The Student Room Group

I really cannot park!

I am getting really annoyed! I passed my test on Friday and I can parallel park and everything but I cannot for the life of me get my car (which is really quite small) into a bay between the white lines! I am feeling really silly- last night I spent an hour and a half in Tescos car park practicing- and I still cannot do it! :mad:

Does anyone have any tips/advice- I can't even drive to school because I cannot park there! :frown:

Please help me! Hannah xxx

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1
Are you reversing in or going in head first?
Hehe, I do exactly the same!!! I'm having lessons at the moment, and before attempting bay parking my friend told me it was really difficult. Well, the first time I did it my instructor said it was perfect!! But now I just can't do it and I don't know why! I'm always too far over to one side...

my instructor has said I need to turn the steering quicker...tried that, didn't work.
I tried moving the car slower, and still no luck.

I'm glad I'm not the only one!!!! :p:
Reply 3
hannah88
I am getting really annoyed! I passed my test on Friday and I can parallel park and everything but I cannot for the life of me get my car (which is really quite small) into a bay between the white lines! I am feeling really silly- last night I spent an hour and a half in Tescos car park practicing- and I still cannot do it! :mad:

Does anyone have any tips/advice- I can't even drive to school because I cannot park there! :frown:

Please help me! Hannah xxx


Have you heard about the 'push and pull' technique?
Dekota
Have you heard about the 'push and pull' technique?


Isn't that just how to steer?
Reply 5
Don't worry, I passed and I can't park!
Reply 6
What is push and pull?????

I have tried driving in and reversing out and reversing in and driving out- none seem to work!

I want to be able to drive to school- or to park on the multistorey without having to go onto the roof- but at the moment that seems a distant dream! xx
Do you drive a big car?
Reply 8
Heehee- no! A citroen C2- its really really tiny! That's why I don't understand why I cant park! I am possibly just rubbish! xx
Reply 9
Statistically ... men are better driver's than women ...
Reply 10
Hmmmmmmm, no.
But perhaps in my case (specifically looking at parking you understand) the above maybe true BUT just for this one woman in particular! Heehee.
I have lots of boy friends who can't park at all!
Oh I can't park! I'm driving to school tomorow for the first time and I have my own parking space there, it's a tiny bay and I can't get into it! You tried driving forwards and then just reversing straight into it? I find it easy that way - only problem at my school car park theres not enough space to do that!
Heehee, I said earlier that I couldn't bay park, and I've just had a driving lesson and did it perfectly! Check me!!! :p:
What's the problem? Is it because you're uncertain about the length of the car? With small cars like the C2 it can be a problem because instead of the front and end tapering down, they are quite flat, giving the illusion from inside of being longer than they are.

Try as above, driving forwards so the back is roughly lined up at the space you're aiming at and then adjusting the mirrors and reversing in. Sometimes it can help if you're reversing into a marked space - angle the door mirrors downwards so you can see the lines on the ground and you can reverse it in using those as a guide.

Low speed precision manoevres will be hard to master at first but as you practice and get more experienced you'll find them easy.
i cant park either and been driving for over a year, used ot have to go find the space with noone around, but now can mange a little easier, but only because i get to park in the disabled ones :smile:
Reply 15
Just drive straight in and then worry bout reversing ot - it's easier. :P
I find that although driving in is easier i prefer to reverse in because getting out when its busy can be tricky.

If i remember correctly (been a year) my instructor told me the following.

When you get to two lines before the start of the space in which you want to reverse into start turning the wheel. This should give you enough room to
manouver the car properly.

As i said above i am not sure if this iss 100% correct as it has beennoveer a year.


Also if its in a car park use the entire width of the driving lane ( unless its busy)
Haha, i had never bay parked when i passed my test. First day out, i just swung straight into the car park space in between two cars at Tesco. Never ever had a problem with it myself.
Reply 18
Reverse parking is easy! Just use the wing mirrors to make sure you dont hit anything, or that you're between the lines, and you can easily see where you need to move.

Remember that you dont need to do it quickly, either. Take your time, do it right, and you'll just get more used to it until you really dont need to think about it much any more.

Keep trying! You'll crack it (or a bumper :p: ) eventually :smile:
Just remember that you should start turning the steering wheel when you reach the halfway point of the adjacent space.