parking for dummies
Discussion
Anyone have any hints for being a master of parking and being the envy of everyone? Despite practising whenever the opportunity arises to squeeze my car into challenging spaces, I'm still useless at it. My driving instructor made no effort to teach me how to do it well, if I didn't hit anything he considered it job done.
I don't really have a set routine, which I think is a problem. For parallel parking, I generally stop very close to the car in front of the space (couple of inches), fully lock steering, reverse, straighten up, reverse and almost touch the kerb with the rear wheel, then full lock the other way. It's a bit hit and miss.
Bay parking is a bit easier but only if I swing the car out a bit so there's less angle rather than start from a 90 degree angle. Not sure if that's normal.
When I don't park well it annoys me until I use the car again.
I am male.
I don't really have a set routine, which I think is a problem. For parallel parking, I generally stop very close to the car in front of the space (couple of inches), fully lock steering, reverse, straighten up, reverse and almost touch the kerb with the rear wheel, then full lock the other way. It's a bit hit and miss.
Bay parking is a bit easier but only if I swing the car out a bit so there's less angle rather than start from a 90 degree angle. Not sure if that's normal.
When I don't park well it annoys me until I use the car again.
I am male.
I think the reply above is spot on - if you set up a dummy course with wheely bins then you can safely nudge them without worrying about damage.
When I was taught to drive the instructor had little tips/rules mainly to do with the passenger front window - pull forward alongside the car in front of the space you want to park in, until their wing mirror was visible in the front corner of the passenger window, then stop, reverse whilst putting full lock on, then when the rear corner of the same car was visible in the front corner of the passenger window start to straighten up.
Of course the actual point where you turn/straighten will depend on the size of your car, but it worked pretty well as a guide.
When I was taught to drive the instructor had little tips/rules mainly to do with the passenger front window - pull forward alongside the car in front of the space you want to park in, until their wing mirror was visible in the front corner of the passenger window, then stop, reverse whilst putting full lock on, then when the rear corner of the same car was visible in the front corner of the passenger window start to straighten up.
Of course the actual point where you turn/straighten will depend on the size of your car, but it worked pretty well as a guide.
To paralel park:
Pull alonside the car in front so that the end of the boot is visable though the offside passenger window.
Apply one full turn of lock (so the wheel looks like it is now all the way back round to the centre)
Reserve in until the car is at about 45 degrees
Swing wheel all the way round two full turns (again,so the wheel looks like it is now all the way back round to the centre)
Pull in and celibrate excelent parking.
Use this as a basis and then fine tune it. For best results buy a two up two down with on road parking and become a master
Pull alonside the car in front so that the end of the boot is visable though the offside passenger window.
Apply one full turn of lock (so the wheel looks like it is now all the way back round to the centre)
Reserve in until the car is at about 45 degrees
Swing wheel all the way round two full turns (again,so the wheel looks like it is now all the way back round to the centre)
Pull in and celibrate excelent parking.
Use this as a basis and then fine tune it. For best results buy a two up two down with on road parking and become a master
drab said:
Anyone have any hints for being a master of parking and being the envy of everyone?
It'll never happen. I can fit cars into spaces that look impossibly small, but no-one notices or cares. In fact, most people think I'm wasting my time and should use the (increasingly-common) drive-over-the-kerb-and-then-straighten-up parking technique. Oli.
drab said:
if I didn't hit anything he considered it job done.
After nearly 10 years and an advanced motoring qualification this is still how I park. If I'm miles out I fold in my roadside mirror. If I find I'm parked illegally I put my hazards on.
Edited by Prof Prolapse on Thursday 5th July 11:03
zcacogp said:
t'll never happen. I can fit cars into spaces that look impossibly small, but no-one notices or cares. In fact, most people think I'm wasting my time and should use the (increasingly-common) drive-over-the-kerb-and-then-straighten-up parking technique.
Oli.
Sad, but true... Its the same with the bog-standard reverse bay parking technique. People seem to prefer to drive in, even if they have to reverse back to actually get the car in straight, despite the fact that it is easier to get in, and faster to get out (and often faster to get in), if they reverse in - its moronic. Oli.
I can only paralel park on the "wrong" side (the right) due to years of only ever parking on that side of my local one-way highstreet.
I can reverse and reverse park amazingly well considering that i do it all with just my wingmirrors and a healthy dash of luck. Parking is just a matter of practice and faith that you have that extra bit of room behind you.
I can reverse and reverse park amazingly well considering that i do it all with just my wingmirrors and a healthy dash of luck. Parking is just a matter of practice and faith that you have that extra bit of room behind you.
