An Open Letter to Arizona Drivers Backing into Parking Spots

A Back-First Parking Job at Our Company

When I first started working in radio, one of our on-air personalities used to back his car into a parking spot every morning.

He had a beautiful red Mustang, which already stood out against the trucks, SUVs, sedans, and basic jalopies the rest of us drove. This backing-into-a-space maneuver made him even a little more extra as if the car alone didn't make him stand out.

I always wondered why he backed his car in instead of parking headfirst like the rest of us.

Why Do Some Arizona Drivers Back Their Vehicles into a Parking Spot?

I asked him one time why he backed up, instead of just parking head-first the way everyone else did. He didn't really have an answer but gave me a lot of words that basically boiled down to the he did it because he did it tautology.

I was left with confusion and speculation. We'd get lunch together sometimes, and he even backed into his parking spots then, too. So, this wasn't just a work thing.

Some of the Reasons for Backing into Parking Spots

For me, at least, I find the practice of backing into spots an unnecessary distraction.

But if I'm being honest, it's probably more because I don't exactly have the required skills to back in, especially in tighter spaces. I'm always concerned I'm going to ding someone's car.

1. A Good Back-Up Camera?

One theory is that my friend backed into parking spots because he could: he had a really good backup camera.

It was a sweet piece of equipment. He had a really good view of what was going on behind his car, so it was easier for him to back up than it was for me.

My car is old and fairly low-tech, so my dad's advice to look back when backing back floats through my brain whenever my car's in reverse and I'm hugging the passenger seat, staring over my shoulder.

2. Ready for a Quick Get-Away?

Was my friend preparing for a quick getaway? When the workday is over, there's nothing like a quick, clean getaway.

Especially, he once told me, when a "my bad planning is now your emergency"-short-sighted sales guy could possibly stop him from leaving before he could hit the road and make a slick escape from work.

3. To Keep His Fancy Car from Getting Dinged?

My last guess is that his pretty, pretty car might have been safer if he backed in.

I'm not really sure of the science here, but my friend once implied that if our car doors didn't line up when we parked, you were less likely to ding the car next to you when you opened your car door. And cars parked next to you probably wouldn't hit your car back.

I'm not sure that's sound logic, but these are the reasons he gave me for always backing his car into spots.

Do you do back your car into parking spots? Does someone you know always back in? I need to know the logic of this one. Tell us why people back into parking spots.