive out going forward?

I usually pull forward into a space, whether or not I'll need to back out when I leave, but if possible I'll walk a little longer to avoid having to use reverse at all. 

[DTComposer]

Maybe it's particular to California drivers, but often when I see someone who wants to back into a space, they pull past the space, don't put on their signal, then try to back up, so the car(s) behind them (who didn't know the lead car's intention) all have to back up as well.

I've also seen two fender-benders and several close calls from cars driving forward too fast and/or not checking both directions coming out of a parking spot. I can't say for certain, but appeared that the drivers were less cautious because they weren't in reverse.

Of course, I may notice those situations more because back-in parking is less common.

[roadman]

Not so simple.  What about "pull-through" pairs of parking lot spaces, where you pull in to your space through another space, and drive out going forward?

I usually pull forward into a space, whether or not I'll need to back out when I leave, but if possible I'll walk a little longer to avoid having to use reverse at all. 

Good point.  Have added that situation to the "exceptions" stated in the poll question.

[74/171FAN]

I prefer backing in whenever possible,  in parking lots where a lot of traffic leaves at the same time it can get  me out quicker.

[1995hoo]

I normally pull in, though I make an exception if a wall or pillar will make it too difficult to open the door, and I've sometimes backed my RX-7 into our garage at home (one-car garage) when we've gone out of town for two weeks because having it parked backwards makes it easier if I need to jumpstart it.

The people I find annoying are (a) the ones who abruptly stop in the car park aisle with no signal and then throw it in reverse and expect people behind them to move out of the way (use your damn signal!) and (b) the ones who park backwards but are afraid of the wall/pillar/adjacent car and so park at all sorts of cockeyed angles or sticking out into the aisle.

A lot of the back-in crowd are really slow about it.

BTW, I agree with Oscar that I like to pull through if possible, except at the grocery store (not pulling through facilitates trunk access with the cart) or any other time I have something bulky or multiple items to put into the trunk. 

[agentsteel53]

pull in.  I'm lazy.

Not so simple.  What about "pull-through" pairs of parking lot spaces, where you pull in to your space through another space, and drive out going forward?

never, never, never, not once, not even gonna think about it in jest.

I once attempted to pull-through on exit, as the spot opposite me had been vacated, and elegantly ground my oil pan against a very poorly placed curb (hint: block the wheels, not the pan.) that I had forgotten about after an interval of purchasing goods.  so since then I have elected to never attempt pull-throughs.

also we have enough one-way, diagonal, and/or otherwise overengineered parking spaces in California that backing in or pulling through just gets you badly disoriented.

[cpzilliacus]

Back-in when possible. 

I drive a big pickup truck, easier to make sure nobody is behind when backing to a space - and when it's time to depart, just look ahead to make sure there are no vehicles or pedestrians in front.

[DandyDan]

I only ever pull in now.  In my old delivery job, I used to have to back in at certain locations, but I always hated having to go in reverse using only the drivers side mirrors.  As soon as I left that job, that was the end of me parking in reverse.

[Brandon]

Depends.  Sometimes I pull in, usually my garage.  Sometimes I back in, usually at work.  Sometimes I pull through, a lot of parking lots with 90 degree parking.

[txstateends]

The only time I back in is at home; I have to park in back where I live, off an alley.  Very bad blind spot there, so I'd rather leave the spot forward and see something than the usual and have a nasty surprise.

Otherwise, I don't usually back into spaces.

[corco]

I typically back in if it's a tight parking space in a garage or something- when I worked as a valet it was standard practice to back in (so we could get cars out faster), and so I'm pretty comfortable backing into spaces now. If it's a spacious space, I pull in.

If it's a sporting event or other deal where everybody is leaving at once, I always back in too- makes it easier to jockey for position

[formulanone]

I typically back in, unless something large and/or heavy is going to make use of the trunk.

Airport parking spaces aren't best for backing in: even though I have a subcompact, and leave enough room for luggage movement...someone else manages to pull all the way up to my bumper.

[Zeffy]

pull in.  I'm lazy.

This. If there is room available, I'll pull in ahead to the next spot, but otherwise, I'll strictly pull in.

[signalman]

I always back into spots, or pull through in wide open parking lots.  I don't like backing out of parking spaces.  I find it to be more dangerous.  Also, if I happen to have a dead battery or other easily fixed car problem, it's much easier with the hood out in front, as opposed to being nosed up to another parked vehicle.

[vdeane]

I pull through if I can, but I pull in regardless.  Backing out is SO much easier than backing in... in fact, if people were ever required to back into parking spaces, I'd probably have to stop driving (I'm terrible at parallel parking as well).

[Duke87]

I will never back into a space in the middle of an aisle. I may occasionally do it if it's facing straight at a way out and thus can be accomplished by first turning to the proper direction and then backing straight in. Otherwise, it's easier to back out of a space than into one, so why bother.

I will pull-through whenever there is a convenient opportunity to do so.

I don't have a driveway, but my parents' driveway has ample space to turn around at the top of it - so I usually drive straight in, and then when leaving make a broken U-turn and drive straight out.

Near home? It's all parallel parking on the street.

[1995hoo]

I pull through if I can, but I pull in regardless.  Backing out is SO much easier than backing in... in fact, if people were ever required to back into parking spaces, I'd probably have to stop driving (I'm terrible at parallel parking as well).

