Are Americans Better Parkers?
Discussion
HD Adam said:
When I was working ex-pat in Houston, I had to do a US driving test so that I could get a local licence.
Having to parallel park (between cones at the test centre) was the first thing you had to do before going out on the road.
I did the same thing and in Houston too, just off 290, the parking bay was about the size of a bus stop though, I was driving a Crown Victoria (big car) and it was no problem, I did see someone fail though.Having to parallel park (between cones at the test centre) was the first thing you had to do before going out on the road.
Surely the obvious answer is that the majority of the parking spaces in the US are designed for cars that are far bigger than what we have in the UK and .
If you consider most parking facilities built since the 60s are designed to fit a standard mid size UK car.
EG Morris Minor = 3.7m long vs 1960s Forf Fairlane (typical mid size 60s/70s car) is 5m
where as now a average Ford Mondeo mk3 is 4.7m long where as the equivalent Ford Taurus is 5.1m long so it has changed VERY little.
If you consider most parking facilities built since the 60s are designed to fit a standard mid size UK car.
EG Morris Minor = 3.7m long vs 1960s Forf Fairlane (typical mid size 60s/70s car) is 5m
where as now a average Ford Mondeo mk3 is 4.7m long where as the equivalent Ford Taurus is 5.1m long so it has changed VERY little.
I can't say that I've ever seen anyone parallel park in the United States and I've visited quite a few states. Infact, I've even had a crowd of onlookers stop and gawp on atleast two occassions whilst parallel parking in to some fairly small spaces.
But it could vary largely from state to state.
But it could vary largely from state to state.
I think this thread has answered it's own question. If indeed there is any truth to the observation that Americans tend to park closer and more orderly than their European counterpart (something I never noticed) then it's likely to be because there is alot more space and the parking slots are bigger even the ones where one must parallel park- and bigger than the slightly bigger average car out here (it's a myth now that the average American car is alot bigger than the average European- just slightly- look at Cobalts, Neons and Focus') the bigger space ensures it's easier to get the parking closer.
t ones here.Melvin Udall said:
In my experience, the standard of UK driver is pretty high, despite the moaners and groaners.
I think with 30 odd million drivers on a small Island you're going to come across some useless drivers, its impossible not to. We forget the 200,000 perfectly good drivers we've seen in a days driving but we remember the 2 morons and tut about 'falling standards.'FaineantFreddy said:
HFLagos said:
When I lived in Chicago, at least I had a secure parking space downtown. Watching folks parallel park on streets generally involved them bouncing their bumpers off cars which were already parked.
This ^^^^In the US all cars are equipped with acoustic parking sensors....i.e stop when you hear a crunch.
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