Parallel parking is a lost art

[AFC-911]

I started driving in 1998. I know how to parallel park, but it was never required for me to learn...

[slodave]

Originally Posted by steve911

LOL.

Parallel parking is not taught for , nor is it required to pass, the CA driving test. My now-19 year old daughter is just now beginning to parallel park.
She spent her junior and senior years in HS getting to school early in order to get a spot in the lot, so as to not have to park on the street and face parallel parking. She'd come home and tell me that such and such was late for class since they couldn't parallel park.

She still has some friends that can't parallel park. We live outside San Francisco and driving into SF and not being able to parallel park is a big problem...

They removed the requirement a couple of years before I got my license (which was a while ago now). I heard that too many students were damaging the cars as they backed into them. I think that Teen Auto did teach me to parallel park, but I think it was only when we found spots that were wide enough to ensure that cars would not be hit.

I can parallel park on either side of the street.

[Dan J]

When I took the test for my class A license I had to parallel park a semi truck. I thought that was silly but actually had to do it a couple times on the road

[kaisen]

They seriously don't teach it, or have it on the driving test anymore? Really? No wonder why people park like idiots and so many cars have scraped-up bumper covers. Wow. I vote for its return!

I'v had to parallel park several different trailers, including a 38ft two-car enclosed in downtown Washington D.C.! I've also parallel parked a 40ft motorhome on Hollywood Boulevard (No kidding). My grandfather taught me, and I still remember the tricks....they apply just as well today.

[racer]

in my day, when you had to back up, you were told to turn around in your seat so you could see out of the back of the car, placing your right arm on the seatback next to you and go. I think nowadays they actually want you to use the mirrors and NOT turn around to see where you are going. Good choice.

Hence the popularity of "self park" programs.

I enjoyed my parallel parking test for my license. Did it in the 914. No problems fitting a 15' car in a 30' spot.. and no issues seeing the curb either - it was about window height

Drivers ed has left most schools and is left to private businesses. Not sure they have much incentive to teach more than the minimums.. whether it be classroom hours or behind the wheel stuff.

[WolfeMacleod]

Originally Posted by kaisen

They seriously don't teach it, or have it on the driving test anymore? Really? No wonder why people park like idiots and so many cars have scraped-up bumper covers. Wow. I vote for its return!

.

Today I watched a girl at a beach perform a 10 move park. Into a normal, nose-in spot. She entered the spot at a 45 degree angle, nearly scraping the car next to her. Ten back-up=go-forward moves later, she was parked. But still very crooked.
Seems nobody knows how to park any more.

[Joeaksa]

Originally Posted by KevinP73

Careful!! Admitting you know how to parallel park is revealing your age. Thats a trick they just don't teach anymore.

Agreed and its not that difficult. Also not taught is "drive in the right lane when not passing" and it really pisses me off. Half the cars these days immediately head to the left lane and drive slow...

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by kaisen

I'v had to parallel park several different trailers, including a 38ft two-car enclosed in downtown Washington D.C.! I'

I suck at backing up with a trailer. One guy told me to use the mirror method which I don't think works well going up and down steep driveways at night, which is when I have problems.

I welcome any tips on backing up trailers, start a new thread if you want.

[1990C4S]

It is still on the 'curriculum' where I live. Both my kids had to learn. Young Drivers did a bad job, I taught them myself.

It is done on about one-half of the drivers tests here.

[Tervuren]

Originally Posted by racer

in my day, when you had to back up, you were told to turn around in your seat so you could see out of the back of the car, placing your right arm on the seatback next to you and go. I think nowadays they actually want you to use the mirrors and NOT turn around to see where you are going. Good choice.

Hence the popularity of "self park" programs.

I enjoyed my parallel parking test for my license. Did it in the 914. No problems fitting a 15' car in a 30' spot.. and no issues seeing the curb either - it was about window height

Drivers ed has left most schools and is left to private businesses. Not sure they have much incentive to teach more than the minimums.. whether it be classroom hours or behind the wheel stuff.

My brothers both did their driver's test in the family van - an extended 15 passenger heavy duty Ford...The space was about as big as the van, I think one brother did it in two or three, the other about five.

I paid for my own car before my license, so I took my test in my 944. Some worker deep in the back of the DMV while processing the post test paper work yelled out "ALRIGHT, SO WHO GOT TO RIDE IN THE PORSCHE?"

Soon as I had my license I went and insured it in my name, then trekked and paid property tax on it, then trekked and got it registered in my name. A couple hundred miles and a day later, I had my car in my name and my driver's license.

[JAR0023]

Originally Posted by kach22i

I suck at backing up with a trailer. One guy told me to use the mirror method which I don't think works well going up and down steep driveways at night, which is when I have problems.

I welcome any tips on backing up trailers, start a new thread if you want.

