Accidentally stealing a parking spot

[AdakAK]

I also have to say I'm surprised at the assertion that it's so difficult/impossible to park correctly nose-in.  I do it several times a day, as do 90% of the other drivers I encounter, with vehicles from tiny compacts to large pickups/panel trucks, and it seems to work out fine for all of us.

You aren't in the US, and I suspect that our vehicles/parking spots may be making a difference.  I'm in TX, where some of the trucks are huge.  I'm in an area where it's not at all unusual to see trucks with a plate designating them as agriculture/farm work vehicles.  They are trucks designed to pull trailers full of livestock/hay etc.  With the way some spots are, I believe that it probably is a lot easier to pull them in reverse.  Not that nose in parking is impossible, but more difficult and time consuming.  Then considering that they have to back out, with somewhat poor visibility.  That was why I assumed people were doing it, you can't see as easily and people aren't always as attentive as they should be.

[Isilleke]

I did that once.

I wasn't driving very long and I saw a parking space so I took it. It wasn't until I looked up after that I realized I snatched it from someone else  . Fortunately he was able to take one only one car further. I felt really embarrassed about it and went to his car to apologize. I explained I hadn't seen him at all and that I was very sorry about it because it wasn't my intention at all. He seemed a bit startled at first and looking back he was probably annoyed but he did thank me for apologizing.

[Sharnita]

I'm in the US. Most people I see park nose in those who don't more often than not have managed a pull thru. While it might be easier in theory to back in it frequentyly does not work that way in practice and I have indeed seen cars parked "back in" that are cockeyed or taking up more room than they need to be. I have also witnessed backing in taking up way more time than a driver should.

[Bijou]

My husband always backs into parking spaces and we have often had our intended space 'stolen' by another driver.  It is maddening, but I have to put the blame on my husband because if we are just sitting there beyond a parking space, how is the next guy to know what he intends to do?  The thing that worries me, and you  should pay heed to this, is if that person starts backing up as you slip into the space the outcome would be quite bad.  If someone is just sitting there (because they have to wait for a car to go by or whatever) just beyond a space, assume they are backing in and find somewhere else to park. 

ETA I hate backing in.  I know backing out is a problem because your view is not always clear but when my husband puts our car behind another car with someone in it and starts going through the longer maneuver of backing in,  I just go into an 'I feel like I'm sitting on a railroad track' mode and get very much this side of panic (which comes out as anger).

[siamesecat2965]

I prefer to either back in, or pull through, but in my case, its due to poor depth perception. I see the car on the driver's side, and think I'm like half an inch from hitting it, when in reality, I have tons of space. If I back in, I can judge the distance on my side by looking at the car to the left of me, and if I can pull through, same thing. I'm actually better at backing in, than pulling in, as I have trouble judging the angle of my turn into the spot, and many times have to back up a bit, and full forward.

[Sharnita]

There a lot of parking lots, at least around here with lanes that have arrows that indicat the intended direction of traffic and somewhat angled spots which clearly call for pulling in rather than backing in.

[Hillia]

There a lot of parking lots, at least around here with lanes that have arrows that indicat the intended direction of traffic and somewhat angled spots which clearly call for pulling in rather than backing in.

We have lots of those too, and people still try to back in.

[Joeschmo]

I am aware people feel passionate about the reasons they have for backing in but someone else's preference should not inconvenience or endanger me.

[crella]

I guess it's a matter of what you're used to. When I lived in the US I pulled in, now in Japan you have to back in. In the rare lot where they don't want you to (reasons unknown) there is a sign saying pull in, but I've seen that only twice in 30+ years. Now I'm so used to backing in that it takes no time at all, and I find it hard to pull in when in the US.

[Shoo]

Most of the parking lots I can think of have angled parking and are one-way.  Pretty hard to back into a spot.

[marcel]

There a lot of parking lots, at least around here with lanes that have arrows that indicat the intended direction of traffic and somewhat angled spots which clearly call for pulling in rather than backing in.

I specificaly talked about perpendicular parking. angled parking spots off course are a different matter, since these are specificaly created for parking head first, and are almost imposible to back into, except when you arive from the wrong direction.

[marcel]

I am aware people feel passionate about the reasons they have for backing in but someone else's preference should not inconvenience or endanger me.

Completely agree here, but off course backing into a spot does neither.

[Sharnita]

I am aware people feel passionate about the reasons they have for backing in but someone else's preference should not inconvenience or endanger me.

Completely agree here, but off course backing into a spot does neither.

That seems, at best, a matter of opinion. Several people have mentioned that they do find backers inconvenient at times. I suppose you have never ever backed when,another car is nearby but it seems unlikely.

[Joeschmo]

I am aware people feel passionate about the reasons they have for backing in but someone else's preference should not inconvenience or endanger me.

Completely agree here, but off course backing into a spot does neither.

In my opinion it does and you can try to claim of course it doesn't to disagree/dismiss my opinion but that still doesn't change it.  Pulling forward, stopping, changing gears, and then backing in adds three steps to the process opposed to just pulling in.  It also increases the likelihood of backing into me when you change the direction of movement in the lanes of a parking lot.

[marcel]

I am aware people feel passionate about the reasons they have for backing in but someone else's preference should not inconvenience or endanger me.

Completely agree here, but off course backing into a spot does neither.

In my opinion it does and you can try to claim of course it doesn't to disagree/dismiss my opinion but that still doesn't change it.  Pulling forward, stopping, changing gears, and then backing in adds three steps to the process opposed to just pulling in.  It also increases the likelihood of backing into me when you change the direction of movement in the lanes of a parking lot.

People that pull in forward need more time and have a worse overview when backing out of their spot. as far as inconveniencing/endangering others goes that is a zero sum situation then.