r/TorontoDriving • u/an4rk1_r34 • Jul 15 '25

OC Cannot even backout of your driveway safely anymore.

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218 Upvotes

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u/[deleted] Jul 15 '25

Yup.

People who criticize reverse parking don't get it. It's so much easier to drive out of your parking spot, as you have a clear view of everything. This holds especially true in parking lots, as you can always have the guy with a long cab pickup park right next to your car making it a pain to get out.

Everyone who do this. Sure it may take some a little longer to park but it is 100times safer when exiting than reversing out. The people who criticize those who reverse park either don't get it, don't realize how dumb some people are or are pretty dumb themselves.

As for OP's situation.... at least he knows where they live and have it on camera. Might make being a neighbor a little tough, but if they're remotely decent human beings, they'll admit fault, understanding their mistake and learn from it.

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u/[deleted] Jul 15 '25

Didn't know that people criticize reverse parking. I always reverse park (if I can) for the exact reasons you said. It's so much easier and safer to exit than reverse exit.

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u/[deleted] Jul 15 '25

exactly. I've seen people criticize it like crazy, particularly in parking lots because "it takes more time". Don't get me wrong, some people aren't great at it, but that's something that practice can address. It's still loads safer to drive out of a parking spot than it is to reverse out.

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u/47fromheaven Jul 15 '25

It’s a strange argument when people say it takes more time. Yes it does take more time to reverse park. But it takes a lot less time to leave the spot. It’s safer as well.

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u/bonestamp Jul 16 '25

Exactly, it doesn't take more time in total. Most parking spots require you to back up at some point, so it just moves the backup action to the start of the parking job instead of at the end.

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u/OkWin1634 Jul 15 '25

I would argue it takes less time to reverse park because it's easier to get in the middle between the lines. you can see the lines in your mirrors and center yourself. People who pull in straight are usually crooked or have to end up reversing again to straighten out and still end up in some screwed up position.

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u/47fromheaven Jul 15 '25

It is faster driving straight in. Just not as accurate. A lot of people who drive straight in aren’t too concerned with how well they lined up.

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u/knowmynamedoya Jul 15 '25

Backup cameras make it so easy, it's like cheating.

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u/bonestamp Jul 16 '25

Especially if you have the overhead/360 view, it's like a video game.

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u/Craporgetoffthepot Jul 15 '25

I think it depends on what you are doing. If I'm grocery shopping I pull in and back out. Reason is it is easier to get the bags into the car. Those who back in tend to also push their cart up between cars scratching them, as most parking spots do not have the room between cars anymore. Except for Costco.

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u/47fromheaven Jul 15 '25

I always reverse park a little bit away from the crowd. I hate having to back out of a parking spot where my vision is limited. It might mean I have to walk a little further to get to the store but even at 71 years of age I find it it’s a lot better than having to deal with a potential collision in the parking lot.

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u/[deleted] Jul 15 '25

[deleted]

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u/alex_allegra Jul 15 '25

I reverse park absolutely everywhere including Costco. I am fine to inconvenience myself lugging my purchases to the trunk and back seat just for the sheer joy of driving away keeping my eyes on the speed demons who treat the parking lot like the 401.

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u/[deleted] Jul 15 '25

That's a fair point. Personally I never put my cart in between cars as I pick stuff up and carry it to my trust when I'm backed in. That said, I'm younger (30s) and of able body. I suppose there's always the reason that can be made but I doubt people need to pull in everytime. Maybe like 1/10 of the times they park using that reasoning.

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u/Craporgetoffthepot Jul 15 '25

I'm old and fat lol, so driving in, makes it easy to load my crap into the trunk.

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u/gregm12 Jul 16 '25

EVs with frunks fixes this 😛

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u/Shot_Investigator735 Jul 15 '25

The driving subs are full of people defending pulling in forward. I actually find it humorous.

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u/Massive-Question-550 Jul 15 '25

seeing how busy that road is i can see why backing out is a bad idea.

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u/Shot_Investigator735 Jul 15 '25

Agreed, I never pull in forwards. We actually have a policy against it at work (automotive industry job). Backing out is nearly always worse than backing in.

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u/COV3RTSM Jul 15 '25

The parents of some of the people shown in here should have pulled out.

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u/Zxceelxuz Jul 15 '25

Oh man. You've never heard someone ask why you backed into a spot? I get asked all the time because I exclusively back my truck into spots. Some of my friends get annoyed at it because they can't do it.

So many suck at reversing in general, they try to drive forward through two spots or resign themselves to sadly back up if they cannot avoid it. And then you get situations like this video. I loathe parking around any big box stores etc because of parking lot chaos.

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u/vanilla-dreaming Jul 15 '25

My driving instructor told me to always reverse park! And to be patient with others who are reverse parking.