I'm still not very good with the mirror method. I do it the way my Dad taught me. Turn around and look out the back window. Grab the bottom of the steering wheel. Move the wheel the same direction you want the trailer to go. Small movements of the wheel is all it takes. Longer the trailer the easier it is to maneuver. With shorter trailers it's harder to find the sweet spot when backing around corners.

I duck hunt. I spend every winter backing a 16ft boat into some crazy places all in the dark.

J

[Teutonics]

LOL! That brings back memories... I failed my first driver's test in my dad's restoration project... a 1950 Chevy pickup (with manual three on the tree). In the middle of the test when I was backing into the space, the brakes locked up completely. I couldn't go forward or backwards without smoking the clutch! There was no instructor in the car with me, just a two way radio over which they barked instructions. I couldn't respond that the car wouldn't move! Of course at 16 I was in a panic...

Thirty minutes later after the truck cooled down we were able to get it to move. It was a hot August day in the south, the lines were near the engine, and the air circulation on those trucks wasn't the best. Later we bled the lines to get fresh (non-expanding) fluid into it, and never had the problem again.

[1990C4S]

Re: Trailers - practice, practice, practice. Look over your shoulder, not in the mirrors. And don't be afraid to drive forward to straighten up a bit.

The longer the distance from the hitch to the axle the easier it is to do. The little yard trailers are the most difficult.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by kach22i

I suck at backing up with a trailer. One guy told me to use the mirror method which I don't think works well going up and down steep driveways at night, which is when I have problems.

I welcome any tips on backing up trailers, start a new thread if you want.

I don't think backing up or down steep drives helps a bit. But, if you do it regularly, you will get the knack.

When using the mirrors, just do the opposite of the bottom of the wheel trick, use the top. As mentioned, gentle movements. If the trailer gets more than a few degrees out of line (assuming you're backing up straight) stop and pull forward.

I hate watching someone constantly over correcting and backing up like a snake crawling.

[epbrown]

Originally Posted by Deschodt

Funny... I've given jumps, pushes, helped with flats, but never had to park for someone before ;-)

A coworker had the same thing happen to him. He was walking into our building and a girl stopped him and asked him to park her Taurus, which he did.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by kach22i

I welcome any tips on backing up trailers, start a new thread if you want.

What they said. The bottom of the steering wheel goes in the direction the trailer needs to go.
There's about 5-10 degrees from straight where it's controlable, then another 5-10 degrees where a backwards turn is controllable, then anything further is an automatic jacknife.
The further back the axle is, the slower(but more controllable) backing will be.

Funny, I could flip 45ft trailers into line with 6 inches inbetween all day long, could park a 52ft air trailer in a blindside(passenger) dark hole tight against a dock, but still can't parrallel park a car.

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by David

Trooper wanted me to put it in the small spot. I got halfway in and looked at the guy with a, "Really?" look on my face.

He said, "OK, pull out. " He took points off for not parking, but I didn't hit the flag so it wasn't a "crash" and it wasn't enough points off to fail me.

Since then I've mastered it

He was testing you a little, took my test in this, it us easy to park, truth be told there were times when I would park it on the sidewalk my first year in SF, someone stole my EGR filter one night when I did that.

My wife and I taught her friend from Canada to parallel park, and to drive a manual shift in my 240 SX when we lived in Conroe.

My wife could back a trailer around the block, it is really pretty impressive. Her Dad would not let her drive a truck unless she could back a trailer down his driveway, which is pretty long and not all that wide, oat trailer. Made her show him she could change a tire

She backed a little log splitter we rented for the weekend into the garage, our driveway is not long, but it is steep and canted at a wierd angle. The guy across the street literally appluaded.

[dagriff]

Here in Alberta it's a required part of the test.
As a Driving Instructor I can honestly say that none of my students has failed because they can't park, it's not difficult, just needs to be taught properly. Actually, as far as the test examiner is concerned, it's not just the parking. They want to see control of the car in reverse, steady steering and good observation of whats going on around you (as its done on a public road between real cars)..

It's not a very big town & I often see ex-students taking spots that other drivers have avoided. Often watched by passers bye who I know are thinking "That kid will screw this up, lets have a laugh". I have even seen them get a round of applause after a perfect park!

I also go above and beyond what is required just to pass the test. I could not have it on my conscience if one got killed because of something I could have taught them.

People ask me to tell them about "scary moments" with students, nearly all of them are because of other drivers (not all, but most!).
So next time you see a drivers ed car, give the kid some leeway, they might even be on their test, don't screw it up for them (not that any Pelican is a bad driver.......).

[Noah930]

Have to give props to my wife. She's the best parallel-parker with whom I've ever ridden. Give her a spot half-a-foot longer than the car, and she's in. OK, maybe a slight exaggeration, but she's exceptional nonetheless.

[Danny_Ocean]

Why would anyone need to learn parallel parking?