I’ve always liked the idea of backing into parking spaces, but for most of my life I didn’t think much about my motivation for this. After a while I decided that backing in was a sign that I wasn’t a procrastinator. The procrastinators pull straight into places because they’re not even thinking about the potential challenges of backing out later. (Sorry to throw shade on the procrastinators. My snark could be genetically linked.) Viewing the people that pulled straight into spaces as procrastinators satisfied me for decades, yet I always felt like it wasn’t thought through as well as it could be. Despite the philosophical hand-waving, I kept up my tendency to back into parking places. Through the years I’ve learned a few things that might be more convincing. Welcome to a journey through my confirmation bias.

Munitions Factories

Are we really starting with munitions factories? Yes, that is the right place. The life-and-death motivation should be abundantly clear. If all of your other safety measures have failed, you want to get out of there as fast as you can! Your car plus distance is your last line of defence. Another 10 seconds to back your car out could have a huge impact on your chances of survival. Stepping back another level, consider the impact on your colleagues waiting for you to back out when they could have been driving to safety faster.

A felt image of a burning munitions factory with cars parked in front of it

I hear you saying “but I don’t work in a munitions factory.” Good, good, I’m glad your day-to-day risks are not that extreme. That doesn’t mean it is time to tune out. The lessons from the munitions factory translate surprisingly well into everyone’s day-to-day lives. Other industries and regulators have discovered that “reverse parking” saves lives. “AAA advises drivers to back into parking spots or pull-through, and not fully rely on rear-view or traffic alert technology…” Yep, every parking lot, every day of our lives.

A pop, the fear and a fizzle {#a-pop,-the-fear-and-a-fizzle}

I didn’t think backing in would ever make a huge difference to me either. It was just one of my amusing habits that I had a fun story to justify. That’s good enough, right? Until the pop. It was during the evening of a day that was not that memorable or exciting. My wife and I were sitting at our kitchen table. Outside, there’s a pop, like a balloon bursting. A little loud, but nothing that would get me out of bed to investigate.

Looking out the front window was quite the shock: our neighbor’s backyard was completely on fire! We live in California - a state known for burning down neighborhoods in recent years. It has been months since it rained last, so we know everything is dry as can be. Like most Californians, it is easier for us than we would like for us to imagine the whole neighborhood going up in flames.

Luckily and thanks to our habit of backing in, our car was facing out and looking in the direction of the fire. If the fire spread too far it could impact the roads out, but the fire stayed in the backyard. It was impressive how the neighbor’s backyard was completely engulfed in flame, but it didn’t make it far beyond there. Within a few minutes the fire trucks arrived and the danger was soon gone. We were so relieved. It was also hard not to be pleased with our decisions about preparedness and safety.

Conclusion

Framing the question of backing into parking spaces around procrastination wasn’t the completely correct answer, but it was a small footing towards better ideas. Like many temporary solutions, it is shocking to me how long it stuck around.

Eventually I happened across folks who had thought about this much more than I’ve ever needed to. Suddenly I’m no longer in my own echo chamber and I see that there’s a whole body of thought to consider. It feels much more exciting that the AAA is on my side, than wondering what parking said about anyone’s character.

Whether you choose to back in or pull in forward, I hope you’ve got questions in your life that you’re willing to take to philosophical levels. If you keep an open mind, you might be amazed at where the wisdom eventually comes from. OR, stop being lazy and start backing in when you park.

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