I've been parking the wrong way all my life

phocup

Well-known member
Had a confrontation with another driver today in a parking lot. I was backing out checking my reverse cam that showed clear path. Periferal vision suddenly noticed a blue flash in the mirror so I slammed on my brakes. Barely missed a car that sped by ( at crazy speed from my perspective ). The driver thought I scraped his car too, so he stopped and we both got out to verify that there's no damage before exchanging some heated words.

Now I'm home googling to see who's fault it would be, and it seems like no matter how fast he was going I would have been at fault as the person backing out.

Turns out pulling into a space is the wrong way to park for this exact reason. What you really want to do is back up into a space so you can drive out and have better line of sight. Still doesn't protect you completely if some nut job decides to use the parking lot as his personal drag strip though.

Just FYI next time you cage it somewhere. Back it in when you can.
 

rodr

Well-known member
Nobody does that. Dunno what the "blame rules" are, but if you want to avoid this problem you have to keep your speed down in parking lots and stay alert for everything. Not talking about you in particular.
 

GAJ

Well-known member
Had a confrontation with another driver today in a parking lot. I was backing out checking my reverse cam that showed clear path. Periferal vision suddenly noticed a blue flash in the mirror so I slammed on my brakes. Barely missed a car that sped by ( at crazy speed from my perspective ). The driver thought I scraped his car too, so he stopped and we both got out to verify that there's no damage before exchanging some heated words.

Now I'm home googling to see who's fault it would be, and it seems like no matter how fast he was going I would have been at fault as the person backing out.

Turns out pulling into a space is the wrong way to park for this exact reason. What you really want to do is back up into a space so you can drive out and have better line of sight. Still doesn't protect you completely if some nut job decides to use the parking lot as his personal drag strip though.

Just FYI next time you cage it somewhere. Back it in when you can.

The guy's an idiot and doesn't know how to drive in a parking lot full of kids, carts and cars pulling in and out.

The idiot needs to keep his speed down and scan cars for reverse lights and/or moving wheels.
 

AbsolutEnduser

Throttle Pusher
hmm on quick read part of your post is correct, that you are at fault if you're backing out. Duh.

But there has to be some part where the other "speeding party" is basically at fault, as posted in many other times before if the "other party" is able to stop when reasonably so, they should be required to stop.

I was backing out checking my reverse cam that showed clear path.
..

And BTW you're pretty much saying that you weren't looking out properly --while backing out. The backup cam is not for that, AFAIK.. you need to look to the sides, too.
 
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AbsolutEnduser

Throttle Pusher
Words bolded to showcase the irony :nchantr

yeah, agreed. The irony is that you need to look to the sides as well, when backing out : |: |

The backup cam is needed/most useful for backing *in* and parking between cars. This type of parking is not done very much in the USA thus I suspect the "backup" cam will be used mostly as an incomplete viewing device while backing out out of a stall in a USA mall.
 
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littlebeast

get it while it's easy
if that's the case, someone needs to tell parking lot designers who use one way arrows and slanted parking spots that can only be backed into if you are going the wrong direction up the aisle. in any event, i thought parking lots were private property, and therefore not governed by traffic laws (just license and registration type stuff). insurance companies may think they can decide what's what, but it would still be arguable.
 

RRR70

Attack Helicopter
if that's the case, someone needs to tell parking lot designers who use one way arrows and slanted parking spots that can only be backed into if you are going the wrong direction up the aisle. in any event, i thought parking lots were private property, and therefore not governed by traffic laws (just license and registration type stuff). insurance companies may think they can decide what's what, but it would still be arguable.

Was parked at Safeway today and their parking lot is a one way aisles. Was backing out when some lady desided to drive wrong way. When I mentioned to her that it's a one way, her answer was "Fuck you!". To which I answered "No, thanks, I don't fuck ugly ass crackwhores". I could hear her screaming across the parking lot after I left. :laughing
 

TheRobSJ

Großer Mechaniker
More and more new vehicles are coming with cross traffic alert systems just for this type of situation. It picks up pedestrians too, but I think fast moving cars are far more of an issue.
 

Blankpage

alien
Was parked at Safeway today and their parking lot is a one way aisles. Was backing out when some lady desided to drive wrong way. When I mentioned to her that it's a one way, her answer was "Fuck you!". To which I answered "No, thanks, I don't fuck ugly ass crackwhores". I could hear her screaming across the parking lot after I left. :laughing

was she? Nevermind
 

AbsolutEnduser

Throttle Pusher
I think the OPs title is not correct.

At least for the USA parking forward is not the wrong way. It's very predominant. (And as we know, also posted on the wall in some places )

However pulling out the car backwards without looking is definitely wrong. At least the OPs post explains why there have been so many incidents of this sort ...
So the title very well may be "I have been leaving mall parking spots wrong"...
 

Eldritch

is insensitive
Had a confrontation with another driver today in a parking lot. I was backing out checking my reverse cam that showed clear path. Periferal vision suddenly noticed a blue flash in the mirror so I slammed on my brakes. Barely missed a car that sped by ( at crazy speed from my perspective ). The driver thought I scraped his car too, so he stopped and we both got out to verify that there's no damage before exchanging some heated words.

Now I'm home googling to see who's fault it would be, and it seems like no matter how fast he was going I would have been at fault as the person backing out.

Turns out pulling into a space is the wrong way to park for this exact reason. What you really want to do is back up into a space so you can drive out and have better line of sight. Still doesn't protect you completely if some nut job decides to use the parking lot as his personal drag strip though.

Just FYI next time you cage it somewhere. Back it in when you can.

Did you not know this? LOL, despite that fact, I failed my first driving road test, because I did not stop for a guy backing out of a space and drove by him. When instructor said, "Did you not see that guy you made stop?" and I said, 'my right of way." She failed me for it anyway, LOL, but I double checked the manual later to make sure I was right, I was.
 

mean dad

Well-known member
if that's the case, someone needs to tell parking lot designers who use one way arrows and slanted parking spots that can only be backed into if you are going the wrong direction up the aisle. in any event, i thought parking lots were private property, and therefore not governed by traffic laws (just license and registration type stuff). insurance companies may think they can decide what's what, but it would still be arguable.

Traffic laws apply on publicly accessible lots. If they have a stop sign, they've had a traffic engineer decide a stop sign should be there; and if you run it you'll get a ticket.
 

Entoptic

Red Power!
Just to play devils advocate here. Why were you looking at your reverse camera when you're supposed to be looking over your shoulder when backing out? Would you have seen the vehicle if you were looking over your shoulder?
 

Eldritch

is insensitive
Just to play devils advocate here. Why were you looking at your reverse camera when you're supposed to be looking over your shoulder when backing out? Would you have seen the vehicle if you were looking over your shoulder?

Real Talk.
 
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