I can't parallel park - has anyone taught themselves?

[AnaChocolatte]

I passed my test in 2001 - I've avoided parallel parking every since but it is such a hindrance.

I couldn't park my car outside my house tonight as the space wasn't easy enough for me to make it in - the space was big enough for a van..

Anyone found a way to learn easily without employing a driving instructor?

Same here, watching with interest.

Sorry again would also like to know! I’ve even considered paying for a few lessons

Do lots of it.

I hardly ever parallel park, but my mum does and she's fantastic at it, only needs the space to be a small amount bigger than the car and she'll get in it.
I do occasionally deliberately practice when there's a huge space and no one round to watch.

Have a look on You Tube - there are some great tutorials for driving / parking. Have a look and then it's a case of finding somewhere quiet and practice, practice, practice!
Good luck - you'll get the hang of it after some practice

One of my best skills is parking. I have literally had people give me a round of applause in the past! My advice is always reverse into the gap and don’t be afraid to use your wheel to the maximum to get the car moving at the tightest angles.

I've driven for years and have been able to parallel park well for a long time having worked and lived in places where there was no other option. However, after I passes my test originally I had no idea how to do it. I was taught about looking in the mirror until you saw something then doing a full turn or whatever it was and it always confused me because I just didn't understand and couldn't remember the order.

I learnt to park by actually looking and working it out. Don't get stressed. Trust your mirrors and your judgment.

My dad taught me when I was learning and there are a few hints he gave me that really help.

Aim for the middle of the space with the rear of your car and reverse in quite sharply, almost like you are reversing into a space in a car park. Then when the front of your car is drawing up towards the back of the one in front that's when you turn the wheel, and turn it a lot, more than you think you need to turn it.

By the time your car is straight, you should theoretically be right between the two parked cars.

I'm out of practice now, but when I was younger I once parallel parked perfectly in a space that was so small I was scared to try to get out of it again and had to wait until the car in front moved.

I did give it a go tonight in the spirit of practising, I ended up about 90cm from the kerb and I got a bit embarrassed and whizzed up the street to park in a massive gap.

I just can not get it.

You can actually always follow the same few steps. If you memorise them and practice a few times it's easy. It's also a case of the more you do it, the better you get at it.

This link explains the steps but you can also find videos on you tube

www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a6324/useful-geometry-parallel-parking/

It's a hard one because it's usually based on reference points that are obviously different for each individual.
I'm sitting my test on Saturday and my instructor taught me like this -

• pull up next to the car in front of the spot you want to park in and have your mirrors parallel with theirs. (Or basically the back of your car is parallel with the back of the other car.

• dry steer once to the left and reverse until your back wheel looks like it is just passed the curb

• dry steer back once to the right and come back so in your mirror your front door handle is almost touching the curb

-dry steer to the right again until you're in the spot and parallel

• dry steer back to the left so your wheels are back to straight and you should be done!!

It's actually meant to be the simplest manoeuvre so I think with that much driving experience you should be able to teach yourself !! I'm sorry this isn't the best explanation

Thanks Isabelle I will give that a go, I get the feeling I am not going in sharp enough so end up v far from the kerb.

A good place to practice is in a street with shops/businesses along the side because you can see your reflection in the glass.

Definitely do not avoid it! I did this and then met my boyfriend (now husband) and in order to park on our road we have to parallel every night so have had plenty of practice.

Getting sensors really help!!

I didn’t teach myself s I did have a driving instructor. But I could NOT get it until a) I used little toy cars to visualise how it worked from abive, and b) I put tiny stickers on my passenger door to tell me where the end of the “victim” car had to be when i turned my steering wheel.

I don't know if it will work for all cars, but this is the trick my driving instructor back in the 80s had for teaching parallel parking.

He stuck a narrow strip of tape on the inside of the bottom of the rear windscreen, right in the centre & pointing straight upwards.

The idea is that as you reverse in, looking in your rear view mirror, the tape should always be kept in line with the edge of the kerb, all the way as you reverse into the space. It works for the tightest of spaces.

I've been avoiding it but need to practise more. Ive been watching some videos where it suggests lining up certain windows with certain points of the parked car.
Just find a quiet road with some large spaces to practise on.
I always feel like people are judging me though.

It is definitely practice. I couldn't do it when I passed my test living rurally (would have failed if that had been my manoeuvre) and then a few years later moved to a flat on a busy road with only parallel parking available. A few utterly excruciating months later, I could do it to a reasonable standard and years of living and working in a city mean I've had plenty practice since.

Remember no one perfectly parks every single time, so if you have an off one, just brush it off and keep trying.

I am so bad at parking it’s a running joke. I literally can’t even drive straight into a bay. Once I was at work and a bunch colleagues watched me and laughed. It was horrible. It ruined the little confidence I have. I guess the key is to practice so I just keep telling myself to try but it’s hard.

I learned to drive with the AA. Their instructions for parallel parking are really good. I'm sure they'll come up if you google them.

I think when I mess it up, it's because I haven't pulled past the car far enough before starting to reverse. If I go forward until I can see the back of the the car I am parallel with/parking behind in my rear view mirror, then I'm usually okay. Maybe that could be one problem?

I remember when learning my instructor had bits of tape on the windows and I thought I’m going to get them on my car.
I never did but my dad taught me to parallel park and reverse into all my parking spaces.
I’d look up you tube videos or get an instructor even just for a couple intense lessons parking

I don't know why but when my boyfriend parallel parks and puts his arm behind my seat while he looks back I want to jump him. It's like sorcery!

I was in the situation that I couldn’t really do it at all when I passed my test, then avoided it for the subsequent years. I moved house where parallel parking was a must. After a couple of months of only parking in massive spaces which often necessitated walking the entire length of my street from the space to my front door, I bit the bullet and taught myself to parallel park properly. As a PP mentioned, it’s about learning reference points and then it’s quite formulaic. I massively surprised myself that I managed to pick it up reasonably quickly as I’m not good at learning new skills generally at all!

I just can't do it but rarely have to.

My mum has to on her street which is narrows so she gets it perfect first time everytime.

I have a drive and car park so never have to do it and have just got out of practice.