Why can I not learn how to park???

[nakushita]

I hate driving but forced myself to pass my test last year before LO was born as public transport where we live is really restricted and unreliable.

Anyway, I STILL can't park. Sometimes I can drive into a space in the supermarket car park no problem, then other times I almost hit the cars either sideof me and end up going home crying cos I am so shaken up...

I can reverse up our drive one day out of maybe 10. The neighbours find my parking "skills" very entertaining and we do laugh about it together (although I think they are kind of concerned really) but I am getting really down about it.

I have practised in local car park when it is quiet but the second there are lots of cars, I totally loose the ability to judge distance and space...

Anyway, I thought I would get some advice from you guys...

lol, don't ask me. i spent ten years like that, but persevered.

at work they laugh at me, (in a good-natured way lol) because there is a reverse parking rule, and i never, ever, ever reverse park. if anyone challenges me about it, i just tell them it would be far far far more likely to result in an accident if i had to reverse into a parking space. after 16 years they just laugh and leave me alone now.

it does get better, honestly. i've lost count of the number of time i've spent 15 minutes fannying about a parking space and sweating buckets, but these days i hardly need to mop my brow.

so just sympathy from me, no advice.

when i visit my parents i drive in and get my dad to turn the car round for me so i can drive out.
i'm 38 lol.

some things are not worth getting in a stew over, honestly - just take your time and refuse to see it as a big deal.

Now parking I like!! I put it down to having such a good instructor who was very particular. How were you taught to reverse park? Are you using all the mirrors properly? Do you have electric wing mirrors?

My instructor taught me to reverse until I was level with the car in front of the space I wanted. Pointing straight ahead you are facing 12o'clock.

Then turn the steering wheel fully until you can't turn it anymore and slowly reverse, turning the car at the same time, until the bonnet points to 2o'clock.

Take off one full turn of the wheel and reverse back, using the wing mirrors to show you when your back wheel is roughly a hand space away from the kerb.

Then turn the steering back to its normal position as you turn the car into the space.

Its got me into tiny, tiny spaces and I never whack anyone's car.

You could go back to a driving school and ask for some parking help. I'm sure a few extra lessons would sort you out.

Having electric wing mirrors is a godsend because in the flick of a switch you can turn them down so you can see exactly where the back wheels are.

i hate parking. i park at the furthest end of the car park if it means getting plenty of room to park. When i go up into the village i park at the furthest end and walk up to the shop because parking alongside the road is just too difficult if it's busy.
I don't like driving generally but parking really makes me nervous.

i'm moving to canada lol. not just for the bigger parking spaces and less traffic, but every little helps...

bit drastic though...

im going to try your tip frumpy. i have todrive into a space and then go in and out a thousand times.i end up very sweaty and stressed.i feel your pain nak.

I had a general refresher driving lesson once before we bought our first car (I'd passed when still a student and not driven for 5 years). The instructor was really good, and asked me where I would mostly be driving (I said Sainsbury's ) so we went to the car park there and did parking and manoevering etc.

Get PDC (Park Distance Control) fitted to your car or buy one of the new VWs that has this cool thing that almost parks for you!

Thanks for the replies. frumpygrumpy what a great tip! I will def try that. No, my driving instructor did the thing where she goes "reverse until you can see the back corner window of the other car in line with the parcel shelf on this car" using reference points in her car which obviously are completely different to my car.

madwomanintheattic LOL! I have often thought about asking MY dad to park the car for me when I get to his! Brilliant

Well, it is nice to know some other people do the parking miles away thing so they have lots of space. Maybe I will get in touch with a Driving Instructor who can teach me manouvers. My original instructor was cr@p but I didn't know that at the time cos I never knew how to drive in the first place. It is only now that people will say "did your instructor not show you x,y,z" n I say "....no....was she meant to?!?" n they just kinda roll their eyes like "duuuuuuh!"

and.........how is it going?

Instructors are so different. My DP wasn't taught anything like a similar way to me. You'd think there would be a standard. I was lucky, mine was a pita he was so particular but I thank him now. It is difficult to get the hang of reverse parking but you feel great when you have mastered it and you can get into places well. Keep going!