Some Clovers can be found in parking lots – like this guy in the 4Runner, who tried to back into a spot but couldn’t so he took up two spots:
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Disgaree. That was certainly the case with pre-2007 vehicles, but the NHTSA modifications to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety standards, it has become much more difficult to see behind and around vehicles in general. These changes to FMVSS 208 and 214 were phased in between MY 2007 and 2011. As a result of the design changes, cars have become more cumbersome to drive.
I use the convex blindspot mirrors to help back into spaces. If I had the time, I would install a backup camera as well, but I am fairly competent, so I don’t need that kind of “assistance”
Bikers line up backed in for a quick getaway in case of ābar problemsā.
I prefer to back in for several reasons. 1. When backing in you are going to an open space with static surroundings. 2. When backing out, so often from in-between two mammoth SUVs, you can’t see what’s coming and to attempt to do so means craning your neck to check for oncoming traffic. 3. In many large parking lots you can find two spots to pull through thus eliminating backing up entirely.
Try backing a supercrew pickup with a 6-1/2′ bed out of a tight parking space and you’ll soon realize why people back in. Such is the price we pay for not buying the new vehicle with the backup camera.
To each his own.
PS: yeah, that ditzel in the video needs to learn how to park
PPS: the sidewalk chalk is a good idea, too.
Hi Mark,
I’ve got no issues with point number 3. I do that all the time as well. As long as it’s not impeding someone, taking up another’s time, or someone trying to come in from the other side (and folks keep it in between the lines of course) I see no issues with pulling through the spot eliminating backing up entirely. That’s ideal of course.
Yes, being courteous is essential. However, I generally park out and away from others. But, even that isn’t enough sometimes A week before the wife and I got married I bought a new Bug Convert. Parked way away from anyone at the BRP lodge the second night of our honeymoon. A jerkwad from New York went out of his way to park next to me and dinged my door. He’s lucky I’m not still doing time for what I wanted to do to him.
I almost always back into a parking spot.
Sometimes it holds up traffic for a bit but what difference does it make if that happens when you pull in or pull out of a spot? Either way if there’s another driver around you’re going to momentarily inconvenience them. That’s part of living in a society I figure, sometimes you’re the yielder, sometimes the yieldee.
Why I back into a spot? It’s always about the quick get-away. It may sound paranoid but as we transition from the first world to second world country there’s a growing chance you will need to get out in a hurry. Could be natural disaster, could be mass shooter/false flag, could just be being jumped or boxed in just by a car jacker or thief.
Parking faced out is a fundamental of defensive and tactical driving. It goes to what Jeff Cooper preached on everyday awareness of your surroundings. You wouldn’t walk into an unfamiliar room backwards. Next time you park look around and think about “What if?”
But besides what they teach in motor operator school, backing in pisses off this urban planning nanny and that’s enough for me.
https://www.connectsavannah.com/community/incivility-and-combat-parking-syndrome-7083656
The nimrod that wrote that article makes my teeth ache (h/t EP). I would also add that many years ago I had a neighbor that was a cop. He told me that police are trained to back in so they can leave quickly and safely when needed. I imagine the author of the article owns an EV if owning a car at all.
I forgot to mention this in my previous post but if you really want to have some fun with these parking transgressions, carry a box of colored sidewalk chalk in your vehicle at all times. š
Bad parking is one of my pet peeves. People that ‘back in’ to parking spaces definitely fall into the clover category. I will concede there are times when it makes sense to do so but those are few and far between. There is usually no logical reason to do so. Not to mention it takes more time and can impede the flow of traffic in a busy parking lot. You have to put the vehicle in reverse regardless, coming or going, and it is much easier to ‘back out’ than it is to ‘back in’. Boggles my mind.
Morning, c_dub!
I agree. But it’s laughable when the person making the attempt can’t do it competently, as in this video. I wish I’d started rolling the camera before I did. The guy spent quite awhile maneuvering is SUV into the position you see.
