Absolutely. When I get most places, I’m sober and able to drive in reverse. It’s hard to back out with one eye closed.

You know, you are absolutely right and I definitely didn't think about that. In fact, I pull in in the Costco parking lot, because that's the one place I really need that trunk access. So great point, absolutely right.

My grocery trips are generally smaller and more frequent, just open the front door, toss things on front seat, and get in the other side.

I'm trying not to hit things, first and foremost, and I think backing in provides as better opportunity for that.

Most of the danger is on the pulling out side, so it makes more sense to do the harder ones for the safer part. Plus, when you're parking, it's easier for others to predict what you're doing, whereas pulling out gives more opportunity for someone walking by the line of cars to be surprised. If you're pulling out forwards, it's trivial to see someone about to walk in your path. If you're backing out, you might not even be able to see someone who is 1s away from stepping in your path, especially if they are coming from your blind side.

Go practice it. Use your mirrors.

Yeah, when you back into a parking spot, is there traffic moving around in it? How about when you back out, are you backing into a lane of travel? To me, that's the logic.

When you back in, you are already occupying a lane of travel, and therefore you have some modicum of control over it. Ideally, what I would love to see are angled parking spots intended for backing in, it is the true superior parking configuration, but falls to an opposition that is afraid to back into parking spots, but has no problem backing into a lane of travel.

Parking in backwards is way easier though because the way the axle is positioned makes it easier to position the car, especially with limited space.