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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be proud of my parking

177 replies

amazedmummy · 20/02/2020 15:11

So I have a new car that is much much bigger than my old car. I had it an hour before I reversed into a lamppost. Today I managed to reverse it into my drive! It had gates and it's fairly narrow and I'm so so proud of myself. I'm not proud of myself for much these days but I was so happy I took a picture and sent it to my family!

OP posts:
Dontlikeoranges · 20/02/2020 15:16

Ummmm the principles of driving are the same regardless of the size of the car, you shouldn't be reversing into lamp posts or struggling to reverse into a drive

Original poster
amazedmummy · 20/02/2020 15:17

Cheers for that.

OP posts:
Original poster
amazedmummy · 20/02/2020 15:17

Seriously why did you need to cut me down like that

OP posts:
JKScot4 · 20/02/2020 15:18

That’s a bit worrying tbh. I rack up 10,000s of miles and unconfident drivers are a danger, glad it was a lamppost and not a person.

Lottapianos · 20/02/2020 15:19

Oh FFS, there's always one! Some of us really struggle with parking. A friend of mine has been driving for 20 years but still avoids parallel parking like the plague. Nothing wrong with giving yourself a pat on the back when you do something that you find hard. Keep practising and it will get even easier!

Microwavedtea · 20/02/2020 15:20

You shouldn't really be proud that you didnt hit anything again , that's how it's meant to be.

SisterAgatha · 20/02/2020 15:20

I am an expert parker. I can park anything in any space. People stop me in the street and say condescending shit like “want me to see you in, love?” No, thank you mr mansplain, I promise I can see myself in and then see your face in as well!

However, the first day with a new car is always a bit hard, so well done you! Smile

GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat · 20/02/2020 15:20

I’ve got a friend who avoids reversing at all costs. She’d seriously drive 5 miles out of her way if she had to. How she ever passed her test I’ll never know!

Original poster
amazedmummy · 20/02/2020 15:20

I haven't hit anything else, this was weeks ago. I have never had a previous accident. It was reported at the time and no harm was done (other than to my bank balance). I assume none of you have ever made a mistake. I am a confident driver but was worried about my drive. I have been confidently and competently driving and parking for long enough. My mistake, I forgot AIBU was a place to tear people down.

OP posts:
DesLynamsMoustache · 20/02/2020 15:22

 I've been driving 16 years without a single crash and still managed to reserve into our wheely bins when we got a much bigger car Grin

Ignore the pompous twits. They come out like flies around shite when they sense something they can be a twat about.

Microwavedtea · 20/02/2020 15:23

So you've actually had the car weeks but today you've managed to park on your drive?

TeaAndStrumpets · 20/02/2020 15:23

I do think people who are so snooty about other drivers should be careful about bragging too much. Tomorrow it could be them Grin

Well done OP I hear you!

happymrsc · 20/02/2020 15:24

🙄 There's always somebody with a smart comment.

Well done OP. I'm a perfectly safe driver but reversing into spaces like that has always been a weak spot of mine, and I disagree the size of the car makes no difference, I'd just got to grips with my old car (a Focus) and got something bigger and feel like I have to relearn! Yay for little victories :)

Sparklfairy · 20/02/2020 15:24

Ignore the arsehole PPs.

My friend has just got a new car. She had the old, massive one for 20 years. Now she's got a nippy runaround. After so long being used to a longer, wider car it took her a few trips to get used to the new dimensions! Even the faster acceleration and more responsive brakes surprised her at first (i nearly got whiplash HmmGrin )

She's also revelling in the luxury of a certifiable cockpit of buttons and settings that just didn't exist on her old car Grin

Congratulations and don't let the twats on her bring you down Smile

AllThatGlistensIs · 20/02/2020 15:25

Oh the pompous twats are out in force again I see 🙄
Well done OP, I can see why it might have been daunting reversing a bigger car into a small drive.

allthesharks · 20/02/2020 15:25

I passed my driving test towards the end of last year and I still don't like parking. I'm usually over cautious and end up too far from the kerb so have to readjust multiple times to get it right. I'm proud of myself if I park well on the first try! I don't think a lack of confidence when manoeuvring makes you an unsafe driver. Well done OP. Now you know you can do it.

Original poster
amazedmummy · 20/02/2020 15:26

@Microwavedtea so you have a complete time line. Picked up the car on the 30th of December at 10am, backed into a lamppost at 11:05 that same morning. Since then I have been parking on the street as I live in a small house that has had the front garden converted into a driveway. We only have one car and the on street parking doesn't block anyone else. My mum is coining to visit me so I decided to attempt parking in my driveway so that she could block me in and park near my house. And it was much easier than expected and I was (past tense) proud of myself. I now know I'm actually an accident waiting to happen.

OP posts:
harrietthepie · 20/02/2020 15:26

Great stealth boast. Enjoy your polluting gas guzzler.

Jojobythesea · 20/02/2020 15:26

@amazedmummy jeeeez. After this weekend you'd think people would lift others up wouldn't you. Well done and don't listen to the negativity. Sooooo sick of negativity

Original poster
amazedmummy · 20/02/2020 15:27

@harrietthepie it's older and cheaper, I just couldn't fit my newborn in a smart car.

OP posts:
Lllot5 · 20/02/2020 15:27

I can’t park for shit.
Well done op.

Abraid2 · 20/02/2020 15:29

An elderly man came up to me in the carpark to say he'd watched me come in and obviously prepare to reverse into a space, and wasn't sure I'd do but I HAD and he'd thought he'd TELL ME I'd done very well as I was A LADY.

It was very kindly meant but I didn't know what to say.

I am actually a good parker. I taught myself from Youtube videos when I became frustrated by my incompetence about ten years ago.

Original poster
amazedmummy · 20/02/2020 15:29

@Jojobythesea it's my own fault, I should have known better than to come to AIBU when I was happy. I've been here long enough.

OP posts:
MashedPotatoBrainz · 20/02/2020 15:29

When you say 'it had gates' do you mean it no longer has gates and that's somehow connected to your parking? Grin

(I've bumped our gate post so many times DH took it out. I've never hit anything else in 30 years of driving. But that fecking post kept jumping out.)

Abraid2 · 20/02/2020 15:30

The nerve of you, trying to say something positive about yourself on AIBU. Asking for it, really.