Country town parking

[Boza]

I just came back from a weekend in the bush I have been wondering ever since I was a kid why do people in country twons always park backwards even in angle parking on the main street I parked normally like I do in the city nose first as I was busting for the toilet and couldn't wait when I came out of the pub I was getting funny looks from the locals I even overheard one guy saying he coldn't wait till the school holidays were over and all the tourists went away didn't know us parking funny bothered them that much

[malazn mafia]

Wait until you visit NSW and apparently its the law? I found out $100 later parked 11pm on a quiet street, and the ticket for 'Not parked rear to kerb' was done by a police officer who obviously had nothing better to do.

[superfly]

It's easier to pull out of the parking spot when you've reversed into it.

I've noticed the same thing in country towns. Maybe they all like making quick getaways

Back in the early 90s I was fined $60 for this in Parkes.

[Itsme]

Who cares, would not worry about it as you did not break any laws unless it was sign posted stating you must reverse in.

[Ford_The_Win]

I have only come across this in country NSW, not in Vic. It's weird!

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by malazn mafia

Wait until you visit NSW and apparently its the law? I found out $100 later parked 11pm on a quiet street, and the ticket for 'Not parked rear to kerb' was done by a police officer who obviously had nothing better to do.

This is a link to NSW parking laws which states nose in the kerb unless sign states otherwise.

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/licensing/...s_handbook.pdf

[EB#]

I live in country NSW and we have both situations, nose in/rear in, in different towns
in my area.............. Go figure ? It's usually sign posted.

[GasoLane]

As others have said, not all towns have rear to kerb parking.

Rear to kerb parking is a great way hold up traffic in main streets (ie. it's a pain unless you live there).
It's also good for the local spare parts people as the sell a heap of left rear mudflaps that have been torn off by the extra high kerbs.

[malazn mafia]

Originally Posted by trublu

This is a link to NSW parking laws which states nose in the kerb unless sign states otherwise.

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/licensing/...s_handbook.pdf

There was a sign obstructed by tree branches, it was at the other end of the parking lot and it was 11pm at night and I had just driven 6 hours.

[4stanger]

I have learnt a lesson in recent years when I would nose in first at shopping centre car parks in a small hatch, only to come out later and find Lancruiser/Patrol type wagons park both sides of me, try backing out then, with minimal vision either side with these large 4wd beside you! Almost every 2nd person (or more) up this way drive these SUV type vehicles.
I now always pratice, 'whenever it is possible' reverse into parking spots, its alot easier to get out.

[gtxb67]

Originally Posted by EB92

I live in country NSW and we have both situations, nose in/rear in, in different towns
in my area.............. Go figure ? It's usually sign posted.

does it need to be sign posted
when at bathurst you virtually have to reverse in don't you. why anyone would try driving in at bathurst is beyond my belief
and when the rule is to drive in, reversing in would probably be just plain wrong

from the parking spaces i have seen it is blatantly obvious - especially if others have already parked

[XR Martin]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

As others have said, not all towns have rear to kerb parking.

Rear to kerb parking is a great way hold up traffic in main streets (ie. it's a pain unless you live there).
.

As opposed to nose to kerb where people have to reverse into oncoming traffic? Reversing out of a space isnt exactly safe when you might have a 4wd on both sides of you.

[Ben73]

Its Safer.

Honestly if I was given the choice, I would back in every time over nose in, Especially on public roads.

[ZA-289]

never heard of having to reverse park in. if you did that in any country town in SA then they would look at you funny....

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Different towns are set up differently.

Moree in NSW for example is a reverse park town, as the parking spaces are angled back so it would be impossible to drive in, much better IMO as most people have large 4x4 vehicles, and reversing out would be impossible without causing some sort of accident.

Go to Goondiwindi just over the border in Qld and its drive in front first only, as the parking spaces are angled that way, if you are by yourself it's often pot luck as you need to reverse out, as you are reversing into traffic in the main street blind most of the time. Unless you have an offsider to assist you and guide you out.

PS: When in Rome do as the Romans do, and generally if you want to not look like a dick see what the locals are doing and follow suit

[FGII-XR6]

rear to kerb is far safer as you don't have to reverse out into moving traffic, easier to see what's coming. all our angle parking is rear to kerb with signs saying so but some people are too stupid to read signs and go nose in on an angle opposite to everyone else. you would think with signs and everyone else at the different angle they would think, but no they just ignore it all

[mike_nofx]

Originally Posted by Arnaldo

I have learnt a lesson in recent years when I would nose in first at shopping centre car parks in a small hatch, only to come out later and find Lancruiser/Patrol type wagons park both sides of me, try backing out then, with minimal vision either side with these large 4wd beside you! Almost every 2nd person (or more) up this way drive these SUV type vehicles.
I now always pratice, 'whenever it is possible' reverse into parking spots, its alot easier to get out.

How do you get the trolley to the rear of the car when you reverse in?
Or large objects into the boot of your car when backed in, particularly if the bloke who parks behind you moves right up close?

