You pull into a parking spot, next to someone that you happen to notice that their wheels are turned inward. IOW, they didn't straighten out their wheels when they parked. Ever wonder, "if that vehicle leaves before me, will they remember to turn their wheels straight, so the won't hit me when backing out of the parking spot. I know this happens, because I done it one with a medium size flatbed truck and hit the car that was parked next to me. I was making a company delivery, pulled into the parking lot of a Winchell's Donut Shop and pulled into a parking spot from the left side. I had to turn my wheels to get into the spot. Unfortunately, I forgot to turn my wheels back. Got a donut and coffee, got back in the truck, started it up and started backing up out of the parking spot. After a second, the truck stopped moving. At first I thought the parking brake was on, but, nope. So, I continued to try and back up, not realizing I backed into the left quarter panel of the car parked next to me and was making the dent even bigger. Finally, got out of the truck and could see what was stopping the truck from backing up more. Got in the truck and pulled forward a few inches and straightened out the wheels. The person that own the vehicle was in the donut shop and I informed them what happened. They were very understanding and took my information and I called the company. I was not fired and the truck, and her vehicle was fixed. So, since then, I always make sure my wheels are straight when I park, and, if by chance, like last weekend, I notice a vehicle (car/pickup) next to me (parked) with wheels turned in (either way), I will move to a different parking spot.
Turning your front wheels with the front of them into the curb is the safest thing to do, especially if on a slope regardless of direction. If someone backs into your vehicle, then your rear tires will be shoved into the curb, not the vehicle behind you. If hit from behind, then your front tires will be pushed into the curb. Suppose one was in front of you parked within the legal lines and you were parked on a downhill slope with your front tires straight and then you are hit from behind hard and your vehicle is driven into the one in front of you. Who is legally responsible for the damage your vehicle did to the one it hit, even though your vehicle was pushed into it? When insurance lawyers battle which party is responsible, the crux of the matter lies with how your front wheels were oriented. With front tires cranked in hard, chances are your vehicle would have never been pushed into the one in front of you, but the curb instead. If they were cranked out, you might have been pushed into the street, causing an accident. If straight into the one in front of you. A good example is the parallel parking in our ranch town, especially in front or in the block of the boot and saddle maker. Our town is a community where a large number of vehicles are high dual cab long bed four-wheel drive pickups with extended rear hitches. If you find a parking spot that doesn't require a 3 or 4-block walk, then you have to squeeze in a spot that offers no room outside of the legal lines to maneuver. If you are skilled enough to get in that spot, cranking your front tires INTO the curb is a smart move since more than once in those squeezed spots, vehicles have been shoved from behind and their radiators driven into those extended hitches. A few years ago I came out from the boot shop to my single cab 4x4 pickup and I regretted having removed the hitch because some old cranky lady parked behind me and then had one of those ranch pickups behind her leaving her little room to back her long old Oldsmobile and get out, so she pushed my PU from behind and since my front tires were cut in, skinned the curb one up good as she pushed me into the hitch of the ranch vehicle in front of me. Thanks to my cell phone, I photographed it so my insurance paid for repairs, and then they went after her insurance for all damages to the front and back of my vehicle. Her insurance at first refused to pay for the front damage, but because I had photos of my wheels cut into the curbs and the blackened curb, it proved it was a malicious shoveling, not an accidental bump, so the arbitrator order them to pay and they did. Recently when I took my boots into the boot shop, I was teased about coming in wearing my new USA-made walking shoes. Bootmaker: "You becoming a city slicker Faye?" Me: "Nope just avoiding trouble in my old age." BM: "Well that is a first, how so?" Me: " You remember that cranky old lady that shoved my PU a few years ago?" BM: "Yeah, but what does that have to do with coming into my handmade boot shop wearing tenny runners?" Me: "Well, I had to walk four blocks to get here and I don't do well walking that far on concrete wearing high-heeled boots." BM: "Why didn't you just take that spot right out in front behind that dually?" Me: "Because even though I don't drive an old Olds, I have become that old cranky lady and didn't want trouble."
When I park in a parking space between two cars or trucks, I always leave the front wheels alone so when I exit, I leave the same way as I entered into the spot. The bottom line though is “whatever”. as in, whatever makes you a better operator of the machine is what you should do. Note: You must be up for a driving test. Two threads back to back on operating a vehicle.
