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Original poster

I am rubbish at parking - has anyone ever been like me but somehow managed to become competent at parking?

52 replies

MrsFogi · 23/01/2008 22:40

Please tell me how! I'm fed up of having to drive all around my area to find three residents' spaces next to one another (and paying for a car park when I can't even though there are lots of single spaces available). I'm fed up of driving to the top of multi-storey car parks so I can find three spaces next to one another.
Don't suggest parktronic, I have it. It doesn't help.

OP posts:
Original poster
MrsFogi · 24/01/2008 22:38

Quattrocento my parking is rubbish without parktronic as well. Rather sadly I can't park going in forwards or backwards. I want to be a demon too .

OP posts:
Beauregard · 24/01/2008 22:38

I passed my test in December and cannot park either.
On my lessons i did parallel parking but it was always behind 1 car rather than between 2 so i guess it was easier.I haven't done any since and have even managed to go into a parent & child space crooked.
My instructor used to say about the parallel parking "When the end of the car you are parking behind first comes into view in your very 1st small side window put 1 full lock on to the left then when it comes into view of your passenger side window put a lock onto to the right then when it is visable in the left corner of the windscreen another full lock to the right"
He used to call it Lovely Red Roses (Left,right,right)
I know i am just lacking confidence as i have done it in the past.But bay parking they do not teach.

Kewcumber · 24/01/2008 22:41

not me I was born with the rare gift of being able to park. What can I say its a talent.

Those mere mortals, I think you'll find that its a skill like every other driving skill but you don;t get to ractice it enough. You need to move to a street where there seem to be 10 more cars than spaces and after a little while you will find that you can park in a space 6 inches bigger than your car.

whomovedmychocolate · 24/01/2008 22:45

I used to be shite at parking, then I went from a really big car to a smaller one. Now I'm great at it because I'm more confident because my car is comparatively titchy.

However a couple of lessons from a driving instructor can pay dividends if they teach you to reverse park.

I also practiced in supermarket car parks when I first started.

Original poster
MrsFogi · 24/01/2008 22:50

Therein lies the problem. I do live in a road where there are ten cars for every resident bay so when I have the car parked I do everything I can to avoid moving it (walking vast distances instead of driving) and often end up paying to park in a car park until there are more free spaces in the middle of the night . When I do venture out in the car I inevitably end up parking miles from where I'm going in order to find a "suitable" space (ie one I can get in).

OP posts:
grendel · 24/01/2008 23:03

My DH is so good at parallel parking that watching passers-by break into spontaneous rounds of applause.

Me, on the other hand, well, my parking style could be more accurately described as 'stopping'.

I too have driven round and round multi-storey carparks in a sweat-panic looking for a nice BIG space.

I blame my lack of binocular vision. DH blames my chromosomes.

trixibel · 24/01/2008 23:38

Try this...i used to be crap at parking, then my partner (ex driving instructor) told me this. Worked like a dream...
Pull up halfway beside the car in front of the space you want, with your boot halfway along that car, about i metre away from it. slowly reverse until your boot is in line with the boot of the other car, at which point, start turning anti-clockwise until you can see the kerb in your right wing mirror. when u see the kerb, straighten up, move slowly back at same time starting to turn wheel clockwise, watching your bonnet will miss the car in front, which will bring u perfectly into the space.

OverRated · 24/01/2008 23:48

Reversing makes parallel parking much easier but it does take practice. I used to be rubbish but after 5 years of street parking, I'm almost a pro! There are some good explanations of how to do it on here.

Califrau - if it's like the CT test, you'll be fine. I had to reverse into a space in a car park and that is much easier than parallel parking. Just smile nicely.

gigglewitch · 24/01/2008 23:50

buy a bike?
or a dodgem SMART, then you don't have to learn to park...

sorry, just for a Giggle

EachPeachPearMum · 24/01/2008 23:53

Live in an area that has virtually no parking- you suddenly get very good at getting into the tiniest of spaces

I also think its a confidence thing. When there's cars behind me, I stress about it, and drive off but when the street is empty, I park quickly and well. I am actually quite good at it- my instructor was very pleased with the way I parked (5 yrs ago).

cupsoftea · 25/01/2008 00:02

check out www.crapparking.co.uk/

cupsoftea · 25/01/2008 00:04

this driver has heard about mumsnet www.crapparking.co.uk/pages/2006/blocking-child-spaces.php

Cam · 27/01/2008 15:16

Eachpeach that's true which was why I was a brilliant parker when I lived in Brighton. But I have now lost the skill as I have private parking

Alambil · 27/01/2008 17:41

I couldn't live in my house if I couldn't parallel park! I find it easier to reverse into a multistory/supermarket car space too, then just leave a gap to get to the boot if I need to - reversing, using mirrors/moving in my seat seems far more accurate than just "park n dump" when people just turn the wheel, get the car roughly in the lines and run for it!

