Parallel park or find a different spot?

[tbb113]

I was reading an interview today and the above question came up. Just curious what do you do?

[tbb113]

I picked depends on the size of the spot. If I can easily park, I'll take it...but if I have to try more than once or twice to fit...I hunt for another spot

[BarbaraL]

I'm actually rather good at parallel parking. I'd prefer a pull-in spot, but wouldn't pass up a parallel-park spot if available.

[Terri_A]

I'm a professional parrallel parker. =) I have to tell you that a few years ago, my mother had to do the hands on driving test again to get the handicapped limitation removed from her license. When she was asked to parrallel park she literally told the guy, "I don't need to do that. Everywhere I go has valet." Hilarious!

[generic]

I chose "parallel park." Many years ago when I drove larger cars I couldn't parallel park worth a d@mn, but now I have a little Subaru wagon and it's a breeze. The only exception is when there is a lot of traffic on the street and people won't give me the time and space to back into the spot. Then I just get exasperated and go look for something easier.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Love parallel parking. Dad hammered that exercise home when I learned to drive and just can't give it up. But I'm with Jeanette - I don't like trying to parallel park in busy traffic, not because I can't park but most folks around here won't give you the room to parallel park, especially on one lane (in each direction) streets.
Les

[Canice]

"Champeen" parallel parking checking in! As you probably know, Tyra, there used to be an annual parking competition in San Francisco; like Les, I enjoy the challenge. For years, when I didn't have a car, I borrowed a Dodge Grand Caravan and amazed myself at the spots I could fit it in. My greatest achievement, though, was UNparking: my sister was with me, and I was going to house sit for 3 weeks but found myself boxed in in front, with maybe two inches clearance behind. Erin said, "You're screwed", which only upped the challenge No power steering, but I made it out! Patience, Grasshopper.

[LaraW]

It does not bother me to parallel park. I'm pretty good at it, most of the time. I have to do it fairly regularly when I either take or pick DS up from pre-school, as it seems like I have to do it at least one of those times.

I do agree that trying to parallel park in busy traffic would cause me to try to find another spot.

[Canice]

Heck, why miss the opportunity to express a little peeve?
Pretty much ALL of the parking I do is parallel - just the nature of where I live. But the streets around my building are plenty wide and clear for other cars to pass and let you park, although sometimes they have to wait and let an oncoming car or two or three get by first. Every now and then there is the person who simultaneously refuses to pass me, and also comes in close enough that I can't back into the spot. I have no sympathy for them and will happily sit the rest of the afternoon until they figure out how to manage the situation. Again, NOT talking about trying to parallel park on a busy street, obstructing traffic. Just a neighborhood with wide, clear streets.

[tbb113]

Well, living in the 'burbs, I can almost always find a pull-in spot to park in. But I can and do parallel park when needed (did so today as a matter of fact )

Younger son has never really learned how, older son does it under duress. Supposedly the school police officer at the HS has admitted to older son that he can't parallel park either

[Canice]

OK, that's funny that the officer would say that!

Like so many kids, I got my first driving lessons at the shopping center parking lot early on Sunday mornings. First my dad tried to teach me in --I swear-- in his 1928 Model "A" Ford. He figured if I could get that down, I could drive anything. What a bad idea. So we "progressed" to my mother's 1973 VW Beetle. Gawd, what a nightmare. Eventually we got to parking, perpendicular parking (this was a shopping center, after all). Dad got out of the car and stood at the end of one of the white dividing strips and said, "Pull in, hon! Even between the lines, and don't scuff my shoes!" White knuckles, easy on the klutch, easier on the gas...

[vbak]

I will parallel park if I can just drive into the spot, otherwise I'll find a slot. You should see my backing into a slot. Geesh!

[Melman]

Until two months ago, I would have easily chosen parallel parking. No problem. My new Accord is so much bigger than the last three that I'm still getting used to it. I had to get used to pulling into a straight-in parking space! I'll tackle the parallel parking issue eventually.

[Kiwismommy]

I drive an extended van....no parallel parking for me!

[Shugness]

Where I live and go there aren't many opportunities to parallel park, and the few that do exist aren't going to accommodate my full size truck. So I voted "depends on the size". In all fairness, due to these lack of opportunities I have little experience so I probably would be nervous parking in one that was tight, but I'm the type of gal that can't stand feeling like I have limitations, so I'd do it just to prove to myself I could.

[TieKitty]

Originally Posted by vbak

I will parallel park if I can just drive into the spot, otherwise I'll find a slot. You should see my backing into a slot. Geesh!

This is me. I would rather walk a mile than than parallel park! And backing into a space???? NO WAY! My depth perception is the pits!

[zwieback]

Having lived in the Chicago area for many years and in an apartment, street parking was what was available. I've been known to surprise many people by getting into a spot that looked too small (as well as getting out of tight spots). So, parallel parking it is. Plus, I find parallel parking quite easy.

[Goin' Coastal]

Originally Posted by vbak

I will parallel park if I can just drive into the spot, otherwise I'll find a slot. You should see my backing into a slot. Geesh!

Me, too! And I drive a VW Bug! Now DH will parallel park in spots I swear are too small for my bug, and he drives a Suburban! He says it all about knowing where your pivot points are. Yeah, right

[Andrea_2]

Originally Posted by zwieback

Having lived in the Chicago area for many years and in an apartment, street parking was what was available. I've been known to surprise many people by getting into a spot that looked too small (as well as getting out of tight spots). So, parallel parking it is. Plus, I find parallel parking quite easy.

Same here. When I lived in Lincoln Park, as long as my car could physically fit in a spot, it was somehow getting in there. I became quite the parallel parking expert after living in the city, but have gotten a bit rusty on it now that I live in the suburbs.

