# How do you parellel park?



## scarpia (Nov 23, 2009)

I remember that was a Seinfeld episode - George was backing into a spot and another guy was pulling into the spot going forward. A LONG argument ensued.

I read that "Driving forward into a parking space on the side of a road is typically not possible unless two successive parking spaces are empty."

But that is not true. I go in forward so I can claim the spot before anyone else gets it. Then I move my car back and forth as many times as it takes to get to within 6 inches of the curb. 

I often HAVE to do it that way because in a city like Boston or Montreal people get on your tail and don't give you enough room to back into a spot. Also some people could steal your spot - like what happened to George. I remember that happened to my father once when I was a kid. I did it to a guy in Boston last year. You gotta fight for those good spots in Beantown!


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## successful (Mar 21, 2009)

I don't.


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## pythonesque (Jun 16, 2012)

I voted for the last option for laughs. But I always back into the spot, the textbook way. Didn't even know you could forward parallel park. This thread just blew my mind.


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## Gusthebus (May 22, 2012)

I almost failed my drivers test because of parallel parking i'm that bad at it.. its funny because i was talking about this earlier and now i saw a forum post about it...


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## leave me alone (Apr 1, 2011)

I avoid parallel parking as much as possible. Of course it is easier to drive back into the spot, but as you said forward is possible too - just a bit more difficult, might take you more turns etc.


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## Classified (Dec 7, 2004)

That is how you do it.


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## scarpia (Nov 23, 2009)

pythonesque said:


> I voted for the last option for laughs. But I always back into the spot, the textbook way. Didn't even know you could forward parallel park. This thread just blew my mind.


Yep - I have perfected the technique. I'm afraid I look pretty stupid doing it, because it can take 5 minutes sometimes. You can't get in very close at first so you have to keep moving the car forward a foot while turning right, then straightening the wheel and backing up, then turning right and going forward....I get in there eventually. It's worth it for a good parking spot!! Free parking on Sunday in Boston - it's really hard to find a a spot then so you MUST be aggressive!!! KILL KILL!!!



Classified said:


> That is how you do it.


I've see vids like that. Amazing. Never seen anyone actually park like that in real life though.


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## BKrakow (Jul 8, 2010)

I parallel park poorly, that's how! I'm getting much better, though (at backing into the spot in proper parallel parking fashion). I never really learned because I would always just feel too nervous to attempt it and avoid doing it altogether, so now I'm forcing myself to practice.


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## Equimanthorn (Aug 5, 2012)

It actually is true that you can't really pull forward into a spot of normal size. You'd have to be finding spaces that are 1.5-2 car lengths to say that you always pull in going foward.

You can park in smaller spaces going backwards because of the fact that the front wheels turn and the rear wheels don't. The front of the car is easily maneuvered, whereas the back of the car still has to be led by the front wheels. So when you back in, you're positioning the rear of the car that can't turn on its own first, and then you are left with the front wheels that easily allow you to bring the front of the car into position. If you pull in front first, the turning wheels are already close to the curb, and you're left to do the back and forth move two dozen times just to shimmy the rear of the car into position.

Yeah it can be kind of nerve racking to pull ahead of a parking space, put on your turn signal, and hope that whoever is behind you will give you enough time to get in, or won't try to steal the spot themselves. But that's how it goes living in the city. You'll piss off ten times as many people if you pull in front first and sit there rocking your car back and forth for 5 minutes to adjust the rear.

The only way you can pull in forward and not take 5 minutes to finish parking is when the space _is_ almost 2 or more car lengths, because you can pull forward far enough that the back of the car will follow behind the front wheels and pull itself closer to the curb, and then you can back up once or twice and finish it off. But this would be suicide in a major city, driving around hoping to find not just one, but two open spaces. You'd waste your entire day hoping to find that.

Pulling in forward is in no way easier. A lot of people are just intimidated by having to turn around and look out their rear window to park. If you learn how to line up correctly, parallel parking in reverse can be done in 3 steps. Pulling in forward takes a lot more work and there's a much higher chance that you'll bump somebody else's car before you're done.

Load up this little flash game for anyone who wants to see the difference I'm describing here. You'll be playing this game for 5 hours if you try to pull in front first.

http://www.bored.com/game/play/71/Parallel_Parking.html

They make such a big deal out of parallel parking when you are learning to drive because there really is only one right way to do it.


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## Lonelyguy (Nov 8, 2003)

I always back in. My driver's ed instructor taught me a foolproof method that I still remember:

1. Pull along side the car in front of the empty spot, about 2'-3' away and stop when the rear bumper of your car lines up with the rear bumper of the parked car.
2. Turn the steering wheel one full turn to the right, then back up until the center of your car lines up with the rear bumper of the front car.
3. Turn the wheels back to the straight ahead position and continue backing until the front bumper of your car lines up with the rear bumper of the parked car.
4. Turn the wheels full left and back in the rest of the way, then pull straight ahead slightly to center the car in the spot if necessary.

I've used that method for years and never had any problems.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

Lonelyguy said:


> I always back in. My driver's ed instructor taught me a foolproof method that I still remember:
> 
> 1. Pull along side the car in front of the empty spot, about 2'-3' away and stop when the rear bumper of your car lines up with the rear bumper of the parked car.
> 2. Turn the steering wheel one full turn to the right, then back up until the center of your car lines up with the rear bumper of the front car.
> ...


