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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not park my car in gear?

368 replies

CrazylazyJane · 18/04/2023 04:54

DH and I are at odds on whether you are supposed to park your car in gear or not, so settle the argument for us.

He maintains that he was taught to always leave your car in first gear when you park it incase the hand break fails

I was taught to leave the car in neutral when parking. The only exception being when you're parked on a steep hill, you may consider leaving your car in gear to prevent it from rolling.

I drive DG's car a few times a year and today jumped in it and bunny hopped as I turned on the ignition. Yes, yes, one should always check the gear stick before turning the engine on but I don't routinely as I would always leave a manual car in neutral. So AIBU for being annoyed that he keeps doing this?

OP posts:
Onthegrid · 19/04/2023 11:37

Yes I have had a handbrake fail on an older car years ago.
i no longer drive a manual regularly but we still have one in the family and I always leave it in gear, DH and the DC leave it in neutral and we live on an incline!

Daffodilsandtuplips · 19/04/2023 21:20

Some drivers fail to apply the hand break correctly, just pulling it up halfway. I pull it up until I hear it click.

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 20/04/2023 06:48

Can I suggest there may be a north / south divide? DH and his friends and family all seem to park in gear where as me, my best friend and my family all park in neutral. DH says that it was because he always lived in hilly areas.

I learnt to drive in Suffolk - one of the flattest parts of the country and was always taught to park in gear.

All you need is a tiny incline and your car will roll if the brakes fail. At best that might mean you bump the curb or the wall behind you, but at worst you could be liable for damage to another car or even someone's home.

Parking in neutral seems dangerous to me - especially when it doesn't do any damage at all to park in head.

Sunshine275 · 23/04/2023 16:28

I was taught exactly the same as you.

MidnightEagle · 23/04/2023 16:57

I always park in gear (although I know when doing lessons it was supposed to be neutral). My father and brother always told me to park in gear in case the hand break failed. I always check the gear if I'm getting in someone else's car or put the clutch in before turning on.

Galatine · 23/04/2023 17:01

My last car (manual) would not start unless the clutch was depressed.
Current car (automatic) won't start unless it is in the Park position so not a problem if I forget to check.
I've been driving since 1966 and was taught to leave the vehicle in low gear when parking.

Ineedsleepandcoffee · 23/04/2023 17:06

I park in gear on a hill but doesn't need to be a steep hill as I have been caught out before by the hand brake not being tight enough and just enough of a slope that something on wheels will move

FineBerol · 23/04/2023 17:11

Would someone fail their test now if they leave it parked in gear ??

chellie2021 · 23/04/2023 17:17

I park on a hill so I leave my car in first gear, if the nose of my car is facing down the hill I’ll park in reverse just incase my handbrake failed, when I’m parking on a complete flat I leave it in neutral

Anderson2018 · 23/04/2023 17:20

My husband does the same and it drives me mad haha, especially when he drives my car. He passed his test 25 years ago and I did last year so I guess that’s the difference. Not unreasonable to be annoyed, it’s so annoying, but I doubt he’ll stop doing it my husband has no intentions of stopping even if there’s absolutely no need for it

Bellie710 · 23/04/2023 17:22

I always park in gear but I was also taught the first thing you should do before you start a car is make sure it's in neutral?

TooOldForThisNonsense · 23/04/2023 17:23

I have an automatic now but when I had a manual I parked in neutral, would only park in gear as you say on a steep hill

BrainWontWorkAnymore · 23/04/2023 17:23

In gear

to not park my car in gear?
theGooHasGone · 23/04/2023 17:27

Always in gear when it's a manual. Costs nothing and more secure.

TooOldForThisNonsense · 23/04/2023 17:28

My husband’s car you have to depress the clutch and brake to start it so that would prevent the bunny hopping

angielizzy1 · 23/04/2023 17:29

I always park in gear. My husband's car has rolled before because the handbrake was applied but failed. One of my previous cars was written off because someone parked across the roads handbrake failed in a van. It did a huge amount of damage to my car, even the other side of the car was slammed into the curb and the wheel was damaged.

MonkeySocks9 · 23/04/2023 17:35

I always used to leave it in neutral until the day I forgot to put the handbrake on (or it failed, I’ll never know) the car rolled into a tree causing a fair bit of damage. We were very lucky as I had walked in front of it with my toddler son just a moment beforehand…

Drive an automatic now so I don’t have to worry about doing it again 🙈

Beachcomber · 23/04/2023 17:37

Both DH and I always park in gear and also put the clutch in when we start the engine.

Do both automatically without even thinking about it.

I remember saying to a mechanic at a garage I'd taken my car to "oh by the way it's parked in gear" as I handed the keys over.

To which he replied "so it should be". He also said no mechanic would start a car without automatically putting the clutch in.

On the rolling thing, a friend's handbrake failed in the school car park. It rolled into a wall and caused a lot of damage but thank god didn't knock a child down.

fetchacloth · 23/04/2023 17:43

Your DH is correct.
Always park in gear as handbrakes can fail, particularly on older vehicles. Especially important if you are parked on a slope.

Beachcomber · 23/04/2023 17:49

Really the issue is you not checking the car is in neutral / not engaging the clutch when you start a car.

Your DH isn't being unreasonable at all in parking his car in gear.

defi · 23/04/2023 17:50

I park in neutral unless on a hill or slant

Nottamug · 23/04/2023 17:52

OliviaPark · 18/04/2023 06:18

Just out of interest, how many people here have had their hand brake fail? (Personally, not their mum’s cousin’s neighbour).

I have never known anyone it happened to or seen the aftermath of an incident where it has happened.

This happened to my daughter on a very steep hill in…thankfully no one was injured but three cars inc her written off .

Moonshine60 · 23/04/2023 17:52

Always left mine in gear.

MysteryBelle · 23/04/2023 17:54

Park in gear for obvious reasons. Parking in neutral on a flat surface, if handbrake fails, if it’s not put on in first place 😱, means you have the option to manually push it if you need to move it if no way to get in, no keys, (lots of ifs) and I think that’s why some people do it.

It makes much more sense to park it in gear, safer, so it won’t roll. No real (likely) cons to parking in gear but plenty of (likely) cons to parking in neutral. Drove stick shifts for decades, learned to drive in one. Park in gear. I get the idea behind it and in some situations it may be preferable, but generally speaking, much safer and logical to park in gear.

MysteryBelle · 23/04/2023 17:56

And yes, as a pp said, anyone with sense starts a stick shift car by first putting in the clutch, and brake if need be.