What’s With All The Backing Into Parking Spaces?

Is it just me or is there more and more people backing into parking spaces?  I'm not sure what the advantage is except that maybe it's "easy out".  But here's the deal, it takes longer to back in correctly than it does to back out.  Are people more nervous that something could happen when they back out?

The other problem is when they back in they sometimes go to far and don't leave enough room behind them and it gets worse in winter because the lines are covered and they have no idea where they are in relation to other cars.  So what's the deal?