Good morning Eric! Agreed and it certainly makes it more egregious when they can’t even competently do so. A guy in the Youtube comments mentioned he might have parked that way to maximize the shade? I don’t know. Entirely plausible I suppose but still rather inexcusable.
Evne if he was waiting for someone and needed to sit in his vehicle for awhile, he would’ve been in the shade regardless had he just stayed in between the lines. Or an even more radical idea, had he just pulled in, like a non-clover, to the spot he crossed over into he would’ve still been in the shade. The shade was covering both spots! And besides, it doesn’t look like it was that hot yesterday over in your neck of the woods.
But, I’m well past the point of venturing off into the mindset of a clover so I best stop now, Nietzsche’s ‘if you stare into the abyss, it will start to stare back’ is giving me five across the face. š
Good morning back!
I think you’ll like the latest staring into the abyss….https://www.ericpetersautos.com/2025/08/26/lane-keep-assist-clover/
Damn it Eric! I’ve had my fill of staring into the abyss today and the day is young yet. š
I like how they hit the brakes as you went to pass. I’m sure they were like “OMG…a competent driver…must slow down and take notes!”….right? Bueller……Bueller….
You have my sympathies. There seem to be an inordinate amount of clovers around your parts. Maybe it’s all the hills and curves combined with the low threshold that we ask of most drivers nowadays.
Itās the same, idiot. Most fuckheads that canāt drive are bad in either direction. Is it okay to parallel park backing in?STFU.
Is it okay to parallel park backing in? If you’re a basic bitch, yes! ‘Real men’ pull the e-brake and slide in sideways (preferably while getting road head). But I digress, I’ll shut the fuck up now. š
The only the thing you would be pulling is yourself.
People who back into parking spaces are clovers.
Always backing into my driveway and garage became a habit with me. Don’t like people seeing what I’m bringing into, or out of my house. And I don’t use the stupid back up camera. One of the very few things the wife and I disagree on, If you cant back your car without assistance, you shouldn’t be driving.
Amen, Norman!
I can’t suppress the annoyance that wells up when I hear about “assistance” tech for backing up a trailer. If you need such “assistance” then you really have no business pulling a trailer.
I’m more forgiving of these morons than the ones that -purposefully- park directly in 2 spaces or god forbid park the car diagonally or perpendicular across 2-3 spaces. Nothing makes me want to damage your car MORE than being such an entitled d-bag that your car needs to be protected by eating 2-3 spaces. Many times the cars are absolutely average too. I -rarely- see a Ferrari or Mercedes AMG or any other super high end car parked like that. It usually something quite average.
Agree on that User,
Whenever I see that Iām really tempted to park my car next to them with the passenger side an inch away from the idiotās driverās side door so they would have to crawl in from the passenger side. Only thing stopping me is I donāt want to get my car scratched up they return.
Was it DWO (Driving While Oriental) ? Thatās the drill on the left coast. At work I watched a gaggle of Japan Airlines reps try to park their rental in the lot at work. Finally two got out and guided, poorly, their mate into the spot. Mind you this was pulling in forward no reverse except when needed for the multiple assaults on the parking space. A biker buddy married to a Japanese American gal, he flat out stated she had no business driving.
Least you think badly, Iāve an equal opportunity critic. My Commander, Polish American descendant, really not a good driver. Her weak spot also backing up. I had my Firebird parked in the driveway, she backed the Nova out of the right garage stall and raked the passenger door of the Firebird. Then tried to blame me, āYou said to turn my head!ā No, out of the garage itās the mirrors, and if you turn your head DONāT turn the wheel!ā
Is there any female that can back up properly, asking for a friend.Apologies to raider girl.
For her other driving problems, the Commander actually could back up the horse trailer from the road out front into the side driveway north side of the house usually in one try – I have no idea why this complex skill came shining through probably because it involved the disease called horse ownership.
Lmao
All 3 of my daughters can do it blindfolded