You drive them big trucks, though :lol


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## Lonelyguy (Nov 8, 2003)

Same difference...it works with trucks too. I drive my car most of the time.


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## pythonesque (Jun 16, 2012)

Lonelyguy said:


> I always back in. My driver's ed instructor taught me a foolproof method that I still remember:
> 
> 1. Pull along side the car in front of the empty spot, about 2'-3' away and stop when the rear bumper of your car lines up with the rear bumper of the parked car.
> 2. Turn the steering wheel one full turn to the right, then back up until the center of your car lines up with the rear bumper of the front car.
> ...


That's the method I always use, too. I remember when I was learning to drive, the first time my driving instructor asked me to parallel park and I did it this way. He was like, "No no no, you're driving like a robot! You're supposed to adjust the steering wheel a little bit at a time _as_ you're backing in," and he demonstrated it for me. I never got the hang of _that_, though.


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## copper (Nov 10, 2003)

I never learned how. My father taught me to drive and he had neck pain when turning his head so he never taught me how. I wasn't able to take drivers education due to the prick teacher which was the coach let all the jocks in the school take it and in addition he didn't want me in his class. I was told I had to go to another school to do it. Since I didn't have the transportation to go to another school to do it. I had to wait until I was 18 to get my license. Luckily, I never had to parallel park when I took the performance test.


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## au Lait (Sep 8, 2010)

The same way I do most things. Awkwardly.


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## scarpia (Nov 23, 2009)

Oh come on - I am the ONLY one who goes in forward?


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## typemismatch (May 30, 2012)

I push my car sideways, it's the only way sometimes. This is why I drive a small car.


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## nemesis1 (Dec 21, 2009)

If theres 1.5 or more car spaces available, then I'll drive in forward. I'll only attempt to reverse into 1 car space if theres no-one around because i cant parallel park under even the slightest bit of pressure.


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## pythonesque (Jun 16, 2012)

typemismatch said:


>


How on earth do people get out of a space that small?


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## leonardess (Jun 30, 2009)

I get 6 burly guys to lift my car and set it into the spot. which is why you'll never find me parallel parked. apparently burly guys frown on being asked to do that sort of thing. by me.


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## Hiccups (Jul 15, 2011)

reverse, I've never had my spot snaked by anyone when it's busy, but I usually don't try to park anywhere that is _that_ busy... just park down a side street and walk the extra bit. If I _had_ to park somewhere when it was busy I'd just do one of those handbrake skids like in that video.


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## Ali477 (May 7, 2012)

I use the bear grylls method


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## copper (Nov 10, 2003)

pythonesque said:


> How on earth do people get out of a space that small?


You ask the Foo Fighters to help. :lol


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## Hiccups (Jul 15, 2011)

Luke688 said:


> I use the bear grylls method
> [...]


my brothers and friends did that one night, my car was blocked in on a thin drive way and the neighbor wouldn't answer the door so they lifted it bit by bit, zig-zag sideways, it was just a little hatch luckily. I then rolled/backed my car out (managed to hit my brother at the end of the drive way as I turned, not sure why he was in the way it was dark) then they moved the neighbors car back into place. Neighbors no doubt were scratching their heads in the morning. B)


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## Ali477 (May 7, 2012)

Hiccups said:


> my brothers and friends did that one night, my car was blocked in on a thin drive way and the neighbor wouldn't answer the door so they lifted it bit by bit, zig-zag sideways, it was just a little hatch luckily. I then rolled/backed my car out (managed to hit my brother at the end of the drive way as I turned, not sure why he was in the way it was dark) then they moved the neighbors car back into place. Neighbors no doubt were scratching their heads in the morning. B)


 Wow i hope your brother was ok :b


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## Cam1 (Dec 4, 2011)

I live in Maine, no parallel parking required


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## MiMiK (Aug 25, 2011)

leave me alone said:


> I avoid parallel parking as much as possible. Of course it is easier to drive back into the spot, but as you said forward is possible too - just a bit more difficult, might take you more turns etc.


this  or or.... like a baws


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## Shauna The Dead (Jun 16, 2005)

I don't. Unless its a place that's basically empty and I can pull right in. Otherwise I park someplace a billion miles away an walk if I have to!!!


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## mdiada (Jun 18, 2012)

lol i cant parallel park to save my life. when i try, i always end up like two feet into the grass :blank


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## arnie (Jan 24, 2012)

scarpia said:


> Oh come on - I am the ONLY one who goes in forward?


You need a lot more space if you go forward.


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## au Lait (Sep 8, 2010)

Luke688 said:


> I use the bear grylls method


Does he drink his own pee when he's done?


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## Lonelyguy (Nov 8, 2003)

Luke688 said:


> I use the bear grylls method


Back when I was younger me and a few other guys did that to someone as a practical joke. The car was a Geo Metro...one of those tiny econo-boxes that only weighs about 1,500 pounds. The owner had it parked outside the store where he worked. We picked the back end up and swung it around 180 degrees in his parking spot so it was facing the opposite direction.


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## Vance (Sep 6, 2011)

Unless the spot is HUGE, I won't do it. When I drive to school, I have to park far away in a rather "rough" neighborhood just to get a spot that doesn't require me to parallel park. Either that or pay for parking which sucks :/


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## CopadoMexicano (Aug 21, 2004)

I never parallel park unless its for practice when there isnt any cars


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## enzo (May 30, 2011)

Back. There's no other way to do it. Unless you're just claiming the spot before someone else.


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