I've backed 10 tons of dual axle trailer down a narrow dead end after work 5-6 days a week. With a manual truck. With a blocked rear veiw.
Besides awesome and a blowhard, what does that make me?
I've backed 10 tons of dual axle trailer down a narrow dead end after work 5-6 days a week. With a manual truck. With a blocked rear veiw.
Besides awesome and a blowhard, what does that make me?
TurboFocus wrote: I'm not trying to get into a wiener swinging competition with you but rather prove a point. Europeans are better drivers because they have a more difficult environment to drive in. Now I'm glad you have issues driving a cargo truck in a big city. I'd assume most major cities like that have those issues, Brussels has them. But so do smaller towns, literally a tenth the size of Brussels. Or towns even smaller than the ones I just mentioned.. With an e46 I've shared a similar experiences in places much much smaller than anywhere you've listed, sure I wasn't skimming mirrors but I couldn't open my door and get out like a normal human being, I'd have to do the whole shimmy and wiggle deal to get out if I chose to. A fat guy certainly couldn't leave his car in some of the smaller roads with buildings on either side. Now I don't know about Boston or Chicago roads but I don't think it's normal in the states to be driving along a normal two way road when out of no where you're slamming on the brakes because around the bend is a spot where they decided it's a good idea to make a one lane underpass. One side must stop while the other goes underneath a bridge. No construction or signs, that's normal life for those people. That exact problem has happened twice in the past six months in different spots, in a small town and medium sized town. There are a lot of random one car pass bends in the region I'm in, for one turn only during that turn, only one car can pass. Every town I've been to is laid out like spaghetti, much like Boston is. With the exception of those east coast cities and inner portion of big cities. US uses a grid pattern and much bigger roads.
You do bring up a good point. In the town I currently live in, the side streets are narrow. Not one car only narrow, but enough that with street parking on both sides, people will -not- pass each other going the other way, they will wait patiently until the car coming passes and then goes. In Europe or any large American City, they would have went instead of waiting. Here they lack the knowledge of how big their car is to make the pass
In reply to TurboFocus:
That is the wise choice. At the time, they had the highest rate of auto related fatalities in the western hemisphere.
In reply to mad_machine:
It's just a different ball game ya know?
Other than all the mountains I'm around I think that driving in the US is just better.
In reply to TurboFocus:
I just wish we had more twisty roads. grids suck if your car is set up for turning
mad_machine wrote: In reply to TurboFocus: I just wish we had more twisty roads. grids suck if your car is set up for turning
Or if your motorcycle isn't a cruiser.
Backing into parking spaces is stupid. Yes, the car is more maneuverable when steering with the rear wheels, but it's better to maximize visibility in the tight confines of the parking space. There's also the fact that approximately 0.001% of American drivers back into parking spaces, meaning that you're going to confuse everyone else in the parking lot when you try it. You're just as likely to have someone rush up behind you to steal your parking space when backing in as you are to have someone charging down the aisle when you're backing out.
In reply to codrus:
You'll never rob a bank with that attitude.
My city put up mandated back in parking to "protect" the idiots that ride bikes in the street. It lasted 3 months before they reversed it. In That time four cyclists we're smoked (serves them right for riding in the road.) the point? Back in parking is fun. 
In reply to codrus:
I've had a few cases of people stealing a spot out from behind me while backing in, but far more cases of being between 2 big-ass SUVs, where if I were backing out, I wouldn't be able to see any traffic coming down the row of spaces until I was most of the way out of the space.
Plus, some people think I'm crazy for this, but I find it much easier to park straight and centered in a spot when backing in.
Trackmouse wrote: My city put up mandated back in parking to "protect" the idiots that ride bikes in the street. It lasted 3 months before they reversed it. In That time four cyclists we're smoked (serves them right for riding in the road.) the point? Back in parking is fun.
I am confused here.. protect people who ride their bikes in the street. I do not know of a single town around here that allows people to ride their bikes on the sidewalk in the first place, so riding on the street is their only option
mad_machine wrote:Trackmouse wrote: My city put up mandated back in parking to "protect" the idiots that ride bikes in the street. It lasted 3 months before they reversed it. In That time four cyclists we're smoked (serves them right for riding in the road.) the point? Back in parking is fun.I am confused here.. protect people who ride their bikes in the street. I do not know of a single town around here that allows people to ride their bikes on the sidewalk in the first place, so riding on the street is their only option
This. Biking in the street is much safer than sidewalks. Cars are much more predictable than pedestrians... Just requires the cyclists to follow the rules and be responsible.
rslifkin wrote: Just requires the cyclists to follow the rules and be responsible.
