Bassackwards

Occasionally, I run across something that baffles me. For example, I am mystified when I watch the Discovery Channel do a program on how the Egyptians made the pyramids.  I wonder how a bunch of caveman built Stonehenge. And I don’t know if anyone will figure out why those enormous heads on Easter Island were carved.  As for Machu Pichu. - I’ve got no clue. 

But there is another puzzle that also has me flummoxed. Why are so many people backing into parking places?

This is a rather recent phenomenon, but it is definitely happening.  I went to the YMCA today and the parking lot had at least a third of the cars had their headlights pointing out.  When I was in my twenties I had a friend of mine who always backed his car in the driveway because he had an expired car tag. Did the same thing at Walmart. I get that.  But surely there can’t be that many people who have out of date car registrations.  Perhaps some of these folks have knocked off a liquor store or two, and they’re doing it out of habit to make a quick escape. Or maybe they’ve watched too many Batman movies where the Batmobile comes roaring out of the Batcave to chase the bad guys.  

I’m not one of those people.  Speaking personally,  I can’t back into a parking place with my truck if I had six cameras on my bumper and a spotter. I even stress out when that guy at the car wash directs me to the left or right when I’m pulling in front first. 

Naturally, to come up with an answer, I went to the end all, be all source of knowledge (other than my wife and a guy a church), Google.  The primary reason the backwards parkers do what they is because they believe it can cut down on accidents.  I can appreciate this theory, but don’t necessarily buy it.  Most cars in parking lots are not moving at breakneck speed (unless they have just knocked off a liquor store), so backing out works just fine, if you just exercise caution - which you should do when operating a vehicle anyway. I wonder how many of these same people text when they drive. 

The second reason given by the backer-inners is that you save time when you’re leaving. Once again, unless you’re Batman, or you just robbed a convenience store,  I don’t believe that saving an extra three seconds is that important. And all of us should take into consideration that someone who has to make a nine-point turn to properly back in a parking spot can delay traffic - just not for them. 

Still, it’s happening with increasing frequency. Right now, I’m sitting in a library parking lot with ten other cars, four of which have backed into their spots.  Evidently, those four drivers want to come roaring out of the parking lot with their new stash of borrowed books. 

The next thing you know, people will be going in through the out door to save time, or climbing up a down escalator for the exercise.  What a world we live in.