Parallel Parking and people who cannot:

RobAMerc

mike65 wrote:

If you can't PP you really should'nt be allowed the privilege of a car! Theres is a method but once learnt tis easy.

Mike.

Hear hear

smemon

this is how it's done.

imagine doing that pulling up for your driving test

mike65

My "Top Tip" is as follows -

As you prepare to park indicate left, pull in slightly as you slow and then hit the hazard flashers, pull back out a fraction come a stop and prepare to reverse. This way all but the dimmest will realise what you are about to do. Keep the flashers on until you are in the space.

Mike.

Alun

mike65 wrote:

As you prepare to park indicate left, pull in slightly as you slow and then hit the hazard flashers, pull back out a fraction come a stop and prepare to reverse. This way all but the dimmest will realise what you are about to do. Keep the flashers on until you are in the space.

Did a parallel park to day as it happens on Bray High Street. No traffic around, started the maneouvre, got about a third of the way into the slot, see something out of the corner of my eye and slam on the brakes. What had happened? Yes, a pedestrian had decided it would be good idea to cross from the other side of the road and walk behind me while I'm reversing about a foot away from the back of my car. Some people just seem to have a death wish

Seth Brundle

mike65 wrote:

This way all but the dimmest will realise what you are about to do

Unfortunatley, that is a large number of Irish road users!

unkel

The bigger my car, the easier I've found it over the years to parallel park. Mind the front and rear park distance control helps too

cwynnes

kbannon wrote:

Unfortunatley, that is a large number of Irish road users!

here here.....why is it that the vast majority of drivers just cant use the roads properly.....and roundabouts....PEOPLE REMEMBER TO INDICATE WHEN USING THE ROUNDABOUTS....i feel as if im gone off the topic slightly
Oh yeah....I cant PP either and ive been drivin 4 years...i just avoid doing it...ive always promised id learn soon....and i will....soon

lau1247

i suppose for people who can't PP, they could get one of those automatic parking system..

Can't remember where I've seen it but BMW and Lexus apparantly have one
But then there's no challenge anymore :rolleyes:

dubstub

Fey! wrote:

Another thing that makes life easier is parking sensors - you can get a proper set fitted for between €250 and €350. Bear in mind that the 2 sensor sets are rubbish, and there is a special kit available if you have a towbar fitted.

Actually, I think parking sensors are pretty useless for helping parking. They are useful for warning you about an obstacle that may be obscured from your vision, such as a bollard or a high curb. For parking they generally can't tell the difference between 10cm and bumpers touching. This means a lot more manoeuvring in a large car as the sensors will be screaming that you're about to destroy your car when there is still a good bit of space to continue your turn.

smemon

lau1247 wrote:

i suppose for people who can't PP, they could get one of those automatic parking system..

Can't remember where I've seen it but BMW and Lexus apparantly have one
But then there's no challenge anymore :rolleyes:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=dmh6FO2_6VE

pretty cool it will also detect whether or not the car can fit into the space

wonder if it detects pedestrians though

jozi

Not sure if i could PP before or after i passed my test. I used to make life hard for my self by PP in to spaces, how else was i supposed to learn how to do it? Still need to correct my self the odd time but generally im ok PP.

It's like the big narrow hill in cavan, i know a few people who for a long time didnt dare go up it for them reasons. I figure, go up the hill and deal with what ever happens (just dont crash) or you'll never learn.

Wishbone Ash

Rear wheel drive cars are easier to PP as there is a better lock on the front wheels.

Johnny Storm

Despite what I said earlier in this thread I made a total bollox of Parallel parking this morning!
I took three goes at it, each as bad as the other, finally I left the car there with the back wheel way up on the path. Oh well, you can't win 'em all.
I think if you get off to a bad start while PPing it's hard to recover for some reason.

unkel

Wishbone Ash wrote:

Rear wheel drive cars are easier to PP as there is a better lock on the front wheels.

Yes, the turning circle of a RWD car is usually less than that of an equivalent size FWD car

mkennedy

hi.
just reading these posts- very interesting.

wondering if anyone knows if there is an accepted minimum ratio of parking space length/car length in order to successfully parallel park: something like 1.5 to 1 for example or does it vary much from car to car.

