How do you park?

Ebe_Scrooge

Frontwards in at the supermarket so I can access the boot, reverse in at all other times. Reversing in makes it easier and safer when you come to leave ( since you're not reversing into the path of other traffic ). And it's also easier to reverse in as the car is more manoeuvrable ( which is why fork lift trucks have rear-wheel steering, it's the same principle; when you reverse the car it's effectively the "rear" wheels, in relation to the direction of travel, that are steering ).

Joe_Horner

Whichever way is more convenient at the time depending on all sorts of things - car park layout, space size, other cars around, what I'm doing / buying. I'd guess on balance that means that I tend to reverse into a space more often than not simply because the car's more manoeuvrable that way, but I haven't really kept count so couldn't say for sure

BeenThroughItAll

Back in, forward out, every time. Always kick myself when I return to the car in the supermarket car park though, but it's a good habit I can't change now.


A lot of my manufacturing, engineering and oil and gas customers insist on reverse parking at their sites due to the levels of traffic of FLTs, HGVs, resupply dollies, etc.

pinkteapot

Always reverse in. To the extent that I now fail miserably if I try to drive in forwards as I get the angle totally wrong (if going in forwards between two already-parked cars).

Pincher

At home, I reverse into the drive, so I can see what's coming when going out onto the street.


In supermarkets, I like to have access to the boot.


You need to have space to open the door to get out,
so how you park depends on the next bay sometimes.
These gigantic SUVs take up far too much space. It's a shame the Peugeot 1007 style sliding doors never took off.

PasturesNew

I rarely use the boot of my car. When I'm parked at home it's inaccessible and I rarely buy much/enough to warrant opening the boot.

I've got side sliding doors - and they are a dream to load into. I can struggle with four fat bags from the trolley park to my car, clicking the door opener as I approach, I then use just 2-3 fingers to open the side door and then have a huge/wide open space to plonk the bags into the rear.

DigForVictory

My parents reverse in. As a brat in America, I saw this was regarded as a very strange practice "parking bank robber style", but it's how they were used to.
Me, I follow their old habit & add another bonus of reversing in is the doors contain children from emerging straight into some potential traffic.

At the supermarket, I try to park an extra distance away so I can get at the boot and still drive out forwards.

barnaclebill

At home reverse in drive out, at supermarket drive in for boot access, I also try to park away from the shop in a place with an extra space either side as I notice as I get older I like to open the door full so I can put both feet out and stand up and same for getting back in unfortunately a coupe has wider doors so need more space.

Gloomendoom

DigForVictory wrote: »

My parents reverse in. As a brat in America, I saw this was regarded as a very strange practice "parking bank robber style", but it's how they were used to.

It does make it easy to find your car as it is usually the only one ärse first into the parking bay.

A lot of US supermarket car parks have angled bays which makes reversing into the difficult/pointless. At least they are wide enough to fit a decent sized car into though, unlike in the majority of UK car parks.

BeenThroughItAll

Gloomendoom wrote: »

It does make it easy to find your car as it is usually the only one ärse first into the parking bay.

A lot of US supermarket car parks have angled bays which makes reversing into the difficult/pointless. At least they are wide enough to fit a decent sized car into though, unlike in the majority of UK car parks.

True, but to be fair:


A) The Yanks have a lot more space to play with.
Our cars have got wider and longer, and spaces haven't - but the Yanks have always had ENORMOUS cars, and are now going the opposite direction in many cases.