I'm a Superstar!
Saturday, I drove home, and was parking my car on the street, right by my house. This, of course, involves parallel parking, which, as I have to do that nearly every time I drive, isn't a big deal to me. (although some of my friends complain they can't do it and therefore do not like coming to my house... they are the ones who live where parking lots abound!)
Anyway. I'm parking the car, and the space is tight, but not overly tight. I knew I could make it. After I successfully parked the car, I hopped out and started collecting my things. I hear someone calling out to me, and he says, "That was impressive!" in his Australian accent.
me: What?
Aussie: Your parking job! I kept thinking I should go over to help you, but then I thought, 'no, it looks like she's got it covered.'
me: I'm good!
Aussie: I'll say!
I'm wondering what kind of help he was thinking he should offer? Being that guy who stands on the sidewalk and tells the driver "back up more! no, more to the right! OK, you're good! No, pull forward! To the left!" I have always found that to be less helpful than people think. It's much easier to use mirrors and do it yourself. Plus, then you don't make your friend look silly, standing on the sidewalk and yelling driving directions to you.
6 Comments:
Parallel parking is definitely a skill that shows where one lives. When I got my license I only parallel parked once to pass the test. Then in the last apartment that I lived in in St. Louis we had a parking lot with additional street parking. Since I was prone to coming home at 4am all the parking spots were taken and I learned to be a master parallel parker after a month or so...Previously I had always been jealous of a friend from San Diego that could parallel park in a spot two inches bigger than her car in two motions...she had LOTS of practice.
Was the guy offering to help you cute at least? (I am a sucker for accents personally)
Molly is right, parking just takes practice! Consistent need for it means that eventually, you'll get good at it. Mrs. M, what with you moving to Florida & all, I think you won't have much use for it - Flordia seems like a parking lot kind of place!
Molly, yeah, he was pretty cute. :-)
I'm impressed! The last time I parallel parked was 12 years ago in drivers ed! Seriously.
I don't parallel park very often here, not much need for it, although I can usually fudge it when I have to. The worst thing is worrying about the traffic banking up behind.
The weirdest parking I've had to do was in country NSW where they have this strange custom of reverse 45 degree angle parking. I tried it once in Bombala when Mum and I were driving south from Canberra - it ended up more of a reverse 90 degree angle, but at least I tried. We saw a couple of other Victorian drivers who just did a forwards 135 degree park instead.
Oooh, was he cute? I might have played up some distress in that case.
Paisley, I know if you had to parallel park more often, you'd get adept. It just takes practice - I used to be not great, too. I'm not sure what reverse 45 degree angle parking would look like - I tried to imagine it, but it didn't turn out like anything in my head. Google, here I come.
Jay, yes, fairly cute! Only problem being I was already done parking when the converstation started :-)
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