Parking Bays - Left or Right?

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milomak

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I’ve recently noticed that if I have a choice of choosing a parking bay on my left or right, more often than not I choose the one on the left.

My suspicion is that I have a clearer view of the front left when turning into the bay.

Have you got a particular preference?
 
Right for me - I can take a wider turn into the bay without needing to swing wide into the path of oncoming cars.
 
No pref. Normally I would go for the first open one.

Thinking about it, I would say right also. This purely because of the line I get coming into the parking would be straight. Funny thing now that you mention it. When a Parking is on my left I drive past and reverse in. On my right I go in nose first....

Pretty odd I only realised it now thinking about it left and right :D
 
Left for me as well.

Reason being that when turning into a left bay, the drivers side is nearer to the car that you have to watch out for, making it easier to judge. When turning right, the passenger side is nearer to the car that you have to watch out for, making it trickier to judge.

enigma: if you're swinging into the path of oncoming cars when taking a left turn then you're doing it wrong :p
 
Mike Hoxbig said:
enigma: if you're swinging into the path of oncoming cars when taking a left turn then you're doing it wrong :p
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:mad:

Haven't hit one yet. :D What I mean to say is taking a wiiiiiiiiiiide turn so you enter the parking bay as straight as possible.

Over-thinking things for a bit, I have to add that I'd also rather reverse in given the chance. Mirrors don't lie, and it makes it much easier to muscle in if [-]****ing selfish bastards[/-] people don't want to give you a gap when leaving.
 
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Mike Hoxbig said:
Left for me as well.

Reason being that when turning into a left bay, the drivers side is nearer to the car that you have to watch out for, making it easier to judge. When turning right, the passenger side is nearer to the car that you have to watch out for, making it trickier to judge.
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that explains what i tried to say so much better
 
Mike Hoxbig said:
Left for me as well.

Reason being that when turning into a left bay, the drivers side is nearer to the car that you have to watch out for, making it easier to judge. When turning right, the passenger side is nearer to the car that you have to watch out for, making it trickier to judge.

enigma: if you're swinging into the path of oncoming cars when taking a left turn then you're doing it wrong :p
Click to expand...

So where somehow I'm reading this wrong...

If you are turning in left that means your pasanger side is the one you need to watch not the driver side :confused:
 
Pitbull said:
So where somehow I'm reading this wrong...

If you are turning in left that means your pasanger side is the one you need to watch not the driver side :confused:
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Provided that you're competent at taking a left turn, you don't need to worry about knocking the car that's closest to the passenger side :D Think of it like taking a left turn at a robot - you don't exactly clip the pavement do you?
 
Mike Hoxbig said:
Provided that you're competent at taking a left turn, you don't need to worry about knocking the car that's closest to the passenger side :D Think of it like taking a left turn at a robot - you don't exactly clip the pavement do you?
Click to expand...

ooo ok.

Now I understand, I just read it a few times and was wondering "wtf do you mean" by "the drivers side is nearer to the car that you have to watch out for"
I get what you are saying now :o Meaning your front right nose as oppossed to the left front nose when going in on a parking to the right :o
 
Pitbull said:
ooo ok.

Now I understand, I just read it a few times and was wondering "wtf do you mean" by "the drivers side is nearer to the car that you have to watch out for"
I get what you are saying now :o Meaning your front right nose as oppossed to the left front nose when going in on a parking to the right :o
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Hehe precisely :)
 
enigma243 said:
Right for me - I can take a wider turn into the bay without needing to swing wide into the path of oncoming cars.
Click to expand...

good point. i'd say for me, it's about visibility, angle and position of the vehicle.
for example, if i have enough space, then i'll drive in the middle of the road - this allows me to hedge my bets.
the closer i get to the center, the faster i'll drive, because i have more space on either side. especially in places like airports.
if i'm in a congested parking lot and have to stick to the left, i'll look for a parking on the right, because i have better angle of visibility on that side and can make the decision to turn later, because i have a wider angle to enter the bay.
there's nothing worse than having to reverse because you've seen a bay on the left too late.
 
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I also take the first one I see, provided the other cars aren't parked like twats! but if I have a choice it's right. I never reverse in.. To much of a mission.
 
nakedpeanut said:
I also take the first one I see, provided the other cars aren't parked like twats! but if I have a choice it's right. I never reverse in.. To much of a mission.
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:erm:

I find it way easier to reverse in then drive in nose first if I have to choose between the 2 as to which is easier. Reversing in you just check your side mirros and bam your in. Going in nose first you need to know your car pretty well as it does take some guessing to a degree. Reversing in is 100% accurate no guessing :p
 
Pitbull said:
:erm:

I find it way easier to reverse in then drive in nose first if I have to choose between the 2 as to which is easier. Reversing in you just check your side mirros and bam your in. Going in nose first you need to know your car pretty well as it does take some guessing to a degree. Reversing in is 100% accurate no guessing :p
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It's from finding parking at uni :) you learn very fast just how big your car is.. You'll be amazed at what gaps it can fit in :D
 
nakedpeanut said:
It's from finding parking at uni :) you learn very fast just how big your car is.. You'll be amazed at what gaps it can fit in :D
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I just find that the turning angle is so much sharper in reverse than going in nose first. Well for my Bakkie anyway.
 
The left visual field is processed by the right hemisphere of your brain, which is responsible for a greater number of visuo-spatial calculations than the left hemisphere (in most human brains). So I'd guess that there would be a bias for turning into a parking bay on the left.

But then this doesn't factor in where you're focusing your vision in the car or anything. Just thought I'd throw it out there!
 
I'm left-handed, so from that standpoint I suppose I prefer turning left. Only been driving for 6 months though, so it's not like I'm grown to prefer one side over the other first.
 
For me, it depends on whether I am driving left hand drive or right hand drive car. Left handed as well. So I end up turning away driver side.
Makes sense?
 
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