Why do men back into parking spaces?

I like backing into parking spaces mainly because I’m lazy. When I get ready to go I can just pull out without all the turning and twisting of the neck.

My mother always backs into her space for one parking garage for our preforming arts center. She gets there hours ahead of time so she can have room to back in properly. She says she does it so that she can leave quickly instead of having to back out. It takes a lot of effort on my part to not tell her that if she’s getting there 2 hours early, and taking 15 minutes to park (she’s really bad at it), she’s not really saving time from the 2–5 extra minutes it takes to back out after a show.

I do not know if it is related or not, but in the military, there is the principle of “do the worst, first”. Meaning, do the hard part of any task when you presumably have more time, so you can be prepared to move quickly “when the time comes”. All military vehicles are backed in when they are parked, so that they can be deployed quickly “when the time comes”.

My hubby says he backs in, so that when we get ready to leave, he can just pull out without having to watch all sides while he’s backing up to make sure he’s not running over anyone.

I have noticed men do this more than women also. However, I find it kind of pointless at grocery stores when you usually put stuff in the trunk.

Being always in a state of cat-like readiness for the zombie apocalypse, I like to reverse into a park for a speedy getaway. FACT: Mowing down zombies in reverse is just plain awkward.

I’m female, but I try to back in if I can. That way I can avoid having to look into the rearview mirror if possible. (Of course, now that I have a handicapped parking tag, it is a heck of a lot easier- I have so much extra room in my parking spaces! ;0) )

It’s easier to line things up that way and so results in neater parking.

I’ve never noticed this. I personally love backing in. It’s a challenge and a day brightener. HAHA. no but it is, for me at least lol.

Usually when you are pulling in to a spot, you have the time and patience to take the time . . . and usually, when you are pulling out, you are leaving and you just want to be done with it and JUST GO.

So I think (and I do it to), it’s just a preference on where a guy wants to spend his time, b/c if he doesn’t spend it parking, then he’s gonna have to spend it pulling out.

One way or the other, the time will be spent! And this is just a preference.

Doesn’t it take just as long to back in to a parking space as it does to back out of it? Isn’t the twisting and turning the same regardless of backing in or out? Just curious…for me, I am a terrible backer-upper (although a dynamo parallel parker).

Generalization alert

It’s easier to pull off…..The concept is pretty simple lol. I don’t like the process of backing out: looking back, waiting for someone else to back out that’s behind you etc.

@GoJessGo Unless there are extenuating circumstances, like everyone trying to back out at once, yes. Same amount of effort.

My husband always backs into the garage, I never do. The guy across the street always backs into his garage, and the guy next to him backs into his driveway and parks, his wife never backs in.
When I park in a parking lot I will back in only if there is a lot of room and I want to be facing a certain way.
I often pull through a parking space into the one opposite, so that I’m ready to pull out of the one I park in and don’t have to back out.

I do this sometimes (I’m female). It’s easier to check for young children when leaving the driveway or parking space, and it’s also easier to get a jump if your battery dies (no having to push the car out to do this).

As others have said it makes it a lot easier when you go to leave. Especially like on college campuses and other places of mass populations. Its a pain in the ass to try and back out of a spot when there are cars coming/pedestrians aimlessly walking about. Much easier to just get that done with when your parking.

I almost always head into a parking spot that’s at an angle or perpendicular to the lane.

I usually back into a spot when I parallel park, unless the spot is about 2 car lengths or longer. For some reason I seem to need less room to back into a parallel spot.

I almost always back into my driveway, because there’s never any traffic there, and it’s easier for me to watch for traffic when I head out of the driveway.

I guess I’m a somewhat masculine parker, but I’m not macho about it.

If you pull in straight, leaving is a bitch.

If you back in, you can leave in a hurry.

Which is more important to you, getting in or getting out?

My mom drove crappy cars for years, and she always backed in so they’d be easier to jump start.

I believe space parking is taught in every drivers manual in America.

I believe the reason has something to do with the length of time a car stops traffic, in order to do so.

Next time you have the urge, compare how long it takes you to back into a parking space, rather than approach it from the front.

A frontal approach takes more time and is less accurate.

I’m female and 9 times out of 10 I will back into a parking space. It makes it easier to just drive away when you want to leave.

@john65pennington Compare that to the time you stop traffic on your way out and you’ll see that it doesn’t make sense. Then again, at least with most modern cars, a 55mph speed limit doesn’t save gas either, so I suppose that a lot of thoughts about cars are either false or nonsense.
And no, other than parallel parking, NH doesn’t teach you how to enter a parking space. I don’t think VT does either.

When it comes down to parking spots, I back in because I have less to worry about entering the spot than leaving it. It’s less area to cover, and there’s a much lower chance that someone else will be walking/driving/standing in the same spot. Leaving the spot, you have to worry about traffic, pedestrians, and other obstacles, so having the better field of view along with the better maneuverability helps out.