To continue driving?

[Gretasmyname]

Please be brutal
I posted a while back about my anxiety about driving.
Basically new ish,mature driver. Didn't drive straight after passing
Then bought a car
Too scared to drive
Manoeveres a big weakness
That's it in a nutshell.
Just before the corona lockdown I was gaining a bit of confidence. Driving to the supermarket and parking in a quiet and empty spot.
Short,familiar routes.
Then came lock down and whilst I'm generally happy to use public transport I thought maybe I should reduce my risk and minimise the time travelling by using the car I have.
So roads a joy to travel on.
I even went to work which is normally a very busy route.
Parking still a major anxiety but I parked away from busy parts.
Supermarket carparks were much busier but still i parked okay.
I've still been very anxious about being in a situation where I'm forced to reverse or do a manoeveres as this is when I panic.
So basically I've been avoiding any potential situations.
Then today I went to do a big shop. Supermarket car park rammed.
I should have turned round but I parked and then panicked when I realised I'd have to reverse out .
I dont mind if lots of space but cars either side and a row behind me.
No issue for any normal person,but i was panicking already.
Anyway to my shame I had to call DH to move it.
It's now made me think where do I go from here.
I was getting to a stage to gettng reasonably confident but i could do with parking practice.
It's not the right time to go out for random drives though is it.
Also I've got work Monday which i was planning to drive to. After today's debarcle though I'm worried my normal parking place might not be available and i will panic or get in a situation that DH can't help with.
I know I sound stupid but am I wrong in carrying on atm?

if I really had to do it in sure I would

Why didn't you then, instead of ringing your husband to move the car? I don't understand. It's avoidance. You had to do it the other day, but didn't.

It was a bit of to -ing And fro- ing and happened as I didn't really forward plan

Think how easy driving will be when you don't have to forward plan. No one forward plans unless they are planning a route to somewhere they haven't been. This will only come by practice and not giving in and parking where there are no cars. Or ringing your husband.
You could have this cracked in a week! (without covid, if you went out every day and pulled in and out of a parking space, that is.)

Yes i totally could have it cracked in a week if wasn't for lockdown I agree.
I didnt do it the other day beacuse as soon as I parked I realised that i'd made a mistake parking where I was. I was angry at myself and irritated at going out at such a busy time . I didnt know it was a busy time but I do now.
I Had a bit of a strop with myself to be honest. I knew DH was nearby.
Work was different. No where near home.
And I disagree about forward planning. If you saw the area where I work.

Some stupid person sandwiched me in. So i won't park there again.
Maybe forward planning wasn't the right term.
It's more about thinking where I am parking to get out easily.
Even DH tells me this and he has been driving forever
Can drive anything and certainly isn't fazed.
I'm not going to put the car anywhere to prove my skills.
Like I say. You need to see where i work to appreciate this.
Think rough inner city.

I remember passing my test and my instructor looking at me and saying well done......now you can really learn how to drive!! I thought it was a strange comment but I quickly realised infact yes doing the lessons and test was only one part to driving.
Practice.....practice......practice!!

Wynston I agree
And if it wasn't for lockdown idgo out for a random spin!

If you've got a drive why don't you practise reversing on and off that? Turn the wheel left and right and see where your car goes. It is ridiculous that you cannot park.

I thought you caught public transport to work anyway?

As far as forward planning, that is not needed in going to a supermarket. If it's busy, it's busy. If the carpark is rammed, that's life. Think how great this will be when you don't have to worry about how busy the carpark is.... it will be an irrelevance just like it is to others. I don't even think about it, so much so I barely remember where I parked when I've finished shopping!

In these difficult times supermarkets get busy at the oddest times, and for you to feel confident enough not to worry about whether it's busy or not, will be so refreshing for you. Because it's impossible to second guess shopping habits during this

Okaayy

I'm repeating myself
Yes I do get public transport to work. Normally. And I will continue to do do once lockdown and covid has gone.
Transport is a bit unsafe atm I feel, so I have mostly been driving.

sleepingboy I can park. Just not confident in a busy packed car park and less experienced at reversing than anything else.
My car is parked perfectly straight outside my house.

Go to the supermarket shortly before closing, take DH. One of you do the shop, and then when they close get some practice in before heading home.

What if you had to reverse back up a narrow road? Or overtaking parked cars, but then had to go back because you didn't see a car coming?

You just cant avoid reversing.

Christ, are you still haranguing this poor woman?

rousette
Yes I can do that
I'm taking about a supermarket. Either side,behind etc etc

alsohuman
Yeah quite
rousette
I asked for advice
I did say be brutal (silly me)
I didn't say pick everything apart that i say. Or over analyse what I cannot what might happen
Are you the public speaker?
What if next time you speak, you have a panic attack.
Someone.laughs at you. You stutter.

What aren't you good at? Probably something I'm amazing at. Riding a horse? I'm great at that..swimming? Languages?? Putting on make up? I'm great at that too. Silly example. But you get my drift.

Tell me

Good to hear. Personally I would prefer reversing out of a space than reversing back up a road, but we're all different.

I hope when Covid eases you get the chance to practice lots and it all becomes second nature and much easier for you. It can be done!

The reason the op is getting a hard time is because all she is doing is making excuses as to why it can't be done.
She's been given lots of advice on how and where to practice but 'it can't be done' but I'm a good driver etc etc.
You should not have to plan a trip to the supermarket incase the carpark might be a bit busy. You just go and park in the carpark like every else.
Her husband obviously managed to extricate the completely immovable car without having to call for a crane or get others to move their cars first. I doubt the carpark was busy like the first lap of the Silverstone grand Prix. That says you are not a competent driver - and potentially dangerous in other situations too

When I was learning to drive my instructor taught me a way of reverse parking and parallel parking that involved lining the car window or wing mirror up with the third line from the space you want and hard lock on the th wheel then three and a half spins or something like that.
Then I went driving with my dad and struggled with reverse parking. He explained that the instructor was talking nonsense and you should look where you are going and drive into the space just as if you were going forwards. It sounds really silly but I was so caught up in the instructor's way of doing it I couldn't do it at all. Reversing is no more difficult than driving forward.