4 ms·

> Then I was ticketed a couple years later for backing into a space I'm sorry, but what? How? When? Where? What possible law could you break while backing into

> Then I was ticketed a couple years later for backing into a space I'm sorry, but what? How? When? Where? What possible law could you break while backing into a space?

somethingreen 4y ago
Over here you aren't allowed to park rear of the vehicle towards sidewalk if it's directly adjacent to parking spot. Sadly the rule isn't enforced and my grandma once got hit on a sidewalk by a food truck backing up to unload.
dave78 4y ago
I've seen many, many parking lots with signs explicitly forbidding backing into spots, so that could be a reason
- bluGill 4y ago
  When the signs tell you to do something dangerous you should ignore them. If you get a lawyer you can probably fight this in court. In appeals (read expensive) the court will probably overturn the law, you should have no problems finding experts in safe driving to tell the courts what is safe.
  - dave78 4y ago
    I doubt anyone is going to bother paying a lawyer + paid experts to fight a $100 parking ticket.
- capableweb 4y ago
  Granted, I've never driven in the US, but in the rest of North America, South America, Europa and Asia, but I have never seen such a sign. Seems to be a US exclusivity. Thanks for explaining :)
  - dave78 4y ago
    It's hard to recall exactly where I've seen them, but I think typically only in lots where either the lot is very congested (like airport parking garages) or where spots and aisles are very tight (making backing in a more difficult maneuver). In my experience, drivers in the US at least are not very good at backing their cars up. I feel like the likelihood of an average driver in my area hitting a car parked next to them while trying to back into a spot would be quite high. Also, when I do see cars who backed into spots, they often did a very poor job of it and are not centered within the spot, making the spot next to them even more tight or sometimes unusable. I do agree that backing out of a spot feels very dangerous (even more so as I get older), especially when sandwiched between 2 large vehicles. Personally I try to counteract that by checking everything I can see multiple times and then backing out very slowly, giving me additional opportunity to keep checking mirrors and also giving others a chance to signal me. I generally do not back into spots for other reasons mentioned in this thread - it's just not common around here and so others do not expect it and so they pull up too close behind you before you start to reverse, and also it limits access to the rear of the car for loading up purchases.
    - dave78 4y ago
      I was searching this a bit more online and someone suggested another "good" reason for such a sign: backing in hides the rear-mounted license plate. I'm sure that's the reason in at least some places (such as airport parking), as it is common for police to run the plates of every car both to determine how long you've parked and also to check for outstanding tickets. Most states in the US do not require a front-mounted plate.
adql 4y ago
US stupidity it seems. From what I managed to google two reasons I saw was "coz they might hit shrubbery" and "some states dont require plates on front of the car"(WTF) "and if you back in police can't see them and check"

> Then I was ticketed a couple years later for backing into a space I'm sorry, but what? How? When? Where? What possible law could you break while backing into a space?

somethingreen 4y ago

Over here you aren't allowed to park rear of the vehicle towards sidewalk if it's directly adjacent to parking spot. Sadly the rule isn't enforced and my grandma once got hit on a sidewalk by a food truck backing up to unload.

dave78 4y ago

I've seen many, many parking lots with signs explicitly forbidding backing into spots, so that could be a reason

bluGill 4y ago
When the signs tell you to do something dangerous you should ignore them. If you get a lawyer you can probably fight this in court. In appeals (read expensive) the court will probably overturn the law, you should have no problems finding experts in safe driving to tell the courts what is safe.
- dave78 4y ago
  I doubt anyone is going to bother paying a lawyer + paid experts to fight a $100 parking ticket.
capableweb 4y ago
Granted, I've never driven in the US, but in the rest of North America, South America, Europa and Asia, but I have never seen such a sign. Seems to be a US exclusivity. Thanks for explaining :)
- dave78 4y ago
  It's hard to recall exactly where I've seen them, but I think typically only in lots where either the lot is very congested (like airport parking garages) or where spots and aisles are very tight (making backing in a more difficult maneuver). In my experience, drivers in the US at least are not very good at backing their cars up. I feel like the likelihood of an average driver in my area hitting a car parked next to them while trying to back into a spot would be quite high. Also, when I do see cars who backed into spots, they often did a very poor job of it and are not centered within the spot, making the spot next to them even more tight or sometimes unusable. I do agree that backing out of a spot feels very dangerous (even more so as I get older), especially when sandwiched between 2 large vehicles. Personally I try to counteract that by checking everything I can see multiple times and then backing out very slowly, giving me additional opportunity to keep checking mirrors and also giving others a chance to signal me. I generally do not back into spots for other reasons mentioned in this thread - it's just not common around here and so others do not expect it and so they pull up too close behind you before you start to reverse, and also it limits access to the rear of the car for loading up purchases.
  - dave78 4y ago
    I was searching this a bit more online and someone suggested another "good" reason for such a sign: backing in hides the rear-mounted license plate. I'm sure that's the reason in at least some places (such as airport parking), as it is common for police to run the plates of every car both to determine how long you've parked and also to check for outstanding tickets. Most states in the US do not require a front-mounted plate.

adql 4y ago

US stupidity it seems. From what I managed to google two reasons I saw was "coz they might hit shrubbery" and "some states dont require plates on front of the car"(WTF) "and if you back in police can't see them and check"