Is it just me but I can't understand why folk want to reverse into their parking bay and then having been shopping struggle to the rear of their car to open the boot and deposit their purchases. They invariably rub along the side of their car and the adjacent vehicle, especially some of our more aged people, with perhaps consequences.

Waitrose was heaving this morning and about 20% of all drivers were doing 6 point reverse turns causing all sorts of problems - Why do it??? Surely its easier to reverse out of a bay than reverse into a restricted area.

Grump over. MY 09 GS manual in Lago Grey, Wood Co arm rest and side bumper strips - now sold.

MY 15 SD4 SE Auto Orkney Grey with colour coded Bumper Door Mouldings

thats why i have always wanted a sherman tank

Perhaps they have a forward facing camera  
Hung like Einstein, smart as a horse.

It's the ones at the local tip that get me, they have even angled the bays so you drive up, the skips are on your left, pull up with a slight right hand, reverse with a slight left hand down, you see drivers almost doing U Turns to drive in to the bays, then drag the rubbish out of the back and carry it between the parked cars, scraping their car and yours then have to reverse out doing another U Turn to get out

At my local tip the bays are angled so you can reverse in them but the amount of drivers I've seen that can't reverse inbetween lines is astonishing! It gets frustrating when there is a large que to use the tip. Black MY2013 SD4 GS Auto, Wood Company Armrest, Freel2 sticker.
Gone MY2010 Freelander 2 Manual TD4.e S, Alaska White.

Personally I find it easier to reverse into tight spaces, especially when the lanes between rows are often too narrow to swing round wide for a straight, forward entry.

A contrary moan Tenet, why do so few drivers want to come out harse first......?
Safest drive is always to reverse into a parking bay. When you are out in the roadway you have full vision of traffic around you and can see all of the bay - when you reverse in you get the back end where you want it and the front ends is steerable cause that's the wheels that turn. Driving out front first gives you vision quicker cause you are sat nearer the end pointing into the traffic.
On the other hand when in the bay nose first you have restricted vision of pedestrians or traffic out on the road and are having to use mirrors and crane your neck to see anything. The greater hazard is what might be out of the bay, don't go into the unknown backwards.

Robin

Don't know how common it is country wide, but a lot of works' car parks in our area have " Reverse Parking Only " signs up - as previous poster said - is based on being safer coming out forwards as have better vision and less chance of knocking someone down that you didn't see

I'm a reverse parker and for the reasons mentioned in above posts, but as for Supermarkets it all depends on the layout and the obvious loading at the rear end that will determine a drive in or a reverse in, again for the reasons posted by the OP.

I think I do both; reverse park if bay is tight as it's much more manoeuvrable and easier to exit, forward park if there's plenty of space around.

For me, parking on the outer perimeter of car park is more important to make it less likely for doors to get knocked by careless people getting in or out of their vehicles. Life is not a dress rehearsal!

My works car park is a "reverse park only car park" but it is only two bays wide with a road in between so for example if you park on the left of the exit/entry central road you have to reverse park up against a hedge...if you park on the right you have to also park up to a low hedge but with a sharp drop behind it!

People tend to now park 2ft further forwards so they can safely access their car boots, this has now caused a 12 ft roadway to be narrowed from both sides by 2ft due to over hanging cars !! Crazy Black FL2
L200 Warrior

Hear what you say about safety when reversing out but all one has to do is go slowly and be observant. That's a concept sadly lacking with too many today. Respect for those that can reverse 1st time into a restrictive space but for the vast majority its a 6 point reverse and then invariably at an angle.

My gripe is solely with supermarkets and the problems associated trying to load half a dozen bags from the weekly shop into the boot when there is barely room to squeeze past. Certainly at tips, office car parks, diagonal street parking et al then tend to agree. MY 09 GS manual in Lago Grey, Wood Co arm rest and side bumper strips - now sold.

MY 15 SD4 SE Auto Orkney Grey with colour coded Bumper Door Mouldings

I take my old Rangie to Tesco - tree sliders keep folks away
http://www.extreme4x4.co.uk/acatalog/info_drrrtsliders.html * GONE. GS TD4 Manual MY2013. Orkney Grey with privacy, cold and clearview packs, armrests (a must!) and a spoiler.
* 2011 4.4 TDV8 Full Fat. Amazing piece of kit.
* GONE.2012 RR Sport HSE SDV6 Orkney Grey. Rocket ship. 33mpg.
* Range Rover Classic '93 200Tdi Factory fit
* 1949 80" in family since 1975

Last edited by DrRpb on 9th Feb 2014 9:21 am. Edited 1 time in total

I think one problem is that as cars have got bigger parking spaces have not. In America parking spaces are about one foot wider. In the UK that would make quite a difference. Black MY2013 SD4 GS Auto, Wood Company Armrest, Freel2 sticker.
Gone MY2010 Freelander 2 Manual TD4.e S, Alaska White.

I always park front in at the supermarket because Mrs I. tells me to!

Otherwise reverse parking is easiest and safest for coming out. Some car park spaces are so narrow you have to park alternately nose to tail so that you can open the door! North America has spaces between the spaces for the doors.

As for people rubbing you up in car parks - just leave the mud on! GONE - '07 TD4 GS manual Zermatt Silver
LONG GONE - '55 Norton Dominator 99 SS cafe racer