Poll of the Day > My driving test is in six days, and I forgot how to parallel park.

(+) Yeah! (+)

I'm going to driving practice, tomorrow, to hopefully see the driving course and get some practice with aforementioned parking.

Does this board have any tips for my driving test next week? I must have these answers.
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You may get an instructor who doesn't care. My driving instructor was like "go around the block... good. You didn't crash. You pass." Since you may not get that kind of instructor, though, all I can think to say is to practice with something like cones. Better than using real cars.
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When you take the test, before you start the car, make sure you visibly adjust your mirrors and seat. That is literally a point on the test.

When I parallel park I always drive right past the car I'm parking in front of, until I'm literally almost wheel to wheel even with the car in front of it, and then start backing up and cutting the wheel safely as soon as I can clear the front car (so as to not hit the other car) and then cut the wheel as soon as I need to.

Here, watch this .gif over and over, it's literally exactly what I do:



Good luck, hope you pass! Driving and cars have been a passion of mine for 20 years now.
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tbh, I'm not sure how many times I've actually had to parallel park because I don't do a lot of downtown city driving. It thankfully never came up when I was tested, either.

In general, I suspect a lot of my parking skills (besides just pulling in) are woefully deficient because I mostly just pull in.
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Golden Road posted...

cones

My family is too poor to afford a large number of those. We find that practicing with actual cars is more cost-effective, minus the possible collisions when practicing.

Golden Road posted...

you may not get that kind of instructor

I'm expecting the absolute worse and expect to fail having tried my best.

MannerSaurus posted...

before you start the car, make sure you visibly adjust your mirrors and seat

Duly noted.

MannerSaurus posted...

I think my dad would keep scolding me if I didn't follow his methods. ><

Zeus posted...

pull in

I don't understand.
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I just turn all four wheels to the right and accelerate directly sideways into the spot.
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Drive to the side of where you need to park then get out and push/lift the car until it's close enough to the curb.
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EclairReturns posted...

Zeus posted...

pull in

I don't understand.

As opposed to parallel parking or backing in.
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Oh, you meant parking. I'm sorry for my lack of reading comprehension.
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For my driving test, not doing the parallel parking correctly resulted in an automatic fail. On the one hand I understand because that's an accident. But on the other I have never parallel parked since my driving test about 9 years ago. There's always a spot maybe 10 seconds farther down, tops. It's never been worth the hassle for me personally.
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EclairReturns posted...

Golden Road posted...

cones

My family is too poor to afford a large number of those. We find that practicing with actual cars is more cost-effective, minus the possible collisions when practicing.

Your family is too poor to afford two cones but can afford two cars? Or wait, two cars plus yours?
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From personal experience, instructors are pretty lenient on the parallel parking portion of the exam.
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AllstarSniper32 posted...

EclairReturns posted...

Golden Road posted...

cones

My family is too poor to afford a large number of those. We find that practicing with actual cars is more cost-effective, minus the possible collisions when practicing.

Your family is too poor to afford two cones but can afford two cars? Or wait, two cars plus yours?

I think he means they prefer to practise parallel parking on the street behind other cars, rather than setting up cones to practise around.
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Take the test with a car that can park itself! Easy peasy

Good luck

I took mine twice. Where they're gonna get you is little shit like checking your blindspots or not stopping completely.
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Mead posted...

I just turn all four wheels to the right and accelerate directly sideways into the spot.

Dude how awesome would it be if you could do that

robrobd posted...

AllstarSniper32 posted...

EclairReturns posted...

Golden Road posted...

cones

My family is too poor to afford a large number of those. We find that practicing with actual cars is more cost-effective, minus the possible collisions when practicing.

Your family is too poor to afford two cones but can afford two cars? Or wait, two cars plus yours?

I think he means they prefer to practise parallel parking on the street behind other cars, rather than setting up cones to practise around.

So now we know who hit @mastermix3000 's car!

Man I'd be so pissed if someone practiced parallel parking with my car and hits it. But they're "too poor to afford cones" so are they too poor to afford insurance too? I bet I'd be shit out of luck.
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