Parking situation at work!

[Bashitcrazy]

I've been driving for around 7 years. But my husband did most of the driving and I always used to go forward into spaces without too much bother.
I am now in a situation at my new place of work where the parking is a nightmare. There is a narrow drive which is accessed from
a narrow lane. The drive will fit 3 cars, but they have to be quite close together to ensure that the last car on isn't over the yellow lines that are also on the lane.
Now when I first started I drove onto the drive, without any problems. Until I ended up being last one day and it was impossible to drive on due to the angle.
I ended up having to get someone to reverse it on for me. And ever since I've tried to reverse on myself to ensure that I could do and didn't end up in a position where I was stuck.
Thing is I'm really bad at reversing. I've damaged the car by getting the angle wrong and scrapping the car along a lamppost.
And more recently went too far back and ended up sitting against a colleagues car without realising for most of a morning until someone mentioned it.
It's not helping that i also now have an audience whenever I go to work, colleagues most likely worried about me hitting there car, or just want to watch me make mistake after mistake.
It's getting to the point where I get incredibly anxious about going to work.
I just don't know what to do, I try and reverse everywhere so I can practise but it isn't getting any easier, and the amount of space I have to work with at work means it's difficult to recreate.

Get a reversing camera fitted. I know they are not cheap but it sounds as though it would be worth it to you.

I am a reluctant driver but having a reversing camera in my new car has made a big difference.

As a short term solution, can you get to work earlier so you're the first or get public transport?

Could you have a couple of lessons with a friend or driving instructor?

Can you park elsewhere and walk in?

You need practice. Reversing doesn’t always come as naturally as driving forwards and it’s understandable to be nervous. I know you said you’ve tried but don’t give up; you need to get your DH to take you out to a car park (any big supermarkets near you?) so you can practice reverse parking over and over and over until it clicks. Also practice parallel parking in the street, reversing on to your own driveway if you have one. The other trick is to go really, really slowly. Keep checking your mirrors, if the angle isn’t quite right then stop, think about it, and adjust. In the meantime can you get to work earlier so there won’t be an audience and so you can park first?

I can probably get there early to make sure I'm first. Will need to drop the kids off a little bit earlier.
It's so embarrassing, not sure what to do about the bumper incident as the colleague whose car it was didn't tell me, it was a different one. We looked and there wasn't any damage there so everyone I spoke to has just said don't worry about it.
If there was anywhere else I could park I absolutely would, but unfortunately it's a city centre building with permit parking on resident streets and very expensive car parks so this really is the only option.
I absolutely hate it

Am intending on continuing practicing, which is fine. I'm
Much happier doing it elsewhere, it's just the combination of the very tight angles and the audience which means I keep messing it up

If you can afford to I would book some driving lessons. Also could you go to your work at a time when there will be no one around or evenings or weekends. I would also look at parking sensors.

Does your DH have his own car? If so any chance that you can go there together, but drive separately, at the weekend? He can park on the drive of doom first and then you can practice reversing on to it next to another car, when none of your co-workers are there to watch and stress you out. So come Monday morning you’ll feel confident that you can do it! And you hitting the car’s bumper will die down, just get in early for a couple of weeks then switch back to your usual hours and you’ll have lost the audience. Good luck!

What car do you have? I thought all cars these days have a back camera and ors for both front and back? Mine does, DH car does and every car I’ve looked into over the last decade has had these so I presumed they were now standard features on all cars? Without these I would be lost, no way I would be reversing without the camera and sensors, I live by them. Given I have been driving for over 30 years I must have managed without them in the past but no way I could now.

Sorry, should have added we don’t have expensive cars, just run of the mill average cars and models.

@HoppingPavlova definitely not a standard feature; I wouldn't want one- I've managed for years to drive using mirrors!

OP, you just need practice and confidence although I'm glad I don't work with you

Why didn't you check the car once you had parked? (Not helpful, but I genuinely don't understand. I always have a quick check to make sure I am parked properly, esp if it's a tricky spot).

Can you go back one weekend and practice the parking when the pressure is off?

@monkey mummy because I am a twat and rushed off

definitely not a standard feature; I wouldn't want one- I've managed for years to drive using mirrors!

Wow, well there you go, learn something every day. We must be a market where they are standard. As I said we have average run of the mill cars and I think you would need to search out ones where this is not standard stuff as every car either DH and I have looked at in the last decade with 6 cars between us during that time have all had these as standard features. I figured if we had this the UK would also but seems not.

Yeah, I managed really well for 20 odd years without reversing cameras and front and back sensors too but now I have it i could never go back. Bit like how I would never swap my modern front loader washing machine for an old twin tub. Sure I managed just fine with a twin tub back in the day but I wouldn’t want to give up the comfort of my modern front loader (which I can even program away from home to be finishing roughly when I walk in the door ).

i thought all cars these days had a back camera

Ha ha ha, which part of planet privilege do you live on?

😂 😂 At all cars having cameras.....some people are stupid.

OP I'd try getting in earlier and going to practise at the weekend.

I got rear and front sensors fitted To my car for £200, well worth it!

Yeah I'm going to go in earlier this morning. Just means that we will have to play at moving all the cars around when I leave as I will be right at the front.
I haven't been avoiding reverse parking at all. Since this issue came up, I've literally been trying to reverse everywhere - it doesn't seem to be getting any easier though.
I've spoken to my dh about going to the car park on a Sunday when there is no one about so I can have a few goes and see what's easiest.
Also defo looking at getting sensors fitted as they would be super useful.

Actually in some countries, all new cars have to have reversing cameras. My BIL lives in Canada, and was amazed that the car he hired last month over here didn't have them!
It's a safety device, not just to see where you're reversing, but to ensure nothing is behind your car out of the view of the mirrors.

As I said I've never had problems parking. But until I started working here I've also never had to reverse park either

All cars having cameras...?!

Op I would feel exactly like you. I HATE reversing and never reverse into spaces. Ever. I drive round until I can find one I can drive into and out of easily. Thankfully I live very rurally so it’s never an issue and I never drive anywhere really busy. I haven’t had an accident or issue in the 10 years I’ve been driving but I’m sure if I had to reverse into a space that wouldn’t be the case!

I would try and get there super early or even try and consider selling your car and getting a tiny one - even a smartcar or Fiat 500!

Either get a reversing camera - I've just started using one and it's revolutionised the parking experience for me.

Or perhaps switch to a "smart car" (or indeed any car smaller than what you are currently driving) as parking a smaller car is always easier.

Or get a folding bicycle and park somewhere a bit further out from the centre where it's not controlled parking, and cycle in.

Or look at public transport - which might include driving to a park&ride or a residential street somewhere that's on a good fast route in.

If this was a rural location up a steep hill I would believe the 'no other options' line but it simply can't be true. There isn't a city in the country that is set up so that there is no option but to drive in. Parking in all cities is very limited and all cities put in a lot of effort to create numerous non-driving options.

Rear cameras are brilliant, no idea of cost of retro fitting as we bought our car new with one

when you pull up and see you have an audience, jump out of the car, point at one of them and point at the car while holding up the keys, make them come and do it for you

I would get there earlier too, it puts you back in control, will build your confidence and reduce the anxiety. I have a similar problem and now leave 10 mins earlier so I can get “my favourite space’ before Barry and Nobby* from Accounts get there with their mahoosive tank cars that make it difficult to park.

• not real names