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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:
Hercwasonaroll · 21/02/2020 07:40

@harrietthepie are you always this rude?

Well done OP.

bluebell94 · 21/02/2020 07:47

Well done, I'd also be proud! I've been driving 8 years and only in the last 6 months have I attempted reverse parking and now I do it everywhere! Parallel parking still a no from me... when I would go to DH house before we lived together I had to park the complete other end of a long street as no way was I ever attempting the road outside his house, in between 2 cars 😱🤣

EngagedAgain · 21/02/2020 08:03

@SisterAgatha - good for you, I'd love to do that! Breeze into a space with men looking on, expecting a woman to F it up. Then sling my bag over my shoulder, wave/smile and flounce off!

Nrtft, but to the OP, I once just lightly brushed into a post, otherwise had years of not bumping into anything. The little errors are part of the learning curve. They wake you up a bit I think and make you more aware in future. So, not necessarily a bad thing.

SW16 · 21/02/2020 08:05

Well harrietthesmugpatronidingpie
Some of us don’t use our cars every day (burning fuel) to be conveniently passing shops twice a week. The OP says she lives rurally so would need to drive more fuel-burning miles to do two trips....

And since you don’t actually know what model if car the OP drives, and it’s fuel /emissions stats Maybe you should try harriethumblepie.

MsJaneAusten · 21/02/2020 08:13

I wonder how many of the dicks on here have shared #BeKind recently... Hmm

Well done OP Flowers

gorbashthecat · 21/02/2020 08:18

I really struggled going to a bigger car too-it is like learning to park again but you’ll get there.

Well done!

Original poster
amazedmummy · 21/02/2020 10:17

Thank you everyone. I'm pretty pleased with myself. Got up this morning and forgot I'd parked where I had. The car's nearly in the living room!

OP posts:
LyingWitchInTheWardrobe · 21/02/2020 12:16

Well done, OP, enjoy your new car.

I changed from a smaller car to a much larger one and it's taken some getting used to, regardless of the hundreds of miles I drive a week (ignore the oh-I'm-so-superior posters, I never believe any of them).

One memorable (for me) occasion was to do a very fast reverse-park into a small space, perfectly. Sadly, there was absolutely nobody to witness it. The universe did send me back to that spot though where it took me several many attempts to get into that same space, in front of a bus loaded with witness passengers. Blush

Take the rolls with the punches... Grin

cologne4711 · 21/02/2020 12:31

However, what truly amazes me are the articulated lorries that can reverse into the tiniest of spaces. Now that is some skill

Yes. I am often impressed by their ability to manoeuvre.

Also if you ever go to the Channel Islands - the bus drivers and their tiny lanes. They are amazing.

HomeMadeMadness · 21/02/2020 12:34

I've been driving years and can't park in under ten minutes. I parallel parked the other day and was so proud I took a photo and sent it to my husband.

GinDaddy · 21/02/2020 12:41

Big respect @amazedmummy people should be offering you a hand up so to speak rather than cutting you down! I don't think my learning about driving stopped when I passed my test - it's a constant thing - people should be applauding someone getting something right, especially when women are unfairly vilified for parking by misogynists and the like.

On a different note, I'm not a fan of the soft-roader SUV class of vehicle, and would never personally purchase a Qashqai, Sportage, Karoq, or any of these ludicrously monikered vehicles.

One of the main reasons is that their awkward attempts at a "curvy" shape, coupled with the ubiquitous nonsense "privacy glass", means you can't clearly see the corners and edges of the car.

I drove one of them as a hire car and was fine, but it was a darn sight more noticeable and annoying that you can't "place" the car in the same way as a Range Rover, which is enormous in footprint, but a nice boxy shape so you can see all four corners.

goldenorbspider · 21/02/2020 12:41

Op I'm in my first car and every panel has a scrape or dent Grin

I reversed into a bollard

Scrapped a lamppost coming out my drive

Scrapped a gate going into my drive.

Well done

JaxOdin · 21/02/2020 12:45

Well done op !
We've just got a new car, much bigger than our old one and I was terrified to park it. The principals of driving might be the same but getting used to manoeuvring a big vehicle takes practice ! I would have been proud of myself too !! Smile

WhateverHappenedToBathPearls · 21/02/2020 12:46

Well done OP! We have a narrow drive and it took me a while and a close encounter with the wall to get confident at reversing onto it. Ignore the keyboard warriors, driving doesn't seem to bring out the best in MN...

RickOShay · 21/02/2020 17:42

Good for you @amazedmummy, something so satisfying about reversing neatly.
@harrietthepie you need to take a good look at yourself, you obviously have some issues.

Bikerider2020 · 21/02/2020 18:15

@harrietthepie why are you so fucking sanctimonious and irritating? Nasty! You not seen the #bekind campaign? Honestly, I'm off out now to buy the biggest, oldest land rover going, I'll post you a photo!

OP, I'm a great reverser, can't drive into a space to save my life! Well done you anyhow.

Bikerider2020 · 21/02/2020 18:19

What about this one @harrietthepie

To be proud of my parking
malmi · 21/02/2020 18:26

Someone actually complimented me on my parking the other day. They left a little note on my windscreen that said "Parking Fine". So that was nice

(Credit to Tim Vine)

hastalavistababy · 21/02/2020 18:36

Oh god harrietthepie aren’t you perfect?

Well done OP, ignore the negative posters. Reverse parking can be quite hard, especially when you swap to a bigger car, so good on you!

Bikerider2020 · 21/02/2020 18:43

@malmi GrinGrin

Arrowfanatic · 21/02/2020 19:05

I've always been really confident at parking but each time I've gotten a new car it takes me a minute to get used to it and so pat on the back deserved.

Reverse parking is way easier than forward or parallel parking and a lot of the employee parking structures in my town insist that all cars are reverse parked.

ilovesooty · 21/02/2020 19:08

I think you have every right to feel proud.

FenellaMaxwell · 21/02/2020 19:12

Well done you!! I’m still learning. I’m actually, weirdly, fucking brilliant at parking. I cannot, however, go anywhere near a roundabout without getting all flustered!

Stinkycatbreath · 21/02/2020 19:37

@amazedmummy some people will cut others down because they themselves are lacking no need for arse like behaviour. Well done to you Grin

Flymetothetoon · 21/02/2020 20:00

I'm not going to piss on your chips well done op
I used to drive big cars ( large 4x4 's , jags, bentleys, mercs) I now drive a teeny old car with no power steering and it's a total bastard to manoeuvre.
👏