I find it more convenient to drive in forwards-partly because of access to the boot, partly because I'm lousy at reverse parking!

I don't buy the 'hitting another car while reversing' argument. If you look where you're going, you won't hit anything. I wouldn't buy a car with poor 3/4 vision.

The argument is resolved by going to the end of the car park furthest away from the shop door. Then you'll find two empty spaces fore and aft. Forwards in, forwards out!

If you've got an estate car or a Chelsea Tractor it's usually easier to go in nose first so you can get the cargo door open ...

I always go into a space forwards and reverse out. I've never had a problem. I too like to be able to put the shopping bags into the boot without having to carry them any further than I have to (when you have filled those big orange 'reuseable' bags with milk and tins etc, they are heavy and require two hands to lift anyway)

Reverse into every space every time, when you arrive you know what the situation is, when you come to leave the situation will be unknown, but you'll get out no problem.

I see the drive in mentality on motorway service areas, no getting stuff in the boot excuses then. Why do people buy cars that they are totally unable to handle, watched a couple of exec type fellows pull in to Stansted Services (thats what i know it as anyway, not as i'd ever use the place except for a comfort stop) parking slots, one in an A6, one in a 407 coupe, both totally unable to manoeuver the things, they both drove in and like most of the other drive in cars in the line ended up herringbone pattern straddling the bays.

It really is pitiful to watch, why do men buy cars that are blatantly too big for them to cope with, women seem to have far more sense when car buying, they don't need a masculine extension so buy a car adequate for their needs, and factor maybe subconciously parking requirements into their choice.

Well you're not going to like my approach but i tend to park in the Pick Up Only point of my local supermarket as they dont have any parking wombles to tell me otherwise. And i tend to go down in the evening where its dead and im hardly in anybodies way. When i had a Peugeot 406 i used to be able to get away with parking in the little Taxi layby bit also as it blended in perfectly. If im there for more than a quick pop-in-and-out though i will often hunt for a space nobody else likes, if thats not possible then park across two down the bottom end of the car park. Its a nice car and i dont want some Golf driving chav to dent it as he dismounts from his council estate chariot. Its not my fault parking spaces arent big enough for big luxury cars which are 100% required to go and get some milk in is it?!

Edited by jamie745 on 06/09/2011 at 15:31