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Original poster

can you park?

28 replies

missdilema · 08/11/2002 12:35

And can your partner park ok?I'm just listening to the debate on radio 2 that says women can't park cars and men can.I really can't park the car at all but have been driving now for 18 years.If I can't find a space big enough to just drive into which I am ok at I won't attepmt to reverse park if I'm on a busy road and i know people will have to wait for me cos I know i will need at least 2 attempts to do it.Perhaps it's just genetic or is it just a skill thing?Can you do it well?

OP posts:
Tissy · 08/11/2002 12:38

Yes!

batey · 08/11/2002 12:41

No I'm crap at it. Anyone see the "Smack the Pony" sketch where a woman is parking in a completely empty car park and still can't do it? Well that's me!!

PamT · 08/11/2002 12:50

I used to live in a terraced house where I HAD to learn to park on the road side between two other cars and I managed to get into some pretty tight spaces. I think it is something that comes with practice but it also goes if you don't practice it often enough - I can't do it now. I can reverse into a car park space much more easily than I can drive in too but as we now have a big 7 seater I am a bit nervous of tight spaces as I am a bit high up to get a good view of the rear passenger side. Having to reverse into a narrow drive from a narrow, busy road also helped me to get used to parking in confined spaces.

WideWebWitch · 08/11/2002 12:53

I can park. Mainly because the boyfriend who taught me to drive took me out for the day and made me park in about 100 spaces in Bristol until I got it right. I'm eternally grateful to him, especially when I'm trying to get into a tight space and a group of men are watching, willing me to fail. I've even had applause on occassion

threeangels · 08/11/2002 13:26

Horrible parker. Ive heard enough comments from dh about my "lovely parking jobs".

SoupDragon · 08/11/2002 14:31

NO! My excuse is that I've never been taught.

My parking did improve when, like PamT, we lived in a terraced house and had to park in whatever space we could find. However, now we have a driveway, my skills are fading fast!

JanZ · 08/11/2002 14:37

I taught my best friend to parallel park - years before I even had a licence of my own! (Turn the wheel that way, reverse, now the other way, forward....) I was fed up of driving round Manchester looking for a space she could drive in to!

Like PamT I used to live in a street where you HAD to park in really tight confined spaces, so I got very good at it - otherwise I would have had to park miles away. Since I've moved and now have a driveway, I'm not so in practice - so now I need a little extra space!

janh · 08/11/2002 14:49

I have the terraced street parking situation too so I've got quite confident about parking mine, even in a tiny space, but only as long as I know I came out of it in the first place...one of these days one of the neighbouring cars is going to go out while I'm gone and park a bit closer when it comes back and then I'm going to be in big trouble!

Can't park DH's and hate empty car parks!

ks · 08/11/2002 16:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
missdilema · 08/11/2002 16:12

So practice makes perfect.The thing is dh is a brilliant parker but I would consider myself a better driver than he is.I've had men stop and seeing me struggle to park they direct me in.It happens quite often so I will have a go.

OP posts:
SimonHoward · 08/11/2002 16:50

missdilema

I think it must be a spacial awareness type thing. Very few women that I know can park well (some men as well) but those that seem to have good spacial awareness of either sex seem to be able to park well.

This would explain why my mother needs at least a double length spot to park her car in when paralell parking.

Twink · 08/11/2002 18:20

Hmm, I can park but discussions like this always remind me of the old 'why can't women park' joke - 'because they're always being told that '' that is 6 inches..'

Sorry, I'll get my coat.

gillymac · 08/11/2002 18:21

I think it's all down to practice too. Once you get the hang of it, it's a dawdle (spelling?).

Azzie · 08/11/2002 20:31

I can park (and better than my dh, although he would be VERY loath to admit it ). I put it down to learning to drive in a van, rather than a car - I use the wing mirrors a lot more than many car drivers. A lot of it is down to practice and confidence, I think - one of my holiday jobs as a 6th former and student was delivery driving around Bristol, so I got used to parking in all sorts of situations.

sylvev · 08/11/2002 22:32

I can now park brilliantly, because I've had my car fitted with a "sideways gear"! (No, alright only joking, but there have been times when it would be v. useful).

Fionn · 08/11/2002 22:37

I remember telling my Australian friend about the reversing round a corner bit in the driving test and she thought I was joking - obviously so much space over there you never have to do it!
I passed my driving test first time (just!) when I was 32 - being a Londoner it was never essential to drive before I planned to have children. But I can't use mirrors in parking for the life of me. I look in the mirror and it doesn't tell me anything, I just can't judge space in mirrors. I haven't hit too many cars though...

thumper · 08/11/2002 22:44

I could never park until my dh told me to look in the nearside mirror (one closest to pavement) and since then it has been much easier. Having said that, he doesnt practice what he preaches and when he is driving we spend ages going round and round the streets looking for a space to fit a juggernaut!

SueDonim · 09/11/2002 06:12

I can park as long as I manage it first time. If I don't, I then start to think about it and get all discombobulated! If I end up a little way off the kerb DH has a really annoying habit of saying "Don't worry, I'll walk to the pavement." I think it's from a Woody Allen film.

Alibubbles · 09/11/2002 06:48

I'm really good at parking, but if I have DH in the car I end up miles away from the kerb and he says I'll take a taxi to the kerb, ok? - Similar to Suedonim.

I was going to have parktronic on my new car in June until I found it was £900, DH said stick with a tow bar it's cheaper!

The trouble with having a larger car, is that you do need to choose your space carefully, it's not you that has the problem getting in the space, it's those either side of you who scrape your bumpers getting out I find!

robinw · 09/11/2002 08:12

message withdrawn

bossykate · 09/11/2002 10:08

i hate it when people try to direct you in - it just gets me stressed and it's no help at all.

gillymac · 09/11/2002 10:19

bossykate, I hate that too. I also hate having to direct people into parking spaces. Had a bad experience when I was in the police tryng to direct a delivery lorry which was reversing into a lane and have refused point blank ever since then.

Tinker · 09/11/2002 11:00

I can now but only because my driving instructor used to live in the flat below me and watch at the window when I parked, laughing and pointing.

It's better if I remember to point the corner of the car to the middle of the space. I think!

CAM · 09/11/2002 14:08

I am a brilliant parker /driver when on my own in my car or with dd. When dh is my passenger however I can't do any of it. He is always looking at me with a bemused look on his face which completely puts me off. However in my 25+ years of driving I have never had an accident, speed ticket or claim on my insurance. He, however has had several of everything. So of course I just ignore him safe in the knowledge that I am ....SAFE!!

titchy · 12/11/2002 13:04

Yes - quite good at parking, especially now with nice high people carrier. Driving instructor from a long time ago said when you reverse into a space and are at the point where you need to turn the wheel hard right remember where the kerb or bonnet of the car behind lines up with your rear window and always use that point in future to know when to turn. Works most of the time for me.

Screaming children puts me off though - only ever had two scrapes in my car - one caused by dd having the screaming ab-dabs and the other caused by ds doing the same. Unfortunately both came within a couple of weeks of me getting a nice new car! Oh well!