[Closed] "do not park facing against the traffic flow" so who does?

It's so your reflectors are visible, I believe.

yeah I can think of a few reasons for it, was just wondering how well known and adhered to it was. "not much" and "not much" would be my cynical guess but thought I'd ask.

I don't and it drives me mad when people do.

Not as bad as people that stop/drop off facing traffic (on busy roads) at night with their lights on. Its dazzling.

I'm always doing it (stretch of free parking on the way into Shrewsbury by the river), it's a pain to go all the way around to face the right way (two sets of traffic lights to negotiate), which invariably means you loose the space if you do, which means another messy turn around.

Bit of an arse pulling out into the oncoming traffic sometimes though.

I'm aware of the rule and would attempt to follow it by default, but happily ignore it if it suits me 😀

So pretty much like the rest of the Highway Code then.

There is a 30 mph road with no street light on the way to llandegla,at Coedporth, a few years ago every car got a parking ticket for parking with no light during the hours of darkness.

Don't think it applies to designated spaces.

Hmm! Maybe it's my poor memory but it never used to the case, if parked up facing on coming traffic you had to have your lights off but don't remember it being the case of not at all.

I wonder if I still have my old Highway Code.

Apparently its illegal to use a phone whilst driving but doesn't seem to apply to 1000's of people

was just wondering how well known and adhered to it was.

Well, I knew it, because I've read THC. There shouldn't be any "lesser known rules" if you're getting behind a wheel. </sanctimonious>

Adhered to is another matter. In situations where it's likely to be an issue I'd always park facing the right way, but that's common sense as much as it is a 'rule'. Parked on a wide road in the middle of a long line of traffic (eg, outside my house) I probably wouldn't go out of my way too far to do it as there's little need.

Indeed, there's an argument for [i]not [/i]doing it where I live, as teenagers in over-powered cars tend to straight-line a traffic island on the wrong side of the road; it's probably safer to have my arse pointing towards them rather than 'correctly' away.

I got a bit vexed last night when an oncoming driver who was in congested stop/start traffic pulled up right next to me blocking me from getting to the righthandside to park up, I'd assumed they were either blind or just being a nob, not letting me through. Befor I had a rantette about it I thought I'd check THC, turns out the driver may just have thoughtfully been preventing me doing something naughty anyway (but I'd still bet it was one of the former)

There shouldn't be any "lesser known rules" if you're getting behind a wheel

It's so your reflectors are visible, I believe.

And so you can see round the van parked in front when you're pulling out again.

That said I park the wrong way all the time, the parking on my road is downhill side only and I need to go up the hill in the morning...

LGTFU...

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It's difficult to pull away safely again if you're parked facing traffic.

What a funny lirttle country this is.

And there is also a rule against parking on pavements but that never seems to bother people. Sometimes they do get their cars scratched by people trying to fit their double buggies by though*

*This was an accident but thoroughly deserved - on trying to squeeze by, the front of the buggy caught on a low branch adjacent to the offending car and as I pushed at it and it gave way, it kinda 'sprung' the buggy into the side of the car.

Ahh well.

It's difficult to pull away safely again if you're parked facing traffic.

If that were the main reason, it'd only apply to RHD vehicles.

I believe in the States it's actually illegal to park against the flow (certainly some states not sure about all).

Actually come to think about it. Technically I break this rule and park against the flow off traffic every day when I park outside the house. I live in a cul-de-sac (or "pretentious dead end"), so I usually turn the car at the bottom before parking so I can set off in the right direction.

And there is also a rule against parking on pavements but that never seems to bother people.

Ahem...

[img] [/img]

😳

Parking on the pavement appears to be legal these days too. I love seeing people trash their expensive alloys, bending rims, and jepordising the sidewall in their tyres.

These people usually dump ashtrays and cigarettes and other crap out the window. The wide demographic of selfish, don't give a hoot, someone will pick it up behaviour is astonishing. I assume the gel wrapper, inner tube, banana dumping cyclists are part of the same club.

If that were the main reason, it'd only apply to RHD vehicles.

The Highway Code would be pretty bloody complex (more so) if we started writing separate rules for LHD cars - as the standard and the vast majority are RHD it makes sense to write based on that.

I was always told that was why it was the case, and it makes sense to me - avoids crossing oncoming traffic when you park as well - pedestrian looks to their right, no cars, steps out, gets nailed by car coming from the left hooning towards a space.

I don't and it drives me mad when people do.

Snap.That and stopping temporarily at the side of the road with your headlights on still. Inconsiderate arses.

GrahamS - love the spelling error on that last line.

