A Conundrum..

[cmother1]

Why is it that people going to supermarkets for a weekly shop reverse into what are not very generous parking spaces. An hour later you'll see them short-a*sing along between cars carrying armfuls of bags to their boots. You even see some mis-guided souls trying to get their trolleys down the gap to the back of the car. Is this why it's so easy to pick up scratches at a supermarket I wonder?
I know it's always easier to pull out of a space forwards, but for me this advantage is far outweighed by the convenience of having the boot pointing outwards.
What's the consensus on this burning issue?

 

[holmslaw]

Women are'nt very good at reversing?

 

[AndrewSchofield]

Women are'nt very good at reversing?

But surely they have to reverse one way?? Either on the way in, or on the way out?

 

[holmslaw]

Yeh, but driving forward into a parking space is quicker and therefore allows more shopping time.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

and if they get lucky, the car in space behind them has gone and they have cracked it, no reversing needed.
But still a puzzle! why people reverse in to spaces when you need to load boot up after the shop?

 

[cmother1]

A straw poll at our local Safebury's gave a roughly 50/50 split. Come on... someone out ther tell us why you reverse into the parking bay??

 

[Johnmelad502]

A straw poll at our local Safebury's gave a roughly 50/50 split. Come on... someone out ther tell us why you reverse into the parking bay??

Because I'm a man
and I can...

Maybe the bays are bigger here in Cumbria (wetter but bigger) as I never have the problems mentioned. Unless of course a woman driver parks next to me and even pulling in for-wards, cant find the middle of the bay.

 

[cmother1]

Nah - I'm not convinced by that one John. The vast majority of shoppers in our local supermarket are women so it's a safe bet that a lot of them are reversing into parking spaces.

(Oh and yes - the spaces are clearly smaller down here. The only smaller ones I've seen are at Gatwick long-term car-parks where you have to crawl out of the tailgate to exit the car.)

 

[tim west]

maybe they didnt reverse but drove forward into the space in front of the one they entered?

 

[Goldspoon]

Excellent observation. That's what I do. Forward in and forward out. I'll walk the entire length of the car park if necessary.

 

[olly_k]

For me if I see the space in time I will generally drive in to it but if the space jumps out then I tend to reverse - saves all the faffing.

I also enjoy the challenge of getting me car dead straight first time and only using mirrors (not turning my head round).
It's the only fun bit of the weekly shop

 

[heatingman]

Got the good lady a new car, it has a sensor on each corner which flashes corresponding light on dash if she gets within 12" of anything. And a camera in boot lid which comes up on dash dvd when reversing. Bloody good picture as well. Given half a chance she would reverse everywhere now.
Hopefully won't be rebuilding the garden wall again, (3 times to date)

 

[MisterG]

Excellent observation. That's what I do. Forward in and forward out. I'll walk the entire length of the car park if necessary.

The wife doesn't do reverse.

So usually does this as well.

 

[Trazor]

The wife doesn't do reverse.

 

[Steve69the69Gas]

Yep he's missing out there