I came home just after moving here and the ONLY space left on the street was literally JUST big enough for my fiesta. I took it slowly, did it in one and didn't bash the other 2 cars - I had 1 inch from the front bumper to the car in front and 2 inches from the back bumper to the car behind.

I got out and the men in the pub cheered me!! I couldn't beleive it - apparently they'd taken bets on if I'd get in or not - the cheek of it!

I think practise is the only thing that helps - go to a supermarket carpark, go to an emptyish spot and just keep doing it until you can do it well (well, for say 30 mins in one lesson!)

NKF · 27/01/2008 17:43

I used to be rubbish and now I'm okay. For parallel parking, line the centre of the back window with the kerb. And don't angst about it. Somehow worrying about not being able to do it spoils your judgment.

serin · 27/01/2008 23:29

I once made our car literally catch fire when we arrived at a campsite and I insisted that I could in fact park the caravan while DH went off to reception.

He came back to find the kids running for cover whist the new neighbours stood by aiming fire extinguishers at the engine.

I have got better though.

Bluenosesaint · 27/01/2008 23:38

I can parallel park, no problem.

I can reverse into a space, no problem.

I absolutely cannot reverse out of a parking space under any circumstance

I parked on the Next car park during the Winter sale. There were a queue of cars behind me waiting for a space so i didn't have time to reverse in, i just had to pull in. When i got back to my car, i couldn't reverse the damn thing out!! I sat and bawled my eyes out for about an hour until the owner of the car next to me came back and moved it ...only then could i move mine ...

Sooooooo

Cam · 28/01/2008 12:19

True NKF which is why I cannot park when dh is my passenger but can when I'm on my own or with dd

nappymadmummy · 28/01/2008 12:34

I can just about parallel park, I can just about reverse park . I can't reverse out of parking spaces though so I have to reverse in...if there's a queue of people behind me they just have to wait .

I'm a terribly nervous driver and I have to force myself to go out...perhaps you just need to decide that you ARE going to park in a single space and keep trying til you get in there. Forget about what anyone thinks and just do it.

Oh and if you go nice and slowly there'll be no damage if you hit anything and you can just pretend you didn't

TopGearJeremy · 28/01/2008 14:16

Ladies ladies ladies ! You are giving yourselves a bad name. Just go out and get a couple of lessons. Honestly, it's as simple as that.

OrmIrian · 28/01/2008 14:19

Everyone is rubbish at parking to start with I think. It's not something that driver instructors bother with as far as I remember and it's difficult. But live in a street with not enough parking for a few years and you will get better. No choice. Or get a bike

I am damned good these days ....honest!

miobombino · 28/01/2008 14:22

I learned to drive in london, having been brought up in a quiet part of the country. My lessons were in the morning rush hour, before work, so I just had to get used to driving/parking in these circumstances. Truly terrifying the first few times though !

Cam · 28/01/2008 15:08

I think there's an optimum parking age though, I think you go past it as you get older and your eyesight and concentration gets a bit dodgy

lou33 · 28/01/2008 15:14

when i was learning to drive, i could parallel park no probs, and hated reversing into a parking space

now i have rarely needed to parallel park, so i am not that good, but can reverse park no probs, due to the small narrow drive i have

it's definitely practice

i prefer parking between 2 cars, it's a guideline being able to see how much room you have each side

Lazycow · 28/01/2008 15:25

I used to be truely terrible.

Then I moved into a flat with very little parking available, where everyone parks leaving as little gaps possible so as to use all available space and where there is a sideways camber so steep some vans refuse to drive down in case they tip over

Put that together with their being almost no street parking outside as the flats are near a station and I quickly became quite good at it or else I'd have had to park miles away and drag a load of shopping (and later a baby/toddler) with me.

In fact I have had to drive other people's cars out of situations they have got themselves in before now. Last month I came out of the flats to find a woman crying with her car at an awkward angle, a dent in her car, a broken water pipe on the wall and another car in serious danger of being dented as well. I ended up driving the car out for her for which she was very grateful.

The key things for getting better are:

1 ALWAYS reverse into any space that might be in any way difficult or tight to get into to

2 Have a small car

3 Practice and necessity