Backing into parking places.....

[Bandito440]

I generally back into parking spaces; I'll be able to take off quickly when the zombies come.

I did see signs at a medical office building in Burlington, VT that directed people to NOT back in. The idea was that folks with trucks were backing up to the curb, with the rear of the vehicle overhanging the sidewalk and blocking wheelchair access.

 

[slug_bug]

For those asking why backing in might not be allowed. In states like MI where we only have a rear license plate it's so security can easily track whether unregistered cars are using the company lot.

 

[97tbird]

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
At the grocery store one time I sat and watched this goober attempt to back in this huge completely white trashed-out truck into a parking spot. I literally watched this idiot for 5+ minutes attempt this and ended up super crooked in the spot once it was all said and done.

Is it all about "being noticed"?


LOL - i think it's mostly convenience and safety, in MOST cases. There might be a few who do it to get noticed, but hopefully not many.
Sad thing is, the worst parking jobs I see at work have 99% been ones that drove straight in to a spot. Some of them are unbelievable. There's this one lady that I notice often who ALWAYS try MULTIPLE times to park, (straight in) and end up with car parked crooked. She drives a corolla.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: 97tbird
Originally Posted By: andrewg
One thing I do notice that I see as a silly fad is the remote start vehicles. These people are in such a hurry to get home that they want the car started and warmed up (great for the car, right?) so that all they have to do is jump in and go.

I don't own any cars with remote start, but:
what's wrong with that? when your car is parked outside at work and you get off your shift in the middle of the night or early morning, and when the outside temps are below freezing and car is all covered in ice? I and my coworkers have a 8-10 min walk from office to the parking lot on 95% of the time.

have seen coworkers start their car from that distance with On-Star or some such thing (or some iphone app) - they run up to a higher floor (some can do it straight from their office) and start their car remotely, and by the time they walk to the car it's ready to go.

what's bad about that? I'd totally use it if I had that function.
Yeah I wish I had remote start. Getting into a black car with black leather interior that's been sitting in the sun in 115 degree heat. I'd love for the A/C to start cooling it off!

 

[andrewg]

Originally Posted By: 97tbird
Originally Posted By: andrewg
One thing I do notice that I see as a silly fad is the remote start vehicles. These people are in such a hurry to get home that they want the car started and warmed up (great for the car, right?) so that all they have to do is jump in and go.

I don't own any cars with remote start, but:
what's wrong with that? when your car is parked outside at work and you get off your shift in the middle of the night or early morning, and when the outside temps are below freezing and car is all covered in ice? I and my coworkers have a 8-10 min walk from office to the parking lot on 95% of the time.

have seen coworkers start their car from that distance with On-Star or some such thing (or some iphone app) - they run up to a higher floor (some can do it straight from their office) and start their car remotely, and by the time they walk to the car it's ready to go.

what's bad about that? I'd totally use it if I had that function.


Well...literally pages upon pages exist on just this message board about excessive idling and remote-starts.

If a person wants to idle a car a long while before they get into it...I don't care at all. But I am of the opinion that idling a car at start-up for more than a minute or so is a bad thing.

You can easily look up the threads discussing this subject and make your own conclusions.

Funny thing I see in addition to doing this on a cold day....is that it's done when it's warm outside as well. I don't get it...and I don't think it's good for the engine.

 

[andrewg]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Originally Posted By: 97tbird
Originally Posted By: andrewg
One thing I do notice that I see as a silly fad is the remote start vehicles. These people are in such a hurry to get home that they want the car started and warmed up (great for the car, right?) so that all they have to do is jump in and go.

I don't own any cars with remote start, but:
what's wrong with that? when your car is parked outside at work and you get off your shift in the middle of the night or early morning, and when the outside temps are below freezing and car is all covered in ice? I and my coworkers have a 8-10 min walk from office to the parking lot on 95% of the time.

have seen coworkers start their car from that distance with On-Star or some such thing (or some iphone app) - they run up to a higher floor (some can do it straight from their office) and start their car remotely, and by the time they walk to the car it's ready to go.

what's bad about that? I'd totally use it if I had that function.
Yeah I wish I had remote start. Getting into a black car with black leather interior that's been sitting in the sun in 115 degree heat. I'd love for the A/C to start cooling it off!


Aftermarket.

 

[97tbird]

I am not saying excessive idling is good.
It's at MY work place that the walk is long-ish, but most people who remote start their cars on a cold day may not be doing it for that many minutes.
I am just saying that if that feature is available, it's not a crime or silly to use it, in a manner that's within reason.
andrewg: - Your initial post made it sound like it's a crime to do it at all. (but now I know you didn't mean it that way)

 

[donnyj08]

I love my remote start, it is so handy to have. I do let it run a few minutes in the winter to warm up, and my vehicles always last forever.

