Parallel Parking - A Lost Art? A Lost Science?

[DonRocks]

1 minute ago, Al Dente said:

Speaking of backing out of a parking space, PLEASE turn the wheel as you back out. I see so many people who back straight out and then go drive, reverse, drive, reverse, drive, reverse, etc.  to get the car heading in the right direction. 

Did you know they don't even require parallel parking in Driver's Ed anymore? There are young people out there driving who have never parallel parked in their lives!

[Al Dente]

15 minutes ago, DonRocks said:

Did you know they don't even require parallel parking in Driver's Ed anymore? There are young people out there driving who have never parallel parked in their lives!

I don't know how some people manage to tie their shoes in the morning:

 

[dracisk]

2 hours ago, DonRocks said:

Did you know they don't even require parallel parking in Driver's Ed anymore? There are young people out there driving who have never parallel parked in their lives!

When I was getting my license in Rhode Island a million years ago they didn't require it. I'm therefore a terrible parallel parker. I lived in Dupont Circle with a car for 13 years but always had a parking space so never got any good at it. That being said, even I could have parked in the space in Al Dente's video.

[DonRocks]

2 hours ago, dracisk said:

When I was getting my license in Rhode Island a million years ago they didn't require it. I'm therefore a terrible parallel parker. I lived in Dupont Circle with a car for 13 years but always had a parking space so never got any good at it. That being said, even I could have parked in the space in Al Dente's video.

There's a really simple formula to follow - the only thing you need is your driver's-side mirror (do not attempt this without someone who knows how to do it being with you!):

This is, of course, assuming that your driver's-side mirror is properly adjusted, which is another algorithm entirely; if it isn't properly adjusted, then this will fail:

1) Back up so your head is in-line with the front car's back tires, and your cars are parallel, with about one-foot of distance between them. Stop.
2) Cut the wheel all the way clockwise.
3) *Gently* back in until you can see the back car's right-front tire and the curb in the center of your driver's-side mirror. Stop.
4) Cut the wheel all the way counter-clockwise.
5) *Gently* continue, and you should be in - be careful that you don't scrape the front car's back-left corner with your front-right corner! If you do, you didn't leave yourself that foot-or-so of distance in step 1), or, you didn't back up quite far enough in step 3). If this appears imminent, slowly pull out (watch for cars!) and start the maneuver all over again.

I repeat: Don't hold me responsible for this!

[dracisk]

1 hour ago, DonRocks said:

There's a really simple formula to follow - the only thing you need is your driver's-side mirror (do not attempt this without someone who knows how to do it being with you!):

This is, of course, assuming that your driver's-side mirror is properly adjusted, which is another algorithm entirely; if it isn't properly adjusted, then this will fail:

1) Back up so your head is in-line with the front car's back tires, and your cars are parallel, with about one-foot of distance between them. Stop.
2) Cut the wheel all the way clockwise.
3) *Gently* back in until you can see the back car's right-front tire and the curb in the center of your driver's-side mirror. Stop.
4) Cut the wheel all the way counter-clockwise.
5) *Gently* continue, and you should be in - be careful that you don't scrape the front car's back-left corner with your front-right corner! If you do, you didn't leave yourself that foot-or-so of distance in step 1), or, you didn't back up quite far enough in step 3). If this appears imminent, slowly pull out (watch for cars!) and start the maneuver all over again.

I repeat: Don't hold me responsible for this!

I appreciate that. I should print out these instructions, swallow my pride, and practice. I have poor depth perception, so that doesn't help my cause. I also get freaked when people are waiting for me or zooming by me as I'm trying to back in.

[DonRocks]

1 hour ago, dracisk said:

I appreciate that. I should print out these instructions, swallow my pride, and practice. I have poor depth perception, so that doesn't help my cause. I also get freaked when people are waiting for me or zooming by me as I'm trying to back in.

You don't need depth perception - if you practice these simple steps, and (most importantly) if your driver's-side mirror is correctly positioned (most people's aren't), you can do this *just* by aligning yourself properly, and using your driver's-side mirror (sometimes you need your rear-view mirror to see how close you're coming to the car behind you).

I've had people tell me, "*God* you're good at parallel parking," when all I'm doing is following a simple formula - like an airline pilot using a video screen instead of actually using manual skills to fly a plane. Remove my driver's-side mirror, and I'm like a fish out of water; if I was in your car, I could teach you this in 10-20 minutes.

Of course, when I got my license, there weren't SUVs with 18-inch bumpers. "Selfish-mobiles," I call them. They're also Minivans for people who don't want to admit they're driving a Minivan, although they come in handy during those 3-4 days a year when it snows (this is not a snide remark; it's true - AWD makes a big difference in the snow).

