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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask why people don’t reverse in?

430 replies

Divorcedalongtime · 25/03/2023 22:16

to parking spaces…
i know the safest is to reverse in and
drive out, so why do 95% of all cars drive in?
every time I go shopping I see cars desperately trying to get out of their parking bay with cars and walkers going past, whilst if they had reversed in they would get out so easily.

it makes zero sense.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
OhSnakesandBastards · 27/03/2023 18:47

I reverse everywhere apart from the supermarket as I need easy access to the boot to put the shopping in.

Sweetpeasaremadeforbees · 27/03/2023 18:48

It’s true. My dream parking space has another empty one in front of it so I can drive forwards in and out.

Same here. But I don't mind reversing out either.

laylababe5 · 27/03/2023 18:51

Treeabovethefire · 25/03/2023 22:23

I agree with you op. The amount of kids that get hit by cars reversing out of driveways across pavements in the morning is unreal. But god forbid drivers have to go through the awkwardness of unloading prams and shopping and feeling safer reversing out, even though they’re risking lives. I may be wrong (and I’m sure I’ll get immediately corrected if I am), but I thought it was the law to reverse into driveways and drive forwards out.

You try leaving a trolley with no brakes on a hill while you transfer stuff to the boot. I usually have to hold the trolley with my body/foot while I transfer to the boot. Our pram won't fit down the side of two parked cars. No it's not the law to reverse in. Like other posters I reverse in when I can but for supermarket shopping it's safer to drive in to the space.

WeWereInParis · 27/03/2023 19:03

But god forbid drivers have to go through the awkwardness of unloading prams

It's not awkward, it's often impossible. Not getting the pram out of the car, but getting it between the cars. And I don't have a big pram, my car is an Aygo so has a tiny boot so the pram is small. But it's still not always possible to squeeze it through.

Airspice · 27/03/2023 19:04

I have boot that needs space to open up. If I’m parking anywhere where I need access to my boot I have to go in forward, sorry!

Harmonypus · 27/03/2023 19:18

I'm with you OP.
I passed my driving test in 1987 and have NEVER driven forwards into a parking space since then. Even at the supermarket, you don't have to reverse right up to the line, you can stop a little bit short of it so you can get at the boot with your shopping.
As for driving onto the driveway at home, then having to reverse off, the Highway Code may have changed since I took my test but back then it was said that it was dangerous (illegal?) to reverse off a driveway onto the road, especially a main road, therefore it should just be common sense that people would reverse onto their driveways.

mybeautifuloak · 27/03/2023 19:24

So OP as many MANY people have said, it's to access the boot. Supermarket trolleys won't fit down the side of the car. People can barely fit down the side.
You asked why but haven't acknowledged this reason that so many people face given you.

starfishmummy · 27/03/2023 19:24

I can quite easily carry the bags down the side of the car to the boot, and it means you don't have to try an reverse out amongst all the people mindlessly wandering through the car park

Its not that I can't carry the bags down the side of the car, but if I reverse in there's often a wall/bush/flowerbed/bollard/car parked behind that means there is no room to open my tailgate.

nannykatherine · 27/03/2023 19:26

I always reverse in

Sockloon · 27/03/2023 19:26

I reverse in everywhere including supermarkets those that claim it's for loading are talking bollocks or just incompetent 😂

Tuskanini · 27/03/2023 19:28

I believe in some American towns it’s an offence to park with your exhaust pointing at a sidewalk (pavement).

Mum23amazingkids · 27/03/2023 19:28

Must can’t do it easily ? I always reverse in and I also wonder why most people won’t , but seeing some doing it really leads me to be life is lack of skill

Hmm1234 · 27/03/2023 19:30

Isn’t it illegal to reverse backwards unnecessary.
Pretty sure they said that on my lessons LOL

Magpiecomplex · 27/03/2023 19:30

As others have said, trolleys don't have brakes and are liable to roll away if I don't hold on to them. And my drive is arranged so that if I reversed in I'd only be able to open one door, the front passenger door. However, in the past I used to always reverse in, no matter where I was, and that was in a Volvo estate car. It's horses for courses.

midgemadgemodge · 27/03/2023 19:31

Hmm1234 · 27/03/2023 19:30

Isn’t it illegal to reverse backwards unnecessary.
Pretty sure they said that on my lessons LOL

Reversing into or out of a parking space isn't unnecessary is it ?