Also if I'm leaving work or school I'll start the truck when I'm 30 seconds to a min away so it's good to roll when I'm there. I've never been one of those people who yank the car into gear as the starter is still spinning anyway. I always let my vehicles run 30 seconds before I drive off if the engine hasn't ran for a few hours. I noticed on my Silverado even on warm starts there is a ton of tension on the selector until the engine has ran 5 sec or so, then it frees up and glides smooth as butter. I'm not sure if that delay is intentional by GM or if it's just my truck. It seemed odd the first few times I noticed it on warm starts.

Sometimes I back in, it really depends on the spot. I usually never need to maneuver into a tight spot because I pick end spots or ones way in the back where no one can bang up my vehicles.

 

[andrewg]

Originally Posted By: 97tbird
I am not saying excessive idling is good.
It's at MY work place that the walk is long-ish, but most people who remote start their cars on a cold day may not be doing it for that many minutes.
I am just saying that if that feature is available, it's not a crime or silly to use it, in a manner that's within reason.
andrewg: - Your initial post made it sound like it's a crime to do it at all. (but now I know you didn't mean it that way)


No problem...I have a generally sarcastic tone when I post. You can probably tell I'm not a people-person.

No...I don't care what people do with the remote start thing. I'm not worried about the planet or anything like that. I'm all for people doing what they want as long as it doesn't mess with others doing what they want.

When I arrive at work, it's about 1:30pm. I arrive about 45 minutes early in case of traffic. I often sit in my car for about 20 minutes before going inside.
Anyway...I sometimes notice this one guy that is on the earlier shift. He has a new Buick. He remote-starts that car for sometimes 15-20 minutes before he even comes outside! And it's 65 degrees out!

I just don't get it....that's all.

 

[javacontour]

Sometimes, it's about the knucklehead who parked right up against where your drivers door would be.

So I just back in so it's my passenger door against his. No real inconvenience for me. May or may not be for him or his passenger.

Already have 12-13 years worth of door dings, so another really doesn't matter.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

My parents don't have remote starters - but they will idle the vehicle for 15-20 minutes on a cold morning. It pains me. I'm sure the oil is completely gas on the DI escape ...

 

[Chris Meutsch]

I visited many steel plants in 2014. One particular company MANDATED you backed into your space. Theory is that you can get out more quickly in an emergency.

 

[97tbird]

Originally Posted By: andrewg
I sometimes notice this one guy that is on the earlier shift. He has a new Buick. He remote-starts that car for sometimes 15-20 minutes before he even comes outside! And it's 65 degrees out!

I just don't get it....that's all.


Yeah now THAT I agree is stupid/needless.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: andrewg
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Originally Posted By: 97tbird
Originally Posted By: andrewg
One thing I do notice that I see as a silly fad is the remote start vehicles. These people are in such a hurry to get home that they want the car started and warmed up (great for the car, right?) so that all they have to do is jump in and go.

I don't own any cars with remote start, but:
what's wrong with that? when your car is parked outside at work and you get off your shift in the middle of the night or early morning, and when the outside temps are below freezing and car is all covered in ice? I and my coworkers have a 8-10 min walk from office to the parking lot on 95% of the time.

have seen coworkers start their car from that distance with On-Star or some such thing (or some iphone app) - they run up to a higher floor (some can do it straight from their office) and start their car remotely, and by the time they walk to the car it's ready to go.

what's bad about that? I'd totally use it if I had that function.
Yeah I wish I had remote start. Getting into a black car with black leather interior that's been sitting in the sun in 115 degree heat. I'd love for the A/C to start cooling it off!


Aftermarket.
I've heard they're a bad idea with VW TDIs because it can mess with the car's electrical and also it won't start the glow plugs.

 

[Cutehumor]

Its easier to back in due to blind spots. In a SUV or truck, one less thing to worry about when already backed in.

 

[Cadenza]

Backing-in is taught by several driving schools for most of the reasons noted here. The Smith System teaches it to many large fleets (UPS, e.g.) and it's catching on in the general population.

 

[440Magnum]

Regarding "remote start," my favorite is the guy with the Tesla in our company lot who dials it up and starts the AC running a few minutes before he heads out of the office. It always strikes me as very funny to walk past an EV with the HVAC fans screaming away when I'm headed to my car... but in the middle of summer here, I totally get it.

 

[EdwardC]

I remember reading hypermiling techniques and that's one of them.

If you have the option of pulling through to park, it's one less forward reverse operation for the car (wasting time/gas). Then, even if you cant pull through, backing in while the engine is hot and efficient is preferable to backing out, stopping and going forward while the engine is cold.

Surely it's minor, I think the improved visibility is a better reason.

 

[eljefino]

I back into my garage. With the cat hot the fumes aren't bad. Backing a cold car out of a garage makes one drive over their own cold exhaust, and one usually wants to run HVAC to get the car to the right temp, sucking that all in.

Plus if I leave my car out, I can just hit the wipers for dew and I don't have to back through dew-induced blindness.

 

[opus1]

I see this a lot at the train station...the frustrating part being that there are a number of people who take 3+ tries to get into their spot, wasting their gas and adding wear to the car, and then causing *me* to waste gas and time sitting there while they figure out how to get into the spot.