what do you use as a point of reference as to how close you are to the curb? I tend to want to do everything right, and for that, I’ve been doing it fine and dandy, but inconsistently. As I’m backing up, I tend to guesstimate and end up a little far instead of a little close, which is okay since we are allowed to correct ourselves, but I’m certain there has to be something to go by.
My first instructor, told me to go until the curb meets the right doorknob in the rear view mirror, but that is very inconsistent. It worked the 1st 3 times in a row, but never again. Now, I’m nearly done with the course, and still am winging it.
In all seriousness, it’s the truth. I’m been riding motorcycles and driving stuff since before I could walk. Maneuvering vehicles just seems to come naturally to me as I suspect it does to most men.
If all else fails, do the opposite of this person:
[quote]analog_kid wrote:
Instinct. I was born on wheels baby.
In all seriousness, it’s the truth. I’m been riding motorcycles and driving stuff since before I could walk. Maneuvering vehicles just seems to come naturally to me as I suspect it does to most men.
If all else fails, do the opposite of this person:
least helpful post ever.
and
[quote]analog_kid wrote:
…Maneuvering vehicles just seems to come naturally to me as I suspect it does to most men.
[/quote]
I think it’s most helpful to think about the wheel that you are pivoting around - first the curbside rear wheel and then the outside rear wheel. That’ll help you get into tight spots and close to the curb.
just hope to get lucky again, you’ll maybe have to parallel park 5 times max throughout your whole life. well i live on long island, thats how it is here anyway.
[quote]biglift88 wrote:
just hope to get lucky again, you’ll maybe have to parallel park 5 times max throughout your whole life. well i live on long island, thats how it is here anyway.[/quote]
I live on long island and parallel park 5 times in a week, well, almost.
OP, pick up the new lexus LS, let that shit park itself. Just stare at the road test person with an obnoxious grin on your face.
Ok, so I’m kidding.
If I remember correctly, for my road test, I only had to park behind a car, and not inbetween two. So, when you parallel park, line up so that your side mirrors are in line with the other persons. Take into consideration if you’re in a ciciv parallel parking a ford excursion. I find that the mirrors part works well for most cars. Then, turn the wheel a little more than one full rotation and take your foot off the brake. Once your car is at about a 35-40 degree angle relative to the curb, straighten the wheel out for a second or two, then cut the wheel back. Then, put it in drive, turn the wheel all the way to the right and pull up parallel to the curb.
My side mirrors tilt down when I put it in reverse. Its incredible for parallel parking. I’d suggest tilting your right mirror down just a little for your test so you can see where the curb is a little better.
Good luck. Getting your liscense proves to be a lot of freedom for most teenagers. It’s a sweet feeling. Just know, its an assload of responsibility, too.
Line yourself up alongside the car in front of the space.
Turn the wheel hard and back into the space until you hit the car behind you. Straighten out your wheels and pull forward until you hit the car in front of you. Back off a little and voila! You’re in!
It’s all in how you conceptualize parallel parking. If you were backing into a garage that was sitting a little off center from your car, you’d back right in without thinking about it. Try this:
Start from a spot where your back tires are at about the rear bumber of the car that will eventually be parked in front of you and imagine that the two sides of the car behind you are the sides of a garage that you are backing into. Your brain will wrap itself around that and you’ll track right into place-- just as if you were backing into a parking slot at the mall. If you set up right, you only have to worry about hitting the car behind (I think you can handle that) and your front end swing when you pull the front of the car toward the curb.
A good way to practice this is to find an empty parking lot and back into slips from different angles. Place a slip where you think a parallel parking slot would be and back in using the lines as “garage walls.”
If this wasn’t the most complicated and least helpful post you’ve ever read, I’m sure it will solve all your parallel parking problems. In fact, you’ll scare animals and small children with the speed at which you park.
[quote]rrjc5488 wrote:
Good luck. Getting your liscense proves to be a lot of freedom for most teenagers. It’s a sweet feeling. Just know, its an assload of responsibility, too.
[/quote]
You’re not kidding. This is costing me upwards of a grand… $450 total for the course and idiotproof textbook (turn on your highbeams…turn on your highbeams…) picking up the extra $350 over six months of insurance, getting the damn permit cost $80
Not including paying for gas…well, I’ll try and leave that up to the old man as much as I can
I better not ever screw driving up haha…it’s too damn expensive to screw around.
The pointers were lots of help and made sense. I haven’t gotten around to all of them yet, but rrjc’s and the one about tilting down the side mirrors were useful, as I’m sure others will be too.
It’ll be a '95 civic, fwiw. Hope I can take it to college, as it’s still the only one.
