There are two kinds of people in this world: those who back into parking spaces, and those who don’t.

I’m of the pull-in persuasion. Some call that “sissy.” I drove a silver Geo “Prizm” for five years – that’s sissy. Not to mention degrading (people said it looked like a matchbox car stuffed with a piece of chewed bazooka). The only thing that car was missing was a “Care Bears” banana seat and handlebar streamers. So when it comes to parking my car – compared to what I’ve already endured – the shame is minimal.

The pride in people who take the time and initiative to back into a parking space, however, is maximum. Let’s admit it; those of us that are lousy at parking think they’re pretty cool, too. Don’t lie, we’re even a little bit jealous. Why wouldn’t we be? They’re fearless. In fact, people who back into parking spots go out of their way to find a challenge – just so they can stare it down and make it blink.

“It’s 5:30 p.m. on a Friday. We’re in the Price Chopper parking lot. It’s a packed house, folks. There’s a line of cars behind us. Motorists are hitting their horns waiting impatiently to get a spot. Rick, our driver, sees one up on the right. But it’s so tight, there’s only a dime’s width of clearance on either side. And, as if it couldn’t get any worse, there’s a group of mouthy kids on bikes and skateboards horsing around right where he needs to pull up to be able to back in,” the imaginary sports commentator in Rick’s head says. “He could always just pull-in the lazy way and avoid the trouble – or he could be a hero. What are you going to do, Rick? What are you going to do?”

Rick, determined as ever, replies out loud, “the only thing I know how.”