Well, excuse the poo out of me! In a parking lot, I can't see that it makes any difference how one has their front wheels cranked. My only concern is those that park close to their lines or out of their lines and slams their doors into the vehicle next to them. If they are in their spot even with the front wheels cranked, it is almost impossible to hit the vehicle next to them backing out. Sorry, I took the time to interact with you.
Well, Faye and Bobby, if you leave your front wheels turned in (to the right or left) and there is a vehicle parked on each side of you, and you forget to straighten out your wheels, when backing out of the spot, you will hit the vehicle next to you. Because, as you are coming out of the spot, you won't be going straight back. Your front will be going to the right or left.........right into the vehicle that is parked next to you.
Right on Don! If one has their front wheels straight, then they will have to crank their wheels the same as they entered to back out.
Well, if you would've read my opening, you could've understood what I was explaining. It had nothing to do with parking next to a curb. Nothing wrong with interacting with me, except to read/understand what I was explaining. I didn't put "curb parking" in the title.
No they would not! Backing straight back out of a parking spot and then turning the front wheels is the way it's done. Not turning the front wheels until you are clear of the car parked next to you. Oh well, guess it would take a "visual" thing to explain better, but can't do that here.
I held a commercial driving license for 35 years until I had to relinquish it due to vestibular nerve loss. If your front wheels are cranked so far in you have to straighten them to get out without hitting the vehicle next to you, then you entered cutting corners. It is common sense and a fact of physics, that you will exit just as you entered if you don't change the front wheel positioning after you park, assuming you didn't jockey back and forth for a well-centered poisition. Straightening your wheels after you are parked makes no sense. Also, you need to make it clear in your opening post what you want to discuss and what you don't. If you had done so, then I wouldn't have wasted my time on such a narrow focused, and unscientific discussion. If you think I am wrong, next time you park, back out without turning your wheels just as you did coming in. Keep em straight and see where that gets you. Have your insurance card handy. If in your OP you had specified a vehicle with cranked front tires parked very crooked in a spot indicating they cut the corner of the other spot getting in, then that is a valid point but no discussion would follow simply because there is nothing to discuss.
#1. In Faye’s defense, you didn’t specify whether you were referring to parking on a flat surface or not and she gave the answer that a driving instructor would expect. #2. I already gave you the allowance of doing whatever makes you a better operator of the vehicle. I noted your suggestion but decided that the way I operate a vehicle is best for me.
Neither of you truly understand what I'm talking about, so..............as usual, I'm wrong. Guess I'd just better "Log-Out" for a while or whatever. I can seriously tell that I wouldn't be missed. Or, just like the old 2-word saying goes, "Oh well!"
Anyone with any length of time driving would know what you’re talking about Cody and you’re neither right nor wrong. I have never had a problem parking the way I do and if you have no problem parking the way you do then so be it. Even when parallel parking, I leave the wheels alone so again, I exit the same as I entered. Even if I have to nose in a bit at the end of the ordeal, I leave the wheels alone so I nose back out without the trouble of having to turn the wheels again.
I read your opening post. You said parking spot and never indicated if it was in a parking lot that you only wanted to discuss. If you had, I wouldn't have responded because there is nothing to discuss. Yes, there is something wrong with interacting with you because you purposely seek disagreement and attention. Against my better judgment, I was offering what I know from experience in a friendly way since I saw your thread was dead. I thought a little humor might be appreciated, but no you took issue with me immediately, and now I get the message loud and clear why so many put you on ignore. .
How do you expect anyone to understand what you are talking about when you omit necessary information? Is this parking lot you want to discuss have 45 or 90-degree parking spaces? Is it one lane or two lanes? In the ideal 90-degree two-lane parking lot, if a skilled driver pulls into a spot and is centered perfectly, then their front wheels will be straight when they park and not straightened after they have parked. When they exit, they will have to repeat turning the same as they entered. However, very few are centered and perfectly parked and their front wheels are slightly turned and can back out in a reverse path turning the wheel the same as they did entering. The ideal final position after the backing is centered in the lane they backed and their wheels will be straight so they can proceed forward. Every parking lot is different and every parked car is different. I never look at how their front wheels are cranked in a parking lot, but rather how they are centered in their spot.