[Falconson71]

Yeah they're all about this in my town, only on the main though. Got reeeeally good at my 45 degree parks working as a pizza delivery dude. I think it's mainly because it's easier to leave. I do hate that traffic gets held up whenever someone decides to park, all because they don't know how to pull all the way over, and aren't courteous enough to let others pass before they try. I've seen massive semi's have to gear all the way down and stop because of some of these fools.

[2011G6E]

It's the done thing out here at work because the damn mines all mandate rear-in parking.
In Gracemere where we just got a house the main street is reverse-in as well...it's super fun, and means people usually have to have a couple of goes at lining up in a park, because you're watching the traffic roaring up behind you, trying to line up with lines you can;t really see because they're on the opposite side of the car to where you sit, and then you have to worry about graunching your rear end on gutters that are hard to judge. Even with reverse cameras it isn't much easier.

...great idea...

[robbyj]

never seen or heard of an accident from someone reversing out of a park backwards.

[Quasi]

Main street of Batemans Bay is rear to kerb (or at least it was when I was last there).

It can be hazardous to even drive through there, as a number of them seem to think they need to swing reverse their Subaru wagons and Volvos as though they are parking an articulated vehicle.

[4stanger]

Originally Posted by mike_nofx

How do you get the trolley to the rear of the car when you reverse in?
Or large objects into the boot of your car when backed in, particularly if the bloke who parks behind you moves right up close?

With a small hatch it is easy, there is room to leave the trolley at the front of the car to load it & there is also no real reason to back all the way in, small hatches are almost half the length of Landcruiser/Patrol wagons.
With large objects, don't bring the small hatch for this purpose, plan to bring some thing bigger and park it in the loading dock.

[mike_nofx]

Fair enough, but I do enjoy a good laugh when seeing people who have backed in struggle to get a trolley full of grocery bags between 2 cars and to the rear of their car. More so when the carpark is on a slight slope and the trolley wants to keep running off.

[Falconson71]

In our town access from the shops is on the sidewalk anyway so you just load straight into the back of the car!

P.s Nofx are awesome

[bobthebilda]

There is no extra safety in the act of driving in nose first or backing in rear to kerb . On one you may stop the traffic coming out, the other you stop the traffic going in.

The extra safety comes into it when a) you are reversing in (rear to kerb) you have already stopped or slowed the traffic behind you (when you come out you are going with flow of traffic). However when you are reversing out (from nose to kerb) you are potentially reversing into traffic that is doing the speed limit.
and b) most people are more aware when parking than when they are leaving (either after hard day at work or dragging kids along for a shopping trip). Much better to do the more difficult part first (whilst more aware).

One of the large Oil companies even had it as a rule a few years back (if you had a company car) that if able to, you had to park rear to kerb (which wasnt possible for some 45 degree (nose first) street parking)

[aussie muscle]

We do rear to kerb parking just to annoy people. i'm staggered how many 'drivers' can't reverse and turn at the same time. I saw one woman who tried to back in, twice and hit another car, twice!

Originally Posted by mike_nofx

How do you get the trolley to the rear of the car when you reverse in?

no good in a 'parking lot' but for street parking, you can go from the side-walk to the boot, easy.

[XR Martin]

Originally Posted by bobthebilda

There is no extra safety in the act of driving in nose first or backing in rear to kerb . On one you may stop the traffic coming out, the other you stop the traffic going in.

The safety factor is when leaving the space. Reversing out when parked between two 4wds is far less safe than driving out forwards when parked in the same manner.

Also as a driver of trucks, you dont reverse into oncoming traffic. You reverse into where you are intending to go (up a driveway etc) and then it is far safer to leave a driveway when you can see what's coming.

[bobthebilda]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

The safety factor is when leaving the space. Reversing out when parked between two 4wds is far less safe than driving out forwards when parked in the same manner.
.

Been implemented in towns long before 4wds become the norm. One other factor i forgot to mention was that reversed angle parking means the driver is on the side of oncoming traffic (during parking and especially on leaving), thus view is less obstructed.

[Bushbasher]

Coming from SA to NSW I was confronted with reverse in parking and just shake my head when half the population couldn't reverse park straight to save their lives. Another thing with reverse in, is as said, you hold up the traffic and if you take 2-3-4 attempts to get it right or are a ditherer and nervous reverser, you've held up traffic for over a minute where as if you drive in front on you're out of the traffic immediately and lined up correctly 9 times out 0f 10 and haven't hit anything. Then reversing out into an open space takes 1 attempt instead of multiple times and you're on your way without holding up traffic for any length of time. Most people will give you the room as soon as they see your reverse lights come on and those that don't will give you room as soon as they see you start to move. you back up a foot or so and stop, this lets oncoming traffic know you're moving then back out gently and stay close to the back of the parked cars around you so the impatient ones can get around you. All in all, nose in is a lot less time holding up traffic and a lot less damage to rear mudflaps, valances, bumpers and tailgates because as we all know, councils will insist on putting their parking signs, bins and benches 6 inches from the kerb, not to mention awning and verandah posts, so you've got something to back into.........crunch!!


Bushbasher

[Boza]

Originally Posted by trublu

Who cares, would not worry about it as you did not break any laws unless it was sign posted stating you must reverse in.

I'm just curious as to why they do it mate that's all