A Reddit User Asks ‘Why Do Mainers Like To Back Into Parking Spots?’
This caught my attention because I find myself doing it all the time now.
I live on a very busy street in Bangor, so when there is a huge snowstorm that happens overnight, there are many times I will wake up to find out that the city plow has come by SEVERAL times, and buried me even deeper into my driveway, which is no fun when you leave for work at 5 a.m.
Over time, it occurred to me that instead of getting up even earlier and digging my way out, I came to the realization that if I backed my vehicle into the driveway, I could just barrel my way out by stomping on the gas, and out onto the street. Lazy? Maybe, but it works.
I have noticed many times that I see people backing into parking spots no matter what the weather is, and I always wondered why. A person posed this question to Reddit users, and as always, there were some funny, angry, and helpful answers.
thesiegetooktoulon asks
Why do Mainers like to back up into parking spaces?
They take such pride in it. What's the deal?
Ninjakick666
Cuz in the winter you need to be pointed in the correct direction to blast thru the snowdrifts on yer way back out.
Alternative_Minute93
Yeah also this, if don’t have 4WD better to drive out.
sharoom5
It is safer when leaving the parking space to face forward.
LaChanz
Backing out into traffic is dangerous.
CombinationSea6976
I drive a pickup and I always look for what I call the “pull through “ in a parking lot, driving across a parking space and ahead into the forward connecting one so my vehicle is facing outwards and I don’t have to back up when leaving.
pubhousethrowaway22
I do the same exact thing. It's not Maine specific, live in TN, and have lived my whole life in southern states. It's just the best way to park.
SoPo
Lots should have more single diagonal pull through spots as they avoid the entire issue of soccer moms with bloated SUVS backing into someone or something
janmichaelvintage
more single diagonal pull through spots. Never seen single diagonals but drivers around here definitely don't have the skills to navigate parking lots with double diagonal spots and one way lanes.
DndGuyWithQuestions
I don't know Jerry, why don’t you lay the observational punch line on me.
Guygan
“It’s gold, Jerry!!! GOLD!!!”
pongcom64
For some that do this it is because they learned it in the military.
wilcojus
To assert dominance, it’s the ultimate power move.
Alternative_Minute93
Everyone should back into a parking space.
When you back in you can see completely to your left, your right, and behind you.
When you back out you’re blind to the left and right, some of this has been reduced by cameras and sensors
Best practice is to never back blind unless absolutely necessary.
Guygan
“I saw three people in Maine do this mundane thing that for some reason annoys me, and now I want to know why all Mainers do this thing”.
grc207
For some reason Mainers are very good at backing into parking spots and very bad at backing out of them. I’m sure there’s a correlation.