I can't stress enough how important it is to line up both the driver's-side and passenger's-side mirrors: If you do this correctly, you eliminate all blind spots. I really think people should be required to take a written and field test every ten-or-so years in order to keep their drivers license - my mom hadn't driven a car since *1966* (the last time she drove, she hit a pole in a McDonald's parking lot in Kanab, Utah - long story), and still had her license the day she passed away in 2011.

[ktmoomau]

I learned parallel parking in a very similar way to the above (although it was more, when you are halfway into the space you start turning the wheel back all the way to the other side, it wasn't about what you could see in the mirror).  After having to parallel park in college on competitive side streets, and then live in the wholly absolutely competitive area of Historic Annapolis, where on the weeknights you competed with all the historic homes without garages and on the weekends you prayed you didn't have to move your car during high tourist seasons, I got to be a pro.  Then I lived on Capitol Hill and Dupont which was much the same.  When I had a large Isuzu trooper this was really a challenge, my VW Beetle was amazing and I could fit it into most any spot, I loved that car.  I actually have friends (and occasionally the Hubby when in a big rental) who get out of their cars and have me parallel park their cars into tight spaces.  What I hate is people who don't understand they need to pull up all the way to the front of a sign or back all the way up to a sign, so they don't waste space, or they leave too much room in front or in back of their car (there is an appropriate amount to allow you to get in and out).  Tourists in Annapolis get a lot of side eye for this.  Alas, without my fancy car cameras and sensors though I could not park centered, straight and pulled up close enough in a straight forward space most times.   I have gotten better, it is all about practice.   

[Steve R.]

Whenever we’re in Florida (as we are for only one more day, damn it - but that’s another topic), our car is the subject of much laughter & astonishment for the hundreds of bumper scuffs, dings & scrapes, both front & back.  My response is that they’re the badges of honor for successful NYC Street parking.  I can park with only inches of room, front & back.

[Al Dente]

Actual footage of my mad parallel parking skills:

 

[DaveO]

1 hour ago, Steve R. said:

Whenever we’re in Florida (as we are for only one more day, damn it - but that’s another topic), our car is the subject of much laughter & astonishment for the hundreds of bumper scuffs, dings & scrapes, both front & back.  My response is that they’re the badges of honor for successful NYC Street parking.  I can park with only inches of room, front & back.

LOVE IT.

I started to get down on NYC when I began to park there frequently.  Torture.  At one point while single I had a GF living on the upper West Side Manhattan.  Small girl, small cramped apartment, tiny parking spaces.  alternate side of the street parking, wake up early--move your car.  We went to tiny restaurants with crowded seating.  You know.... she was nice...but damned if the entire experience left me feeling claustrophobic, seriously so.  Sadly it is the significant memory of that relationship. 

My ex MIL lived in NYC.  Ooooh.  I still recall my car getting broken into, smashed window.  Big PITA and expense to get it fixed.  The volume of dings, dents etc increased exponentially as a result of those too frequent visits.    

It certainly tested and honed one's parallel parking capabilities.  Either that or some freaking stupid expensive charges for parking underground for a couple of days.

I love the BIG APPLE!!!!   (just don't ask me to drive in there).

[Ericandblueboy]

When I lived in NYC, I frequently see people parallel park by backing into the car behind them and then ramming the car in front of them.  Now people drive around with bumper guards in NYC.

Luckily, the few times that we drove into the city on weekends, no one has ever rammed my car.  Otherwise I'd get dinged at the end of the lease.

[DaveO]

Just now, Ericandblueboy said:

When I lived in NYC, I frequently see people parallel park by backing into the car behind them and then ramming the car in front of them.  Now people drive around with bumper guards in NYC.

Ha ha forgot about that.  I've also seen it.  In fact I first saw it years ago.  Bam in the front.  Bam bam in the back.  Unbelievable.  Haven't been paying attention more recently as I'm not cognizant of the bumper guards...but it makes perfect sense.

[DonRocks]

34 minutes ago, Ericandblueboy said:

Luckily, the few times that we drove into the city on weekends, no one has ever rammed my car.  Otherwise I'd get dinged at the end of the lease.

This is the reason (one reason) why I'll never lease another car - when you own, you have the option to fix little piddly stuff (or not).

[Steve R.]

2 hours ago, Ericandblueboy said:

When I lived in NYC, I frequently see people parallel park by backing into the car behind them and then ramming the car in front of them.  Now people drive around with bumper guards in NYC.

Luckily, the few times that we drove into the city on weekends, no one has ever rammed my car.  Otherwise I'd get dinged at the end of the lease.

I wouldn’t say “ram”, but yeah.  Like gruff service & lines at DiFara pizza, its part of the NYC charm.