Diamondmaker

I have gotten my car into space with litterally 2/3 inches spare each way.
It DOES invove touch parking to go this close...its the only wat to get "maximum value " out of the space...I firmly believ in using all the tools and for extremely teeny weeny last chicken in Sainsburys ( tenner to the preson who knows whos phrase that is ) runt spaces it can be necesary, hey thats what they are for a light bump!


PP rules! I love the old hill PP on a busy road with a full car of people, the more pressure the more fun.the reflection thing is good too..It really is mad reading through this how similar evryone is and how embarressed and afraid people are of doing this badly.
Why can crap drivers just not be to embarressed or afraid to drive full stop and take the bus!:D
Another thing I saw a guy do once which I now use whn parking against a low curb and you are just too dman cool to adjust your mirrorss is open the door and folow it in visually.:cool: Yes I am a Parking Nerd:D

Diamondmaker

unkel wrote:

Yes, the turning circle of a RWD car is usually less than that of an equivalent size FWD car

thats interesting I never specifically noticed it in mine but it is a longer car than I ever owned previously and parking and multi story CPs are never an issue. It makes sense , I think, when I think of it.

miamee

I can parallel park alright but I don't go out of my way to do it! Can do it in the work carpark no bother but I'm much less likely to do it on a busy street (more likely to have some eejit drive up yer ass as someone already mentioned!)
Used to get the bus on Middle Abbey St & have a great old laugh watching people trying to PP across the road from the bus stop

Diamondmaker

the trick for parking on a busy street is to stop the car ahead of where you want to park. Wait a sec indicate, get a visual from the driver behind that they understand that when you drive forward for your approach that they are NOT to drive into the space you just left then do your business.

Sandwich

Really. All this talk of aligning in shop windows, sensors etc.
Either you can parallel park or you you cant :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5Z-xBXTl24

irlirishkev

My pet hate about PP is when you indicate to pull in, and the f*cker behind you drives up your arse and sits there. You've got your reverse lights on, but they still don't realise. Does my head in!

Stark

I just start reversing carefully. They usually get the hint.

Wishbone Ash

Stark wrote:

I just start reversing carefully. They usually get the hint.

If you make contact, say you were rear-ended.
(That's a joke, by the way).

jkgvfg

Fun way to test the theory!
http://go-red.co.uk/game/cargame_v8_red.swf

Munurty

jkgvfg wrote:

Fun way to test the theory!
http://go-red.co.uk/game/cargame_v8_red.swf

I think if cars really handled like that we wouldn't have a hope.

cormie

yeah imagine going 120kmph in a car with that handling:eek:

chrislad

Thanks to reading this thread, I took the advice and parallel parked for the first time. Granted it wasn't the tightest spot in the world, and I am only driving a month or so, but the advice here was great in helping me do it, especially the shop window reflection trick.

Thanks!

ninty9er

I have 2 photos here. Some of you may know how hard it is to find parking on a university campus after 10am so that's why I was parking on a roadside 5 minutes walk from my lecture.

The woman in the silver volvo was in her car whin I pulled up and was parking herself; it is not possible that she didn't see me or else she shouldn't have been on the roads. she didn't move!!!!:mad: :mad: :mad: :eek: :eek: :eek:

It's not mad tight but it was fairly tight

Wishbone Ash

chrislad wrote:

Thanks to reading this thread, I took the advice and parallel parked for the first time. Granted it wasn't the tightest spot in the world, and I am only driving a month or so, but the advice here was great in helping me do it, especially the shop window reflection trick.

Good man chrislad. Yup - you can't beat the reflection trick. I always find it amusing when people don't think of it and get into awful contortions wondering how much space is left.

(I was parking in a narrow laneway in Dublin City last nightbut it was a little more tricky than usual because there were small steel 2 feet bollards (no kerb) and no reflections, so I had to be extra careful).

cast_iron

ninty9er wrote:

It's not mad tight but it was fairly tight

Don't mind the Volvo....at least it is parked on the road. Are you not parked on the grass verge??