Some people panic at the thought of having to parallel park on the street. Nearly everyone has been there at one time or another, either during a driving test, or perhaps before embarking on a night on the town. Unless you have excellent parallel parking skills, it’s easy to get rattled at the prospect of having to maneuver your car into a tight spot.
It’s really not all that hard, but takes some practice. Here’s a short video that demonstrates the basics:
Here’s a great method for teaching a new driver this essential skill:
- Go to a deserted parking lot – this gives the new driver a lot of room to work with. Many office building parking lots are empty during a weekend, or in the evening.
- Set up a couple of tall rubber cones (if you have them) or tall, plastic yard reflectors that can be purchased at any home improvement store. Start by positioning the cones approximately two car lengths apart from each other.
- The goal is to park equal distance between the two cones, with the cones being centered on the front and back bumper of the car.
We’re not going to discuss the actual process to complete a successful parallel park. This takes a little practice, and the above video tutorial shows how to do it. And, there’s another way to get the basic idea: a video game! Play it and see how you do:
The road test in most states requires demonstrating parallel parking skills. But even if that’s not the case in your state, knowing how to parallel park, and not having the fear of pulling into a tight spot, can save you a lot of walking when the only space available for blocks around is right next to you!
With a bit of practice, you can master the skill, and not ding your car (or another one) in the process.