when it comes to parallel parking.
It wasn't part of the test back in the good old days or I'd still be attempting to pass.
It's not that I can't do it: I can. It's more that it takes me a few tries Which is fine until some nice kind motorist insists on waiting for me to finish, ignoring my frantic signals to 'Pass, please pass!' I've been known to ignore spaces that would comfortably accommodate a double decker bus if there's a motorist on my tail.
And even when I accomplish the task one or more of my wheels is likely to be on the pavement. Or 3' from the kerb.
And talking of signals, rude ones are wasted on me.
A man on a mobility scooter made a strange arm signal to me today. I have no idea what it meant but, judging from the look on his face, it wasn't 'Have a nice day.' I don't know why: I hadn't done anything. I wasn't even close to him. Perhaps it was 'Have a nice day.'
17 comments:
Hello Liz, In my opinion, It's all to do with PAS (power assisted steering). I used to have a small car without it and struggled to park, particularly reversing in, but now, I have a car with PAS, I can easily park it in the tightest of spaces.
Many years ago, in my impoverished years, I had a clapped out Morris Marina that didn't have a reverse gear so I spent my time driving round in circles,
trying to park in a spot where I didn't have reverse out of...crazy
but true!
Hope all are well down your way...
and George is being a good boy!
Di.x
I didn't have to earn parallel parking and I am utterly crap at it!
I should parallel park in front of my house but I don't! Rather, I slide in head first, drive over the curbing (4-wheel drive vehicles are nice for doing that), give the steering wheel a hard left turn (I think that would a right turn for you), and find myself nicely parked between the car in front of me and the car in back of me.
I figure that, at my age, a bit of eccentric behavior is OK.
I am brilliant at parallel parking, always get there in one try, but only on one side. If I am on a one way street and have to parallel park on the "wrong" side, I back and fill ad nauseam.
See Jams can't do it. It's not a girl thing!
I am exactly the same and always avoid parking at the kerb. The comments so far are very interesting especially S.S.Nick.
Trubes is so right about PAS - our old car is so heavy on the steering that my arms are aching after a parking session.
Wendy (Wales)
I had to take my driver's test twice to pass parallel parking.
To this day I don't parallel park unless there are two empty spaces together where I can drive in front first. I seem to have no trouble getting out.
Newer cars have an option that will parallel park the car all by itself. I didn't ask for it the last cars I bought. I did not want to know what it cost. It was demonstrated on the Oprah Winfrey show over a year ago.
Tell George 'hello' from Luckie who is home from the spa. She has allergies and is on some medications.
This week husband will dog-sit Luckie while I attend a photography refresher course in Springfield Missouri--something I've been wanting to do for quite xome time. Tamron Lenses is sponsor.
I can relate to that, Liz. I only parallel park if there are no other cars within a 2 km radius. That way, I'm sure I'll get into the parking space and no one can see if it takes me a couple of tries to do it.
Yeah, I've had those funny signals too...there are a lot of friendly blokes...and women...about.
Oh, Trubes--we had an old old Ford wagon that lost its reverse. I can so identify with you.
And Nick, that IS parallel parking. You do end up parallel, don't you?
But Liz, have you ever been so carefully positioning yourself to back into that one space and someone whips into it frontways (like Nick?)? (Deserved to have a crunched fender, that one did!!)
But all that and you do it backwards--LOL!!!! No really, I don't think I could parallel park in the UK at all. Oh, and BTW, it's what I failed my first two driving tests because of.
Oh Good someone else. I don't even know if I did it on my test but I certainly have never tried I will walk a mile rather than parallel park
I always thought I was good at parallel parking. Used to merrily do it outside the church office regularly when I went to volunteer. Then one day....I put my foot on the gas instead of the brake and went ZIP right across the sidewalk and right through the office wall, taking a water main outlet with me!!
Ahhh, pride comes before a fall.
PS I have photos to prove it.
I think it goes with age... and the ability to park.
Nowadays it's a running gag in the family - firstly my daughter is hellishly impatient and always in a rush, so we drive into a car park and I'll drive about looking for the "best place" to park, deliberately driving past lots of empty spaces - she'll flip screaming "Dad for heaven's sake just PARK!!!"
Then I'll swing into a space and my son will collapse in fits of laughter saying something like "Another stunning example of Dad's crap parking".
I'll open the door look at the line (if visible) say something like "Not very straight is it. It's that guy next to/opposite/whatever's fault". I'll back out and straighten up - at which point son is again in fits pointing out we've not moved at all.
We all get out and I look again from the outside and mutter something like "Oh that isn't very good I'll straighten up". And yep you've got it proceed to back out and go back in just as lopsided as before. By the time I get out the car by now the family are in the shopping centre ordering a coffee and ignoring that I'm a member of the family.
:-)
The man in a mobility scooter gave you a strange arm signal? Would that be before or after you ran him over?
I'm also crap at parallel parking. My husband (who's an ace) had a good tip though - back up straight until your steering wheel is even with the back end of the car in front of the spot (the one you're trying to park behind), then cut the wheel.
Helped me a bit. Hope it helps you too.
Sweet. :)
I drove a car for years without power steering, so I have to disagree Trubes.
I learnt because I had to, you see we live on a very steep hill with a few twists in it, now that's not so much the problem, it's my hateful neighbour who likes to cause as much trouble as he can.
So when I moved here I was told the space outside my house was mine hahahah, good luck parking in it. Turns out the hateful neighbour parks so badly that most people couldn't park in the space left.He does this on purpose, even to this day. The man didn't reckon on a stubborn jewish born nightmare that is me when someone trys to cause me trouble.
He often only leaves me about a foot longer than my car takes up and you know what, the man has never defeated me in the parking stakes since june 1996, never once have I NOT got my car into the space he leaves.
The trick is to be stubborn about it and practise makes perfect. Mind you having learnt to drive round London in a great big van, might have something to do with it, but I think it is actually that battle lines were drawn in 1996 and he refuses to admit defeat. It's not just me he does cause trouble for the whole neighbourhood.
Liz if you go to an empty supermarket car park you can lear to do it there, it's where I am teaching my daughter to park and she is doing well as there is no pressure from other drivers and she uses the lines to guide her, so if she goes over them it doesn't matter as no damage is done.
Much love Lia xx
ps i think my blog is fixed now, but let me know babes.
George is being a very good boy, trubes. ha ha ha ha ...
Well done for owning up, jams!
That is parallel parking, nick! My sort anyway.
It's weird, isn't it, jmb, that which side it is affects us. I'm like that too.
Betty Beetle doesn't have power steering but is little, wendy, so it's six of one and half a dozen of the other.
Yes, nitwit, if there's enough room to go in front first i'm fine too.
I like to think they're being friendly too, puss.
Katney, that hasn't happened to me but i would be so cross if it did!
Exercise is good for us, berni!
Okay, Chris, we want to see the photos!
You sound just like me, furtheron! Husband on the other hand is excellent at parking.
Just after. Do you think that's significant, DD?
I'll have to try that, Robin.
What a horrible neighbour, Lia!
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