I assume

graham i hope you dropped that note on the floor at the side of your car...that will teach em
I always do but living on a one way street helps reinforce that rule..You do occasionally see cars parked the worn way though

The Highway Code would be pretty bloody complex (more so) if we started writing separate rules for LHD cars - as the standard and the vast majority are RHD it makes sense to write based on that.

Well, yes, but if you're going to write a rule [i]specifically [/i]because a vehicle is RHD, it'd be sensible to word it more appropriately to include both vehicles.

But they don't, because that's not what it's about. It says "do not park facing against the traffic flow" - you could park on the right on a one-way street, obey the rule and be obstructing your vision. You're advised to park facing traffic so that your reflectors can be seen and so that you're pulling out into traffic rather than against / across it when you're setting off.

I would be quite happy parking anywhere I want. Now think about this bit, it's not a problem until someone makes it a problem.

It IS a problem, you just haven't realised why yet. Rules, generally, exist to prevent things happening that have been known to be a problem in the past. Such as muppets parking wrong way round on fast country roads posing a danger to oncoming traffic, or people parking on pavements and blocking wheelchair passage, or being an issue for the blind. Stuff that people who feel they should be able to park anywhere they want generally haven't considered or think inconveniencing others is OK so they don't have to be.

I do suggest that people who get wound up about things like this very seriously do not travel abroad, it'll be the death of you.

When you go to some more fun, less strict countries you go knowing people are going to be more dangerous and "inconsiderate" in that sense, and so expect it. Where the rules exist they should be followed, or there's an unknown ground which causes danger. FWIW Most other countries I've visited were stricter than we are.

It IS a problem, you just haven't realised why yet.

you didn't get to the cultural bit before answering, did you?

Yes. It has nowt to do with culture.

It IS a problem, you just haven't realised why yet. Rules, generally, exist to prevent things happening that have been known to be a problem in the past.

And if you're contravening THC, accidentally or intentionally, then that's your "being made aware of" right there. It shouldn't need some Neighbourhood Watch biddy going "excuse me son, would you mind not parking on the footpath, Mrs Smith at #42 can't get her wheelchair past?" It's illegal in London and you "should not" do it in the rest of the country.

What other countries do is irrelevant.

Yes. It has nowt to do with culture.

Because them's the rules.

Because them's the rules.

if we had no rules where would we be?

France!

And if we had too many rules where would we be?

Germany!

</Al Murray>

Of course you're right and all the double or triple parking I have done was not acceptable to anyone, because why?

Being an arse but not being called up about it doesn't make you not an arse, it just means everyone else thinks it behind your back.

Being an arse but not being called up about it doesn't make you not an arse, it just means everyone else thinks it behind your back.

Had an 'experience' just before christmas.

I was driving along what I was sure was a straight road. A car was coming towards me in the distance. As it got closer, it appeared to veer onto my side of the road. I assumed there was a kink in the road and was just about to go to the left of it, when I realised the dozy idiot had driven to my side of the road and parked in a layby on my side facing me and due to his lights I couldnt see the road properly.

Scared the hell out of me as I nearly drove straight off the road and into the trees.

Except when it's a normal and accepted part of everyday driving and done by the police when they're stopping for a coffee and calling someone an arse behind their back would be hipocritical. It's a cultural thing.

Doesn't make it right.

I'm actually finding it very difficult to understand how the Spanish (Latino) way of doing things versus the English (Anglo Saxon) way of doing things can be anything but culturally different. But hey...

I'm actually finding it very difficult to understand how the Spanish (Latino) way of doing things versus the English (Anglo Saxon) way of doing things can be anything but culturally different. But hey...

Elfinsafety gone mayd, innit.

Oh it's all got a bit snappy.

As I said I can see lots of reasons why it's a rule but how come it's a "do not"?
THC seems to be all [b]Should /not[/b] and [b]must /not[/b] with apparently must being a proper rule that you can get done for and should being an open invite for anyone who decides "actually I don't want to follow that one just now" (pretty sure I've seen "it's only a should not so I'm fine" on here in the past)

You're supposed to follow all the rules, but anything that says [b]MUST [/b]is backed up by law.

Elfinsafety gone mayd, innit.

You're supposed to follow all the rules,

I'm generally a stickler for rules BTW, I like clearly defined lines* just wondering if anything happens apart from once in a blue moon a copper actually seeing a transgression and giving you a quiet word but not much else.

Don generally you follow rules so everyone doesn't think you are acting like a dick, if you don't care what people think then looks like there isn't much stopping you.
EDIT there are some fairly important safety aspects too of course not just elfin.

*that I can skirt right along the very edge of 🙂