Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

It's hard to park your car just right

tzhu07

tzhu07

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 12, 2008
197
27
Mostly, it's about getting within the lines, but I can never seem to park perfectly. I make an effort to see how well I can do it each time I park my car, but rarely succeed like in the diagram below.

parking.jpg


This is really just an OCD-level rambling more than anything else.

But I'm just wired that way. I can't help but see these things.
 
I use the lines on the backup camera to get me close. At my current workplace it doesn't seem to matter how well I park though, I've gotten more door dings/scuffs in 3 months than in my last 10 years of driving. One door seriously has 3-4 dings in it.
 
It's probably easier if you back in if you want to get it perfect. Depending on your cars turning radius and size, getting into a accurately may be more/less difficult. If you have all wheel drive, depending on how the system is designed can have an impact on inconsistencies with tight turning radiuses. That shouldn't really be a factor for most cars.

Even with my old car that had variable front & rear locking differentials (locking differentials on the axels is not common), I never seemed to too much of an issue parking within the lines in a fashion that allows adequate room on either side...

Practice?
 
  • Like
Reactions: c8rlo and determined09
I guess it takes time. I generally have little problems parking my truck, either parallel parking or what not.
 
  • Like
Reactions: determined09
Camera with sensors helps tremendously.

camera_systems.jpg


view.jpg


I have no excuse to ever park wrong with this setup...

My Daewoo has cameras in the side mirrors to look down, camera in the back, and parking sensors all the way around. Who knew Daewoo was so far ahead of the curve. This is a 2001 Lanos!
 
My family has been a Lincoln family for a while, and my mom had a series of Town Cars that I drove extensively(all three of them). After learning to "dock" those correctly, I feel like even my daily driver Lincoln LS(significantly smaller than the Town Car) is easy to park. Of course, RWD with a tight turning circle(at least relative to the size of the vehicle) helps a lot-I always had trouble with my dads front wheel drive Continental because the turning circle on it felt huge(and it was relatively speaking).

It amazes me how easy my little MG is to park, but I suppose that's not all that surprising considering that it's over a foot narrower than my LS and a foot and a half narrower than the Town Car.

BTW, I almost never back in a bigger car when parking, but almost always back my MG into a parking space. My big reason with the MG is that I feel a lot safer pulling FORWARD into oncoming traffic given the size and overall stature of the car.
 
hallux said:
I use the lines on the backup camera to get me close. At my current workplace it doesn't seem to matter how well I park though, I've gotten more door dings/scuffs in 3 months than in my last 10 years of driving. One door seriously has 3-4 dings in it.
Click to expand...

Park so you take up two spaces. Problem solved.

maflynn said:
I guess it takes time. I generally have little problems parking my truck, either parallel parking or what not.
Click to expand...

You're lucky you can parallel park. Most Americans can't!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
dogslobber said:
You're lucky you can parallel park. Most Americans can't!
Click to expand...
If you live in the city, you learn really fast. I think the comment that most Americans can't is incorrect for the very reason that city dwellers have too.
 
I like to think I do quite well each time I park. All the way from a 1992 Lincoln Town Car to an F-150 Supercrew and now a little Ford car. I always back into parking spots, so I get lot's of practice in parking and always keep centered in the lines and never put my bumpers over a sidewalk.

This thread reminds me of a Seinfeld episode, or two...

 
dogslobber said:
Park so you take up two spaces. Problem solved.
Click to expand...

Not possible. It's a private office complex with roaming security, they know what cars belong to who and WILL report improper parking behavior to managers.
 
dogslobber said:
Park so you take up two spaces. Problem solved.



You're lucky you can parallel park. Most Americans can't!
Click to expand...

hallux said:
Not possible. It's a private office complex with roaming security, they know what cars belong to who and WILL report improper parking behavior to managers.
Click to expand...

Ah, I suspect that @dogslobber meant his post as a joke, rather than a seriously proffered piece of advice.
 
Whenever turning into a parking spot be sure to take the turn as wide as you can. That should help get you in there even.
 
tzhu07,

practice makes perfect, try practicing parking in an empty lot.

A.Goldberg said:
It's probably easier if you back in if you want to get it perfect.
Click to expand...

i normally park my car this way and away from everyone. kinda OCD about parking close to others because there's always some knucklehead who parks too close and when they open their door(bam), i get nicked.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bruinsrme
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back