Reverse parking v driving in forwards

[HalloumiHannah]

I suppose this is more of an AIBU. I’ve just been to Aldi. Busy carpark, lots of people walking/pushing trolleys around going in to Aldi or the other shops in the retail park. And lots of people reversing their cars out of parking spaces into the carpark, having to slam brakes on to avoid people are milling about, struggling to get the angle right to pull away. This then causes congestion as other cars approach. People taking 2 or 3 attempts to turn the wheel to get into the space into the first place.

Why on earth don’t more people reverse into parking spaces? That way, you’re going backwards into an area with fewer pedestrians, and you have a much clearer view when driving away. I really don’t understand it! Surely it’s so much safer to reverse in and drive out? My elderly neighbour was almost caught by a car last week that started backing out of a space without looking (there was no other path for her to walk on), if that driver had reversed in he would have seen her straight away.

Of course you need to be able to reverse competently. That's why it's on the test. Jesus Christ. I cannot believe the amount of people who can't reverse park their own car. Its piss easy. If you can't even park it you've got no business driving it.

I can't access the boot properly if I reverse park in my local supermarket.

@Bagelsandbrie what do you do when you park somewhere that stipulates reverse parking?? Both my workplace and my children’s school car park insist on reverse parking only. We would get pulled up on it at work if we didn’t do it!! And my DC’s school sends out reminders at the start of the year and after Christmas that reverse parking is essential!!

Of course you need to be able to reverse competently. That's why it's on the test
It’s not on the test actually. They can ask you to parallel park (hard). Reverse into a space (hard). Pull up, reverse in a straight line then pull away (easy). Or drive into a space and reverse out (easy). They only ask you to do one of those four - you just keep doing the test until you get an easy one.

If you can't even park it you've got no business driving it.
I can park it. By driving forward and reversing out.

You have to drive in forwards because
A) easier to load the boot
B) if you drive past the space to reverse in, the impatient/ entitled/ oblivious arsehole behind drives in forwards before you get chance.

B) if you drive past the space to reverse in, the impatient/ entitled/ oblivious arsehole behind drives in forwards before you get chance
This happened to a well off friend of mine once. The woman had the nerve to lean out of the window and crow “That’s what you can do when you have a nippy little car!” So my very pissed off friend reversed into her car, then crowed back “That’s what you can do when you’re rich! Here are my insurance details”.

Point of order: isn’t „reverse park“ the specific name for what you do when you need to reverse into a space at the side of the road ie lengthways ? Now that IS quite hard. But again, not so hard as to be impossible....

@Grellbunt

Point of order: isn’t „reverse park“ the specific name for what you do when you need to reverse into a space at the side of the road ie lengthways ? Now that IS quite hard. But again, not so hard as to be impossible....

That’s parallel parking, you’re parking parallel to the road.

I won’t ever reverse into a parking bay at a supermarket. It’s much easier to load a boot full of shopping up when you drive in...

It’s harder to load a full trolly of shopping with your boot against a wall / another car.
Saying that I always reverse park as I find it easier than driving in if it’s a tight space. And I struggle with the whole getting bags into the boot while checking the trolly doesn't run away!

How on earth do you get a trolley full of shopping in your boot if you reverse in?

I'm used to reverse and parallel parking due to our road and the staff car park so don't find it a hassle, but would never do it in a supermarket.