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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to be scared of parallel parking

75 replies

IDoDaChaCha · 08/10/2017 20:54

Heeeeeeeeeeelp! Moving to a terraced house and can't parallel park... Pathetic I know. How do you do it? I was taught the 'triangle trick' method but can't remember anything after; position car parallel a car doors width from car you want to park behind, align your wing mirror with its front door handle, turn wheel fully hard right, moving back very slowly you see a triangle appear in your mirror... And my mind is a complete blank after that!! Just been out in the car trying to practice and got it wrong half as many times as I got it right.... Seriously need a step by step technique.

OP posts:
Bluelonerose · 08/10/2017 20:57

I can't parallel park to save my life. Once found 2 parks in a space I couldnt park in Blush

I think you'll find first few times it's take you couple of tries but the more you practice the better you'll get.

Bluelonerose · 08/10/2017 20:57

Cars not parks.

ShirleyPhallus · 08/10/2017 20:58

Placemarking too

I can parallel park when it's just me, but add in any kind of audience (ie one other car waiting for me) and I turn to shit

KityGlitr · 08/10/2017 20:58

It's difficult to use a set formula as cars come in different sizes so I just wing it. You just need more practice. I didn't get great at it until I did delivery driving and had no choice. Best thing to do is keep practicing and you'll soon be feeling when to turn and how long for!

OtterlyNutty · 08/10/2017 20:59

My preferred method is to keep driving until I find an easy spot I can drive into Blush

Is this tutorial any help?
m.youtube.com/watch?v=l4LcfZeS4qw

Classic450 · 08/10/2017 20:59

Just basically make yourself do it and it will become second nature That’s what I did
Practice!🙂

BusySittingDown · 08/10/2017 21:00

There are some great YouTube videos on parallel parking. I watched them before my test and they really helped.

I need to go and rewatch as I haven’t really parallel parked since and I’ve forgotten a bit.

BusySittingDown · 08/10/2017 21:01

Search world driving on YouTube. The guy’s voice is really calming.

DJBaggySmalls · 08/10/2017 21:02

Ask an instructor for refresher lessons.

RosyPony · 08/10/2017 21:03

Practice. My dad used to take us out as kids and mark out bays with traffic cones and we'd practice parallel parking his Land Rover between them, this was back in the day before parking sensors (and a huge spare wheel taking up half your back window!). He also made a point of getting out of the car and walking around it whilst we looked in the mirrors and we could see where he was in the mirror in relation to real life. It set us up nicely when we were old enough to take our tests and I found living in a busy terrace street and driving a large estate car relatively straight forward.

RainbowPastel · 08/10/2017 21:08

How did you pass your test if you couldn't parallel park? It's a necessity round here. Practice and get an instructor to show you.

happy2bhomely · 08/10/2017 21:08

I pull alongside the car in front of the space.

Then I put my left wing mirror down so I can see my tyre.

Then I reverse until the back of my car is level with the back of the car in front.

Then I do a full lock to the left while slowly reversing. Keep reversing until I can see both headlights of the car behind in the driver side wing mirror. Then quickly straighten the wheel.

Then reverse until left hand wing mirror is level with right hand corner of car in front.

Then full lock to right to tuck the front of the car in. Straighten wheels.

Done!

I don't know if I have explained it very well and it makes it sound very complicated. But you are basically aiming the back of your car at the center of the space you are trying to park in. I can park within an inch of the kerb, on a bend, but only if my left hand mirror is pointing down.!

BlessThisMess · 08/10/2017 21:10

After you've positioned yourself as you described, you turn the wheel and reverse until the middle point of your rear screen is lined up with the point where the parked car behind you meets the kerb. Then you straighten and go straight back. As soon as the inner front corner of your car has room to get past the car in front of you, turn the wheel again so your front wheels move in and get you parallel to the kerb. I love squeezing into spaces and getting it right first time!

ShirleyPhallus · 08/10/2017 21:12

How did you pass your test if you couldn't parallel park?

You only need to demonstrate 1 of 4 manoeuvres. I got a 3-point turn.

(Although I had learnt parallel park, just haven't ever done it in my new car)

Ivy79 · 08/10/2017 21:14

Don't know if this will make you feel worse or better, but I didn't get the hang of parallel parking til about TEN YEARS after passing my test.

I shit you not.

That's made you feel worse hasn't it? Sorry! Blush

When did you pass your test by the way?

Ivy79 · 08/10/2017 21:15

In response to 'how did you pass your test?'

I didn't have to do a parallel park, I had to do a reverse around a corner.

RainbowPastel · 08/10/2017 21:19

Anyone who passed their test and cannot parallel park then their instructor has failed to do their job then.

c3pu · 08/10/2017 21:21

Half a turn, full lock, back to centre then a full turn the other way.

If that sounds like a load of bollocks, it probably is as all cars and spaces are different... Works in my current car though. Ironically, I'm much better ant parking my car on the wrong side of the road, as that's how I get my car into the space I normally occupy in my cul-de-sac. At work I sometimes have to park on the correct side, and the frequency of having to have another go is much higher.

Moral of the story - peak practice makes perfect.

ShirleyPhallus · 08/10/2017 21:22

Anyone who passed their test and cannot parallel park then their instructor has failed to do their job then.

What an idiotic thing to say. EVERYONE learns to parallel park for their test, many people just then don't use it and forget to do it over the years.

The instructors job isn't to the do weekly check ups on people to make sure they still remember everything they learnt for their test

Ivy79 · 08/10/2017 21:22

@RainbowPastel

You don't need to be able to parallel park to pass your driving test. And your instructor has not 'failed' you. Hmm

RainbowPastel · 08/10/2017 21:24

Are you always so rude Shirley?

If the instructor had taught them to be confident then they would carry on doing it after passing their test. Not driving on like you hear so often on here to find a bigger space.

NormaNameChange · 08/10/2017 21:26

I can paralell park.... in the car i passed my test in. Some 14 years later, not wanting to be driving a 1.1 punto my entire life I have got much fitter with all the walking I do when i find a space i can nip in forwards without the need for any parallel parking - which is inevitably a good way away from where I actually need to be.

No help here. Sorry :(

ShirleyPhallus · 08/10/2017 21:27

When someone says something so stupid then yes I am.

I struggle to parallel park. Because I learnt in the car that I learnt to drive in and then when I bought my own car it was a different size and shape, I never needed to do it and then before I knew it I'd forgotten anyway. Doesn't make the instructor a failure in any way whatsoever.

RainbowPastel · 08/10/2017 21:27

Of course they have Ivy they need to teach you to drive in all conditions. If you couldn't confidently do it for ten years after passing your test then they didn't teach you properly.

cattycattymoomoo · 08/10/2017 21:29

Yeahbut, there are so many things to get confident about after passing your test (driving solo is scary). I left Complicated Parking to go stale for a while because everything else seemed more important.