Quick hands are useful when parking and watching the car in front is more important than whats behind. generally speaking even if you make a hash of the first bit you can adjust in the middle to correct it.
There is no definitive way to park every car but i know that i am able to help my gf park as good as me from the passenger seat
There is no definitive way to park every car but i know that i am able to help my gf park as good as me from the passenger seat
Get a toy car, like lego technix, or anything which has front wheels that turn like real cars. Then use this to practice working out the physics and angles of parking. It's all to do with physics, and practice. I laugh when I always see people trying to park into a gap and the angle is all wrong, and it is PHYSICALLY impossible for them to make it without hitting the curb.
Yet.
They go so FREAKING slow, like they think it increases the turning circle of their car?
and eventually hit the thing and have to start again.
Get the angles right, and then it's just practice & knowing your car's boundaries.
With bay parking - it's physics again that states it is easier reverse into a space then go into it forwards, as you have an extra arc of movement.
I'll draw a picture if you really want.
Yet.
They go so FREAKING slow, like they think it increases the turning circle of their car?
and eventually hit the thing and have to start again.Get the angles right, and then it's just practice & knowing your car's boundaries.
With bay parking - it's physics again that states it is easier reverse into a space then go into it forwards, as you have an extra arc of movement.
I'll draw a picture if you really want.
Parallel parking is all about implicitly knowing your lock and exactly how long the bonnet is so you know when you can start turning back to opposite lock to straighten up, which in turn obviously feeds back into the angle at which you pull into the space - it's not a conscious thing, it just comes with practice. Dipping the passenger-side mirror so you can see where the pavement is might help while you learn.
If you think normal parallel parking is difficult, you should try it with a trailer.
If you think normal parallel parking is difficult, you should try it with a trailer.
Edited by kambites on Thursday 5th July 11:04
Not strictly to the highway code but some tips I picked up on a forklift course, which was all about maneuverability.
Imagine a verticle line coming up from the rear axle by each rear wheel, this is your pivit for reversing. I always get the centre line of the rear axle just past whatever i'm going around, then start to pull in. You have to look at how long the front of your car is, too steep an angle and you won't have enough room to swing the front in (you'll go up the kerb), too shallow and you'll end up 3ft from the kerb. Try to work out the best angle that will give you enough clearance for the vehicle you are driving.
I always reverse with my mirrors, I always have and always will. I point them down slightly so I can see the rear wheels and whatever I am going around, this enables me to see if the axle has cleared the object, car, whatever.
I've tried to teach my Wife, but she's just terminally useless. She has to put her hands infront of her face to tell left from right.
Imagine a verticle line coming up from the rear axle by each rear wheel, this is your pivit for reversing. I always get the centre line of the rear axle just past whatever i'm going around, then start to pull in. You have to look at how long the front of your car is, too steep an angle and you won't have enough room to swing the front in (you'll go up the kerb), too shallow and you'll end up 3ft from the kerb. Try to work out the best angle that will give you enough clearance for the vehicle you are driving.
I always reverse with my mirrors, I always have and always will. I point them down slightly so I can see the rear wheels and whatever I am going around, this enables me to see if the axle has cleared the object, car, whatever.
I've tried to teach my Wife, but she's just terminally useless. She has to put her hands infront of her face to tell left from right.
I pride myself on being good at parallel parking. Lots of practise does the trick but my instructor said pull up to the car in front so you can see the wing mirror and reverse whilst winding in lock. When the curb disappears in the wing mirror then turn the opposite way and straighten.
My favourite bit of parking...
Back, forward, back, forward, done.
My favourite bit of parking...
Back, forward, back, forward, done.
zcacogp said:
t'll never happen. I can fit cars into spaces that look impossibly small, but no-one notices or cares.
Not entirely true; I once reversed carefully into a space not much longer than my car and got a round of applause and a thumbs up from the passenger sitting in the car behind. He was a drivng instructor with a pupil in the driving seat. Never managed to repeat that star performance though...
frosted said:
lankybob said:
My favourite bit of parking...
Back, forward, back, forward, done.
That's a ignorant bit of parking there , people park like that all the time and block me in, good thing I got a towbar Back, forward, back, forward, done.
Yes you got in the gap (probably while bumping into the other cars) but no consideration for the other two people.............................
zcacogp said:
drab said:
Anyone have any hints for being a master of parking and being the envy of everyone?
It'll never happen. I can fit cars into spaces that look impossibly small, but no-one notices or cares. In fact, most people think I'm wasting my time and should use the (increasingly-common) drive-over-the-kerb-and-then-straighten-up parking technique. Oli.
"Good parking" is a dying art.
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