[donleyk]

I am unafraid

I don't have much opportunity to but I won't pass one up to avoid it.

[Miss Giggles]

I have never parallel parked in my life.

I barely passed the driving test because he had us just drive around teaching us and then made us parallel park to to pass the test

I rarely back into a spot either. I couldn't do it in an SUV. It's a little easier in a small car but I am not the best at it. Other than that I am a good driver.

[blazedog]

I think for many people there isn't a choice.

In most cities, any parking that isn't in a lot is parallel parking on the street and if one doesn't parallel park, one isn't going to be able to drive a car anywhere in the city.

Even in a city like Los Angeles which is fairly car-centric -- i.e. many of the shopping areas are malls or mini-malls, a lot of stores and restaurants or other areas one might visit would require parallel parking but there are no lots.

I can't really think of any situation in which I have a choice -- either I am on the street and feel lucky to find a spot or I am at a store or other commercial establishment which has a lot.

[Kahlico]

Depends on the size of the spot, though there are times I don't have a choice. If I'm lucky, I'll find a spot large enough for me to just pull on in; though, my parallel parking skills did improve greatly when I had to drive Shane around while his leg was broken.

If there is traffic behind me, I'll circle the block until it's clear -- I can't park with an audience. Bonus points for parking partially on speed humps.

Although, I'd like to see how Canice parallel parks in SF -- hills, hills, hills!

Blaze, is LA the same -- hilly parking?

ETA: We own a Toyota Camry -- not exactly compact. Shane thinks it's fun to squeeze into the smallest spot available with just enough room for us and the people surrounding us, yet he grumbles when there are new scratches on our bumper. And I went from driving a Toyota Echo (a little egg) to the Camry, so if I still had my Echo, I think I'd be a champ at PP.

[blazedog]

Originally Posted by Kahlico

Blaze, is LA the same -- hilly parking?

It's not generally hilly in the commercial areas but it's VERY hilly in the hilly sections like the Hollywood Hills. Those areas tend to be densely populated as well with limited parking so if one is visiting a friend one needs to parallel park -- and in small spaces on a steep incline

Of course parking on a hill with a stick shift is a REAL treat I used to hate stopping for a red light with my VW at the junction of La Cienega & Sunset with some idiot who would pull up inches behind me.

[Meganator]

We were in a little town in Colorado last week; it was lunch time and busy in the downtown. We saw a guy parallel park a vehicle *with a small U-Haul trailer on back* (into a souble space with cars in front and back). Even DH, who considers himself the ultimate parallel parker, was impressed with that.

Personally, I can if I need to, but that is relatively rare. Nearly everyplace I need to park has pull-in spots.

[LakeMartinGal]

Originally Posted by BarbaraL

I'm actually rather good at parallel parking. I'd prefer a pull-in spot, but wouldn't pass up a parallel-park spot if available.

This is me, too. I learned the secret of parallel parking when I got my license, and it has made all the difference!

[Shugness]

Originally Posted by Meganator

We were in a little town in Colorado last week; it was lunch time and busy in the downtown. We saw a guy parallel park a vehicle *with a small U-Haul trailer on back*

Nice! Can I brag a bit? Two weeks ago I had my first *real* towing experience. I towed one of my husbands cars on an open trailer to an event 25 miles from our house and back home at night. It was all two lane country roads so it was a perfect learning experience. So we get home and I thought I'd attempt to back the trailer into the driveway but had zero confidence and figured my husband would have to take over. BUT!!! I backed that thing up like I was a pro, a 90 degree turn into the driveway and got it on my first try! I was told you're on a whole other level when you can back a trailer up My Dad had tried to show me when I first got my license and it was a total disaster, but what I figured out the other week - my Dad had a single axel trialer and backing up a single axel trailer is a nightmare - it's harder to control, if it has two axels it's a WHOLE lot easier. SO....I bet that little u-haul trailer was single axel, so that is impressive to me!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Originally Posted by Canice

Like so many kids, I got my first driving lessons at the shopping center parking lot early on Sunday mornings. First my dad tried to teach me in --I swear-- in his 1928 Model "A" Ford. He figured if I could get that down, I could drive anything. What a bad idea. So we "progressed" to my mother's 1973 VW Beetle. Gawd, what a nightmare. Eventually we got to parking, perpendicular parking (this was a shopping center, after all). Dad got out of the car and stood at the end of one of the white dividing strips and said, "Pull in, hon! Even between the lines, and don't scuff my shoes!" White knuckles, easy on the klutch, easier on the gas...

Are we related? My only difference was I drove with Dad on Saturday mornings at the High School parking lot. Learned to drive a 73 Super Beetle. He did the same things too with standing at the end of the lines although he didnt say to not scuff his shoes. But his trick was to let me drive with a mostly full cup of coffee in his hand. That makes you great with clutch, gas, and brake on the hills in our Northern Virginia neighborhood.

Les

[Beth]

The only thing I didn't pass on my driving test many years ago was parallel parking -- not because I didn't learn how, but be cause my dad decided I should go take my test in my mom's station wagon rather than the smaller car I had been driving 99% of the time. I knew it was going to be different, had no chance to practice and got nervous -- totally blew it.

But I would take the parallel parking spot (surprise you? ). I actually wasn't that bad with a car I knew and without a guy with a gun and a clipboard in the seat next to me. I got a lot of practice in college, but it's been occasional since then. We have a newer shopping area here with parallel parking spots, and I can still whip into them with my van.

[ChristyMarie]

I cannot parallel park to save my life. Just cannot do it. I pay a lot in valet fees.

When I got my new car with a camera in the back and beeping sensors when you get close to something I thought, yay! Now I can do it. Nope. Still can't.

And backing into a parking space? No way in h-e-l-l.