Sweetpeasaremadeforbees · 27/03/2023 19:48

Isn’t it illegal to reverse backwards unnecessary.

No I don't think so but if you hit someone you might be done for driving without due care. But that would apply equally if you hit someone whilst going forwards I guess.

mybeautifuloak · 27/03/2023 19:57

Sockloon · 27/03/2023 19:26

I reverse in everywhere including supermarkets those that claim it's for loading are talking bollocks or just incompetent 😂

You seem to have zero awareness that carparks are not all the same. An old car park with narrow spaces full of big cars means one can barely squeeze out of the car. There is no way anyone can squeeze back and forth with 8 grocery bags and a baguette. Christ. The number of people who think their situation is representative of everyone's and then criticises other people on the basis of that flawed assumption. Added to this, some carparks have lower ceilings at the sides so the boot won't even open if you did try. You really should get out more and see what other places are like.

pollymere · 27/03/2023 19:58

Into a driveway, it makes sense. Whilst shopping, absolutely none. You need access to the boot to put the shopping in, especially if it's in a trolley. This would be impossible if your car is backed up against a wall.

SeatonCarew · 27/03/2023 20:03

donttellmehesalive · 26/03/2023 09:22

Luckily, you are allowed to choose how you drive in and out of a parking space.

Whatever you do, somebody will be annoyed - you are either taking a long time to reverse into a space, or you are driving in forwards and causing danger to pedestrians when reversing out.

Personally, I don't care what you do. Make your choice based on your confidence/skill when reversing, the road conditions, the purpose of your visit and so on.

The most irritating people imo are those so determined that they are right, so enraged that others might make a different choice, so belligerent and rigid in their thinking that they are incapable or unwilling to imagine for one minute that other people have different experiences and needs.

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐

One should always drive according to the conditions and your own circumstances.

I drive forwards into my driveway, turn on my property and drive out, because to do otherwise on my road would be to take my life (and others) in my hands. If I didn't have room to turn I'd need to put in a turntable.

Some of those who are blithe about carrying shopping between parked cars to the boot should consider they won't always be a supple, fit or strong as they are at their current stage of life.

Taking time to consider why others might do things differently to you rather than leaping to judgment is rarely time wasted. I learned that as a junior auditor many years ago, and it has served me well in life.

Lamaitresse · 27/03/2023 20:29

I 100% agree with you op!!
But, if you have a small car I don’t think it makes much difference. I have to reverse in, because to reverse out is very tricky. My car’s a big’un and needs the turning space - I have the space in the ‘aisle’ parts of car parks, but not in the space between the cars. Reversing in is the only way I can do it!
So much safer too…

Blossomtoes · 27/03/2023 20:36

The most irritating people imo are those so determined that they are right, so enraged that others might make a different choice, so belligerent and rigid in their thinking that they are incapable or unwilling to imagine for one minute that other people have different experiences and needs.

Absolutely. And so much fucking judgement. MN is apparently full of perfect drivers who are so quick to label others incompetent. I don’t give a stuff what anyone else does as long as they don’t hit my car.

youshouldnthaveasked · 27/03/2023 20:46

Blossomtoes · 27/03/2023 20:36

The most irritating people imo are those so determined that they are right, so enraged that others might make a different choice, so belligerent and rigid in their thinking that they are incapable or unwilling to imagine for one minute that other people have different experiences and needs.

Absolutely. And so much fucking judgement. MN is apparently full of perfect drivers who are so quick to label others incompetent. I don’t give a stuff what anyone else does as long as they don’t hit my car.

Isn’t that the whole of mumsnet though!

user68901 · 27/03/2023 20:50

I always reverse in except at supermarket because it is the easiest way to access the boot which is why I always choose a space in the quieter parts of the car park so reversing out isn't exactly difficult if you are paying attention to your surroundings and you stay well away from the spaces near the entrance.

Sweetpeasaremadeforbees · 27/03/2023 20:55

Isn’t that the whole of mumsnet though!

To a degree but I don't understand why people even notice stuff like this, let alone get annoyed by it. Why does it affect them? I don't think driving in forwards takes any longer than reversing, if anything you're less likely to hold up traffic because of not having to drive past the space before you can back into it. A pp said they judged people who didn't reverse into parking spaces. WTF is that about?

Skodacool · 27/03/2023 21:36

user1471517900 · 25/03/2023 22:17

In supermarkets it makes sense to drive straight in, so you can load the boot with shopping without having to squeeze the trolley past the car.

This