Now that's funny right there!
codrus wrote: Backing into parking spaces is stupid. Yes, the car is more maneuverable when steering with the rear wheels, but it's better to maximize visibility in the tight confines of the parking space. There's also the fact that approximately 0.001% of American drivers back into parking spaces, meaning that you're going to confuse everyone else in the parking lot when you try it. You're just as likely to have someone rush up behind you to steal your parking space when backing in as you are to have someone charging down the aisle when you're backing out.
Actually, when you back in you look into the spot you're going use as you pull past it and the chances of something changing that you can't see between when you pass the spot and start to back in are pretty slim. Whereas when you back out there's all kinds of stuff that happens between when you check behind the vehicle and the time you've gotten in, started it and put your seat belt on. That's why pretty much every company with rules about such things mandates backing in. If you have difficulty when backing into a space that's a different issue.
It is annoyingly common to have people try and rush into the spot you're backing into but you can see them do it unlike when they fly up the isle while you're backing out. Having people steal spots, or just obliviously pull up behind you, while you're parallel parking is also annoyingly common but that doesn't mean that parallel parking is stupid.
mad_machine wrote:Trackmouse wrote: My city put up mandated back in parking to "protect" the idiots that ride bikes in the street. It lasted 3 months before they reversed it. In That time four cyclists we're smoked (serves them right for riding in the road.) the point? Back in parking is fun.I am confused here.. protect people who ride their bikes in the street. I do not know of a single town around here that allows people to ride their bikes on the sidewalk in the first place, so riding on the street is their only option
Yeah, well he's in Sisters, Oregon. Go look it up. I'm surprised they have a stop light.
codrus wrote: There's also the fact that approximately 0.001% of American drivers back into parking spaces
It's actually something like 6%. Citation
I back into all parking spots. THere are a few reasons:
I'm sure I'm leaving something out but it's probably beyond you anyhow.
In reply to Huckleberry:
A lot of the time it seems like you read my mind.
rslifkin wrote:mad_machine wrote:This. Biking in the street is much safer than sidewalks. Cars are much more predictable than pedestrians... Just requires the cyclists to follow the rules and be responsible.Trackmouse wrote: My city put up mandated back in parking to "protect" the idiots that ride bikes in the street. It lasted 3 months before they reversed it. In That time four cyclists we're smoked (serves them right for riding in the road.) the point? Back in parking is fun.I am confused here.. protect people who ride their bikes in the street. I do not know of a single town around here that allows people to ride their bikes on the sidewalk in the first place, so riding on the street is their only option
Yes. Bicycles are supposed to be ridden on the street, not sidewalk. Around here, you'll get a ticket for riding on the sidewalk.
In reply to penultimeta:
Some people believe anyone that rides a bicycle is an idiot. My wife and I were riding around our neighborhood with my son and got assaulted with a verbal shot gun blast by one such person. Sounds like Trackmouse may not like cyclists very much.
APEowner wrote: It is annoyingly common to have people try and rush into the spot you're backing into but you can see them do it unlike when they fly up the isle while you're backing out. Having people steal spots, or just obliviously pull up behind you, while you're parallel parking is also annoyingly common but that doesn't mean that parallel parking is stupid.
Parallel parking is unavoidable, backing into parking spaces is not.
I don't think it's any harder to see someone driving down the aisle than it is to see someone dashing in behind you to try to take your parking space. Certainly it's never been a problem for me. The unwritten rule around here is that if you've pulled past an open spot, you've given up your right to take it. Nobody will make room for you to back up into it.
It's a total PITA to try to load groceries into your trunk if your car is parked backwards. Well, unless you're driving a mid-engine car like a Ferrari or an Elise -- then it's just a total PITA to try to load groceries into it at either end because there's no space. :)
As for registration, I'm much more likely to get a parking ticket for no-front-plate (grr, California) than I am for unpaid registration. Given that, I'd rather they weren't staring at the front of my car. :)
I can back into parking spaces, I just think it's better to pull in the normal way. As for 6% -- that article just specifies that the rate in the US is below 6%, it doesn't specify how far below.
Huh. A thread that should have devolved into a pissing contest about one's choices in transmissions, devolves into a pissing contest about parking choices, with a few disparaging bicycle remarks thrown in for good measure. Had I taken a bet on this thread, I would have lost. Jesus Christ!
In reply to Appleseed:
We like to keep things interesting.
In reply to codrus:
If you do it right it's hard for someone to steal your spot. I turn towards the spot then away so that the back of the car is already pointed toward the spot before there's space for another car to get in.
As for the bicycle argument they are children's toys. Children and their toys don't belong in traffic. 
Appleseed wrote: Jesus Christ!
Nailed it!
Appleseed wrote: Huh. A thread that should have devolved into a pissing contest about one's choices in transmissions, devolves into a pissing contest about parking choices, with a few disparaging bicycle remarks thrown in for good measure. Had I taken a bet on this thread, I would have lost. Jesus Christ!
Now this guy brings in religion into our civilized conversation. Great!
You'll need to log in to post.
