Please, Don’t Do This In Indiana Parking Lots

Not all parking lots are the same, but there is a certain type of parking lot that seems to be difficult for some to understand, so here's a little lesson in how to drive in those.

I'm going to sound like a bitter old man here, but I know that I am not the only one who finds things like this to be annoying. We all see things happen when we are driving that make us yell at someone in another vehicle. It could be someone not using a turn signal, going too slow in the fast lane, or even someone tailgating you on the highway. There are several other scenarios that could lead to you being annoyed at other drivers. I had one of those happen yesterday and I have to vent.

Here's What Happened...

Yesterday, I was leaving Walmart and as I was getting ready to back out of my parking spot, a vehicle came flying through. First off, you should never be driving that fast in any parking lot. Secondly, the real reason why this was annoying to me is that this specific parking lot was set up with one-way lanes. The vehicle that was flying by was going the wrong way. So, for those who need it, here is a free lesson on how to drive in parking lots with one-way lanes.

How To Drive In Parking Lots With One Way Lanes.

One-way parking lots are quite common in Indiana and other states. Unlike a normal parking lot, these parking lots control traffic by creating designated one-way lanes where you will have to essentially make an "S" pattern to get from one lane to another. You will see an example of one of these parking lots below:

As you can see, these parking spots are at an angle pointing in the direction in which you are meant to drive. As I said, it controls traffic and it also makes it a little easier to park in these lots. Common sense tells you how to drive in these parking lots, but as you know, common sense isn't too common anymore. So let's break this down a little more in-depth for those who still don't understand.

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This is an example of a lane where you CAN drive down from this position. As you can see, the parking spots are angled making it easy to pull in from this direction. The arrow is a pretty good indicator of which way you are supposed to drive in this lane too.

The photo below shows you an example of a lane in which you should NOT drive down in a parking lot like this. Cars are coming in the opposite direction, the parking spots are angled in a position where it would be hard to park your vehicle, and as with the photo above, there is also an arrow pointing in the direction you are supposed to drive down. If you pull into a lane like this you're WRONG. Don't do it!

There are a few lanes in parking lots like this where you can drive both ways. They are also designated by arrows at the end of the lane and the parking spaces on both sides are in opposite directions.

I wasn't able to find anything on it being illegal to drive in the opposite direction in parking lots, you're still not supposed to do that, as each lane is a designated one way. The lanes typically aren't wide enough to have someone driving in the correct direction AND someone driving the wrong way. Not only that but vehicles who are backing out typically aren't looking in the direction opposite in which they are backing out, so it could lead to a potential accident in the parking lot. On top of all of that, it's annoying seeing someone driving the wrong way in parking lots like this.

While we are on the topic of parking lot laws, I did find that it is actually illegal to back into parking spots in Indiana.

To sum this all up, don't be one of those people who drive in the opposite direction in parking lots like this. Drive in the right direction in these parking lots and you won't have bitter old men like myself talking crap about you from our vehicles. Please and thank you!