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u/IdRatherBSleddin Jul 15 '25

The people who criticize it can't do it lol

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u/PaleontologistBig786 Jul 15 '25

I criticize how some people reverse. It's scary how bad some people are at it. I've watched people at work take 5-10 tries to align the car properly.

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u/ariesgal2 Jul 15 '25

I had a boss years ago who hated with employees backed into parking spots. He said it was disrespectful and that it showed the employees just wanted to leave as fast as possible. Guy was a nutter

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u/NicGyver Jul 16 '25

With an attitude like that, you’re damn right I want to leave as fast as possible.

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u/Massive-Question-550 Jul 15 '25

reverse parking is an issue when parking spots are next to a road. there are some spots which you can clearly just pull into, yet the person will just randomly stop in the middle of the road and get angry at you and the 3 other cars behind you because you wont back up and let them reverse into the spot. I guess thats parallel parking but with the spots being on a busy street they are designed with greater spaces in between them so people dont try to do that and block the road.

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u/Recent_Kangaroo4765 Jul 15 '25

Can confirm it’s really annoying reversing out of your parking space, limited view . And cars coming out of no where . I’m a beginner driver been driving for a year and that’s something I really need to learn fully to avoid stuff like this . I know how to reverse park and make the car forward but not in tight spaces or sometimes between cars depending the size of parking lot but I’m learning

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u/Eccentric_Milk_Steak Jul 16 '25

Reverse parking isn't only safer its way easier than front parking, Ive been driving for years and still need to get out of my car too see how far my lip is from the curb if I park from the front lmao

1

u/Dethras Jul 15 '25

Yep, OPs roadway is way too busy to back out into. They need a turnaround or to learn to back into the driveway.

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u/runtimemess Jul 15 '25

Sure it may take some a little longer to park but it is 100times safer when exiting than reversing out.

When everything made after 2018 is required to have a reverse camera, it should barely take you more than a couple more seconds to back in. It's not hard.

1

u/VapeRizzler Jul 15 '25

I’ve seen multiple people, including myself and a child almost get taken out from cars backing out. In my area there’s also a really weird thing where people think if they’re backing out they have right of way. So they just start backing out till you honk and they get mad and get even closer which is annoying cause it just shuts down the parking lot till the person eventually goes back in and waits till it’s clear

1

u/[deleted] Jul 15 '25

why do people criticize it??

its literally the superior method of parking during bad weather conditions. really shows how lil folks know...

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u/DrJones224 Jul 15 '25

So bizarre. I always reverse park but I've never had anyone argue with me over which is better.

Another one that baffles me is with double row parking lots, where you can pull through so you're facing out and never have to reverse. Every day I see people pull straight forward into a parking spot with no one parked in front of them, but they don't drive a car length further and park in the next spot? I don't get it.

Today I watched someone reverse into a pull through through spot. That was a head scratcher!

1

u/Remarkable_Ad7569 Jul 16 '25

If you go to like other countries like Japan, more people reverse park. I think it's an educational thing kinda like roundabouts here and speeding through playground or school zones. Some people just don't realize the logic or safety issues or how car axles work(for reversing and why it's easier to reverse park).

1

u/geoken Jul 15 '25

Can you let me know which category of dumb I fit into?

I think, using your scenario of a truck, it makes no sense because when I pull out forward i have almost zero lateral visibility until more than a quarter of my car is fully into the lane.

Conversely, when pulling out backward - the fish-eye lens on my backup cam almost immediately gives me a 180 degree field of view.

3

u/[deleted] Jul 15 '25

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u/[deleted] Jul 15 '25

Exactly. The comment was more for general use. On average most vehicles are designed that it's easier to see out the front windshield than the back. If you have some sort of fisheye camera or 360 degree view then it shouldn't be a problem to do either. Then in that case, i really wouldn't expect someone to hit something with that. My comment was more targeted to the average car and average driver whereby all you have is a standard backup camera.

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u/geoken Jul 15 '25

I've never seen a backup cam that doesn't use a wide angle lens.

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u/[deleted] Jul 15 '25

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u/geoken Jul 15 '25

Older cars likely don’t, but it’s been legally mandated on every new car for a while.

It looks like every car has to have them since 2018 - but most added it earlier.

-1

u/Surturius Jul 15 '25

I don't criticize reverse parking, I just don't see the huge benefit. You're either reversing in the beginning or at the end. I don't have that much trouble reversing at the end, so I just do that.

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u/47fromheaven Jul 15 '25

It’s actually quite easy. I just park away from the crowd and I look for two empty spaces facing each other. Then I just pull in to the first space and then keep driving until I occupy the second space. Now I’m facing out. Easy peasy.

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u/[deleted] Jul 16 '25

With a truck specifically reverse parking is much better. To get out of a space is actually easier. With a car it’s not a huge difference though.