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.

There is no way I can't drive - have already exhausted all ways of getting there without the car.
I need to drop my kids off at the Childminder's before going to work, and obviously pick them up after. There is then a 30 min commute home again

reversing sensors are really handy.

I second going really slowly and constantly adjusting. Don't worry about how slow you are going.

Also - a really good tip if you have to go backwards, if you are revering towards the driver's side, or in a straight line, is actually wind down the window and look out of it backwards so you (a)can actually see where you are going; and (b)you can judge properly if you are going backwards in a straight line, or not.

So much good advice given above.

OP, while you’re practising, parking with the audience must make is stressful, adding to to your nervousness, making it harder to park. Are any of your colleagues approachable that you can simply say how much this is stressing you out, that you’re practising all the time (maybe getting a camera) etc AND attempting to get to work first. However, as it’s csusing you such anxiousness, could they please volunteer to back your car in for you when you’re not first. Just asking for help and letting them know it’s causing you anxiety may help you for short term.

Best of luck.

I've complained about the parking several times, and they know I had to get someone else to park for me.
I've said before I'm struggle with parking so I don't think it's a surprise to them that I'm finding it difficult.
The only other thing to do is go on forwards, but again getting back off is quite difficult so it is definitely easier reversing

parking mirror

Costs £5 and does the same job as a camera. I got one to help me reverse onto my caravan hitch but find it useful when parking as well. Practice lots. Could you replicate the parking set up with some card boxes early one morning in an empty large car park and try and reverse through/round the boxes?

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 thought the op didn't want to be a laughing stock?

Go and practice op at the weekends
Or put some cones up or something and practice on them

If the op already has an audience then don’t tell her to get a Fiat 500 fgs. Worst car to reverse into a space in, as helpful men often appear from nowhere and bang on your car to tell you your reverse light’s out

Op it’s either keep practising or find somewhere else to park and walk in if possible. I do think you’re fluffing more because you feel tense that people are watching and agree with Luther’s suggestingvyou tryvand practise at work when no one is there.

I’d be the same as you op is there somewhere nearby you can park and just walk the last bit to work?

Op it’s either keep practising or find somewhere else to park and walk in if possible. I do think you’re fluffing more because you feel tense that people are watching and agree with Luther’s suggestingvyou tryvand practise at work when no one is there.

I agree I'm definitely making more mistakes because I'm being watched. I can just adjust myself no problems elsewhere- but literally everything goes pear shaped when I'm there.
I'm going to try and recreate the same scenario and practice at the weekend. Dh has also promised to get some sensors for me

Ask a colleague you like to reverse your car in for you, with you sat with him. Get him to identify markers on the car to help you work out the positions you need. You can even put small stickers on the back windscreen.

You need to be able to line up part of your car with something, to help. When we put are Car in the garage, we have to get the wing mirror lined up with a shelf edge- that way we know we can get the door closed, and get behind the car.

When parallel parking, I need to swing back until the kerb lines up with my rear wiper, then straighten up.

Do you see what I mean? It's hard to explain..

"you need to get your DH to take you out to a car park"
The op can drive :o

Please ignore the random typing at the end of my post and odd Satanic references btw. The dog spotted a pigeon and I was in the way.

Get a qashqai. It does bay parking & parallel parking automatically as well as having 360 degree cameras so you can see exactly what you are doing. Not expensive either if you get a 2014 model.
If you can't afford to get another car then I would buy a reversing camera and/or get parking sensors fitted because even with practice you still can't manage it and you should have by now.
I struggled to parallel park but since I've been practising I've mastered it so well I can park better than my automatic parking car can so don't use it now and I've only had it a month.

A tip for reversing into a space that I learnt from my driving lessons - line up the little sticker on your front windows (or door handle) with the 3rd line away from your space, full lock and reverse right in. Hopefully that could be helpful? I think it's called the 3 line rule

How can that work consistently when it doesn't matter where your sticker is? I can't see a door handle from inside the car! Sounds like a recipe for the sound of crunching to me.

And surely even if this sticker, whatever it might be, is lined up, it doesnt mean the angle of your car is right!

I think you need to change your mindset. The idea of parking has now grown into a monster. Lots of people struggle with parking. I find going in forwards harder and always have. I’ve got lazier about parking as I’ve aged since I’ve realised there are other things bigger in life and we’re not on this planet long enough to get angst about parking my car.

Parking cameras help enormously. I can now get into the smallest of spaces (but rarely bother). If you have an audience use them but take control. Wind down the window and direct them to do something useful rather than standing there sniggering. Most rise to the challenge and will happily mark the corner spot for you.

As in the little sticker that's usually on the bottom right on drivers side or bottom left of passenger side window? As long as your cars straight it works, that's how I was taught in my lessons and has always worked for me!

I think practising at a weekend is a great idea! This has become a monster in your head - for understandable reasons - but I’m sure you can do it.

Practise without an audience then you go girl.

I had a reversing camera in my Fiesta in 2014 and to be honest it was useless! It always made things appear much further away than they actually were!?! 🤷🏼‍♀️

I feel your pain OP.

You can buy reversing cameras on eBay for your car make & model. You fit a rearview mirror on top of your own and this has a screen built into it. I got my husband to install one and it's fantastic and a very affordable way to do it.

Did you not have to do some reversing as part of your driving test OP?
Maybe get in touch with your old driving instructor and have a bit of a refresher lesson?

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!

Thank god, someone who doesn’t live in a local bubble. I originally made the wrong assumption thinking other places had the same car options we did, said I have learnt something new and was mocked as living on another planet and called stupid .

DH had a few years where he needed to catch the bus to work (strictly no parking). Bus 15min walk away from home but we wanted a dirt cheap back up to drive to the bus stop in case of pelting rain or >40deg weather. No reversing camera needed, no sensors needed, no air con needed (by the time it started up and kicked in he would be parked at bus stop). Nope, not possible unless we purchased an old used car which we didn’t want to do as it generally works out to be penny wise and pound foolish. The only car we could find that fitted the bill was not able to be registered in our state, it did not meet our states safety standards apparently so not sold in our state.

OP, if I were you I would admit defeat and have sensors and a camera installed. You have given it a good whirl and are now torturing yourself. Life’s too short.

I have a similar problem at work, but I don’t let it bother me.

I just take the piss out of myself; have a laugh about it; and then find some bloke keen to show off his ‘man skills’ that will do it for me.