There are some streets in DC with diagonal parking where the signs say "Back-in pull-out only." If you don't back in, you get a ticket. I also know of one street (27 Street NW near the Watergate) with diagonal parking where the signs require you to pull in and back out.

[Zeffy]

(I'm terrible at parallel parking as well).

So am I. I often wonder how I passed that section of my road test... oh yeah, the car I took it in (Safety First Driving School's Toyota Prius) is small so I had a little bit of room for trial/error.

[froggie]

I mostly pull-in, though I'll also pull-through if the opportunity presents itself.

[1995hoo]

I pull through if I can, but I pull in regardless.  Backing out is SO much easier than backing in... in fact, if people were ever required to back into parking spaces, I'd probably have to stop driving (I'm terrible at parallel parking as well).

There are some streets in DC with diagonal parking where the signs say "Back-in pull-out only." If you don't back in, you get a ticket. I also know of one street (27 Street NW near the Watergate) with diagonal parking where the signs require you to pull in and back out.

Following up on this comment:

Street View of 27 Street NW (signs in question are on the bottom): https://www.google.com/maps/@38.901205,-77.056097,3a,37.5y,113.71h,89.4t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sbSRe0pEeEnxFfRWWJteLpg!2e0

Street View of G Street NW, where "back-in pull-out angle parking" is allowed on Sundays only from 8 AM to 2 PM to accommodate church-goers (people who remain parked that way after 2 PM are routinely ticketed, especially if there's an event at Verizon Center): https://www.google.com/maps/@38.898452,-77.022259,3a,37.5y,158.55h,88.54t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s2QAgoa00tb-WVVvBlP4sGA!2e0

Similar in Georgetown except the back-in angle parking is allowed at all times: https://www.google.com/maps/@38.902721,-77.06364,3a,37.5y,200.69h,84.8t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s6evoiN2gdQEm7GA9BOThOA!2e0

[jeffandnicole]

In my parking garage at work, I always back in (or pull thru, if the spots are available).  And yes, I use my turn signal, unlike everyone else that doesn't. But even then, people still don't get the hint, and will pull up too close to me.  They get the hint when I put the car into reverse and start backing up, because I know I've done exactly what I'm supposed to do.

I will also even pull into my driveway at home quite often, which is much more unusual.  I don't know why I started that - we live on a side street that doesn't present any trouble trying to back out.

At a mall, shopping center, etc, I will generally pull in (or pull thru).

At a ball game, it depends.  I used to exclusively back in (or pull thru), but it depends if I'm tailgating and such.  And since I go to enough games and park in the same area, I'm used to expected traffic flow.  If I know traffic will be jammed in the aisle after the game, I'll have the car positioned so I can just pull out.

[1995hoo]

In my parking garage at work, I always back in (or pull thru, if the spots are available).  And yes, I use my turn signal, unlike everyone else that doesn't. But even then, people still don't get the hint, and will pull up too close to me.  They get the hint when I put the car into reverse and start backing up, because I know I've done exactly what I'm supposed to do.

....

Just curious: Why there? Something to do with the particular layout of that parking garage? Or perhaps a safety measure due to the number of people who fail to use headlights in enclosed garages? The reason I ask is that back when I worked in downtown DC, a lot of the other people at my office insisted on backing in even though most of them never did it anywhere else. I always wondered why they made such an effort to do it at the office (most of them did it quite poorly, too) if they never did it anywhere else, and now your post prompts the same query.

Regarding headlights, the garage where we park for Capitals games has multiple signs on the ramps asking people to turn on their headlights, but a lot of them still refuse.

[jeffandnicole]

In my parking garage at work, I always back in (or pull thru, if the spots are available).  And yes, I use my turn signal, unlike everyone else that doesn't. But even then, people still don't get the hint, and will pull up too close to me.  They get the hint when I put the car into reverse and start backing up, because I know I've done exactly what I'm supposed to do.

....

Just curious: Why there? Something to do with the particular layout of that parking garage? Or perhaps a safety measure due to the number of people who fail to use headlights in enclosed garages? The reason I ask is that back when I worked in downtown DC, a lot of the other people at my office insisted on backing in even though most of them never did it anywhere else. I always wondered why they made such an effort to do it at the office (most of them did it quite poorly, too) if they never did it anywhere else, and now your post prompts the same query.

Regarding headlights, the garage where we park for Capitals games has multiple signs on the ramps asking people to turn on their headlights, but a lot of them still refuse.

It's a two-way garage, so the spots are perpendicular, not angled.  It does make it easier getting out.  The spots are a bit tighter than normal (damn door dings) and the aisleway is a bit narrower than a normal surface lot, so the room to turn while backing out is a bit limited.  It's also easier to back in while seeing my surroundings, compared to backing out and trying to see my surroundings.  Especially when dealing with other vehicles, sight distance isn't the best).

There's some people that always pull in, and they have their arguments for doing so as well...although "Oh well, they just have to wait for me while I back out" isn't a very convincing argument.

And there's some people that can't back in to save their life.  Unfortunately, there's people that can't pull in to save their live either.  I wonder how they can function on a daily basis if they can't pull into a parking spot without backing up and pulling in again to adjust!

[vdeane]

There are some streets in DC with diagonal parking where the signs say "Back-in pull-out only." If you don't back in, you get a ticket.

So what do one do if they couldn't back a car into a parking space even if your life depended on it and there wasn't other parking available?