Random Driving Question

[crimewatcher]

Okay this has been killing me since we moved here....

Who has the right of way in this scenario.... ? A person driving through the lanes of a parking lot or the person pulling out of a parking spot?

[crimewatcher]

I can't tell you how many times I've almost wrecked my car because I'm slowly backing up and people here keep driving regardless of how far I am out of the spot.

I don't get it- people back home would wait for you and then prolly take your spot. It means sense to me since the person in the lane has a better view.

[beans]

The person driving in the lane has the right of way, not the person backing up. People generally stop because they want your spot or are being kind, not because the rules of the road dictate they need to.

ETA pretty much if you're backing up, you really don't ever have the right of way... but parking lots are generally private property and IME police don't give tickets in private parking lots (backing up incident with my sister and my friend's car got hit in a perking lot, so my N=2 here). I have to take the stupid test to get my license here and the driving book does not cover this issue.

[baconlettucetomato]

Jan 8, 2013 16:40:55 GMT -5 beans said:

The person driving in the lane has the right of way, not the person backing up. People generally stop because they want your spot or are being kind, not because the rules of the road dictate they need to.

This.

If you back into someone you are at fault for improper backing.

[iluvmytxrgr]

If the person in actually in the lane, they have the right of way. If the person in pulling through spots as if it were a road, that's tricky. It could go either way. However, it is more than likely the person acting as if the parking spots are a road who is in the wrong.

[brandienee]

Ditto to the general consensus. The person already driving in the lane has the right of way. It would be the same if you parked on a street in a small town. You would yield to the traffic.

Sometimes, they want your parking spot, but not everyone driving in the lane is looking to park.

[basilosaurus]

While technically the person backing up doesn't have the right of way, I usually try to wait, even if I don't want the spot. What's another few seconds for me? But it makes the person pulling out less frustrated, and, more importantly, safer. It sucks to have to play chicken when surrounded by assholes. Growing up, learning to drive in S FL taught me that lesson.

[baconlettucetomato]

Beans is also correct that most(not all) parking lots are private property and therefore no one would be ticketed so it is up to the drivers to settle a civil suit. But if say, you're backing out of your driveway into the street, you have to yield while backing. I too let people out because I know often its harder to see when backing out, just seems like the nice thing to do.

[crimewatcher]

i guess my logic isn't consistent with everyone else. lol

Never would of thought Minnesota nice would spill over into driving.

[beans]

I often will stop for people too backing up, just ftr.

[crimewatcher]

Jan 9, 2013 19:28:07 GMT -5 beans said:

I often will stop for people too backing up, just ftr.

I do too. However, I am the minority here.

[kcd0531]

If I see you backing out, I'll stop. Can't tell you how many close calls I've had though where people throw their car into reverse and start backing up without looking.

And then there are the idiots treating empty parking spots like it's a wide open road with no rules. THEY get my horn if they cut me off because they were being jackasses.

[beans]

Jan 10, 2013 10:26:14 GMT -5 crimewatcher said:

Jan 9, 2013 19:28:07 GMT -5 beans said:

I often will stop for people too backing up, just ftr.

I do too. However, I am the minority here.

well. I don't *generally* do it just to be kind (I guess sometimes I do) but mostly I do it because people backing up don't think that they need to stop and often they just don't look or appear to look or care. So mostly, my motivation is defensive in nature to avoid being hit.

[brandienee]

Yeah, I will say that I don't stop for the people backing-out out of the kindness of my heart.

[blueshirt2003]

I was hit by a woman in a parking lot in a situation like this.

I had backed up and I was just putting my car in drive then bam, I had a huge suburban t-boning me in reverse.

People who don't look to back up are scary. Thank goodness she hit my car and not a person walking. She didn't even stop when she hit me. She pressed on the gas some!!!

Anyways, she got a ticket for no insurance but I think that's all.