There is typically a fine for parking your car on the street facing the wrong direction, i.e. against traffic. What is the harm in that?
Economic theory suggests that penalties should be attached to behaviors that are correlated with crime and not necessarily to criminal behavior itself. For example, price fixing may be impossible to detect, but conspiracy to fix prices may be much easier. It makes sense to make cheap talk a crime even though the talk itself causes no harm.
When you car is parked facing the wrong way its a sure sign that A) you previously committed the crime of driving the wrong way and B) you will soon do it again.
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June 2, 2011 at 12:14 am
Nigel
The rule originates from safe parking at night; the rear of a car is required to have red reflectors to alert drivers to the presence of a parked car. Facing the wrong way, without lights, poses a greater hazard.
June 2, 2011 at 7:18 am
jeff
The rule applies even during the day. Even when the time limit will expire (and so the car must be moved) before nightfall.
June 2, 2011 at 5:12 am
Anonymous
This is only a local phenomenon in the US. It does not apply in the UK or many other countries.
June 2, 2011 at 5:29 am
Inigo
Anonymous, it is illegal to park against the traffic at night in the UK – see http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_069860 section 248.
It is not because it is a sign that you are driving the wrong way – parallel parking even with the flow of traffic requires reversing in the opposite direction to the traffic. It is because of the danger to other drivers at night, as Nigel says.
June 2, 2011 at 7:19 am
jeff
Backing up is not illegal. Crossing over the center line without turning is.
June 2, 2011 at 5:35 am
Tyler Cowen
Isn’t this fully legal in Texas? Is it more dangerous than turning across a few lanes of traffic?
June 2, 2011 at 7:29 am
Anonymous
You can get a ticket for this even on some narrow residential side streets.
June 2, 2011 at 7:35 am
Camilla
Also, on a permit-required street, having each car facing the same direction makes it easier for parking enforcement staff to scan all the permits on their walk past.
It also helps the municipality generate ticket revenue. (It’s sufficiently local here to often catch visitors.)
June 2, 2011 at 9:25 am
Should it be illegal to park facing the wrong way? — Marginal Revolution
[...] writes: Economic theory suggests that penalties should be attached to behaviors that are correlated with [...]
June 2, 2011 at 12:28 pm
Rahul
A part of the danger (on country roads especially and at night) is other drivers being confused into trying to pass you on the wrong side thinking that’s where the road is.
June 3, 2011 at 7:53 am
Trinity River
Speaking as a Texan, it is illegal to facing the wrong way here, as several visitors to my house can attest. But, I really don’t see the harm in it.
June 3, 2011 at 8:36 am
inkisntenough
forget all of this. i hate the whole ticket for backing into a space rule. why not? who does it harm? plus, when it comes time to leave, i’ll get out quicker, marginally decreasing the traffic jam of parking lot vultures waiting to swipe my space because they see i still have 15 minutes on the meter.
June 3, 2011 at 8:57 am
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[...] – Why is it a crime to park facing the wrong way? [...]
November 26, 2011 at 10:11 pm
Anonymous
I don’t think it makes a lot of sense. Just today the city sent someone into our neighborhood and ticketed all of the drivers who were parked the “wrong way”. I think it is just another way for the city to get money from the people who live here.
February 6, 2012 at 6:18 pm
Shanie
I think it makes perfect sense for it to be illegal to park the wrong way on the street, as i have seen many people drive towards me to park that way, and I’ve seen accidents which have happened due to this.
February 13, 2012 at 6:31 pm
Jake
I only did it so my car would catch the morning sun and melt all the ice off my windshield by the time I needed to leave.