Help me re-learn how to park
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Then there’s a device called a “curb feeler”.
A curb feeler is an aftermarket device that some people used to attach to their car’s passenger side fender. They’re passe now. I haven’t seen one in decades. It’s a long thin flexible metal coil that jutted out from the lower fender. If you got too close to a curb or anything else, it would make a metallic sound to let you know you were too close.
Passenger side outside mirrors cause some distortion because they’re convex shaped glass.
Outside mirrors stick out too far. Whenever I back up, I turn my head and look out the back window in addition to using the interior and exterior mirrors. This was an expensive lesson for me. Once when I was backing out of the garage and turning the car’s wheels, my outside mirror hit the steel track that the overhead garage door uses and cracked the mirror. I had to buy a whole new mirror assembly.
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@Qaanaaq-Qaalaaq said in Help me re-learn how to park:
a “curb feeler”.
I have a vague recollection of those!
But yeah, passe. I would be embarrassed!
I'll try to just recapture the skill, and sense of the car, that I used to have when driving was something I did every day.
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I just now read this thread. I can identify! I am terrible at pulling into parking spaces. This old 2010 car has sensors that beep when you get close to something, at varying intensity. But no cameras.
I am the jerk who somehow parks diagonally between the vertical lines.
And don’t get me started on parallel parking! At least I have learned how to park close to a curb, judging by distance of windshield sprayer nozzle from the curb.
I think this is why I prefer bicycling.
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@RealPlayer said in Help me re-learn how to park:
And don’t get me started on parallel parking!
I have not parallel parked in probably 20 years.
I think this is why I prefer bicycling.
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Once, in my salad days, I parallel parked a Ford pickup connected to a 16’ travel trailer on a hill in downtown San Francisco - on the first attempt! Bystanders applauded when I got out of the truck.
I doubt I could do it today.
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@Steve-Miller I can’t believe I learned to drive in San Francisco. On a stick-shift. It was thrilling to be stopped at a light on a steep hill and start rolling backwards when the light changes.
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@Steve-Miller wow! And yikes for having to do that in the first place!
@RealPlayer I never learned to drive stick. But I remember one of the first lessons was being told that cars will do that, so to leave a little room at stop lights.
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When I bought my Kia Niro, I was looking for a shorter car to use in our urban setting. I must admit to getting a sense of accomplishment squeezing into spots that barely have any room in front or back!
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@RealPlayer said in Help me re-learn how to park:
@Steve-Miller I can’t believe I learned to drive in San Francisco. On a stick-shift. It was thrilling to be stopped at a light on a steep hill and start rolling backwards when the light changes.
I remember the first time I encountered a "hill" (for Chicago) at a stop light. I was a rookie driver in my Dad's 66 Chevy Impala with three on the tree. The guy behind me pulled up fairly close so I had not much room for error. The car had a foot brake, so I couldn't try the old "set the parking brake and ease off slowly as you let out the clutch and hit the gas" trick. I'm proud to say I managed to get the car moving forward smoothly without rolling backwards. Or killing the engine.
I miss driving a standard transmission.
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@Rontuner said in Help me re-learn how to park:
Kia Niro
Interesting. I googled photos and from what I can see, the photos make it look like this car has a pretty big footprint.
Of course, I drive a Honda Fit, so my idea of small is skewed!
BTW I googled these cars' dimensions and wheel bases. No surprise that the Fit is smaller than the Kia Niro. But what's really funny is how much smaller the car I used to drive in Japan was!
Kia Niro 14.5'
Honda Fit 13.5'
Subaru Pleo 11'
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Honda Fit was on the list when I was looking, but the Niro fit my tall sized back seat riders better and the hybrid pushed the choice in that direction. I normally get 50+ miles/gallon (when temps are moderate, I get over 60mpg) except for highway trips, then closer to 45mpg.
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I find it so interesting that backing into spots isn’t allowed! Government employees in Ontario are apparently required to back into parking spaces. Our school tried to enforce that and then someone realized that we weren’t actually considered government employees so they can’t require it. I was thrilled because I am terrible at backing into a parking space!
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@Rontuner said in Help me re-learn how to park:
the Niro fit my tall sized back seat riders better
I had to read this several times -- I assume you mean you have tall people who sometimes ride in the backseat?
@dolmansaxlil said in Help me re-learn how to park:
I find it so interesting that backing into spots isn’t allowed!
It's because they want to implement license plate scanning to make parking enforcement more efficient. But this state is one of those idiot states that doesn't require license plates on the front of cars. Which I think is absolutely ridiculous. There are other more important reasons for having plates on the front, but this is an additional one.
Re pulling in vs backing in, it's actually verging on chaos around here, because the city is apparently going to change the laws downtown so that only backing in is allowed. People are very upset about it. And then if campus parking is pull-in only, well, it gets very confusing very fast.
Government employees in Ontario are apparently required to back into parking spaces. Our school tried to enforce that and then someone realized that we weren’t actually considered government employees so they can’t require it.
I was thrilled because I am terrible at backing into a parking space!
I get it, given my recent experience.
But in Japan, back-in is the norm, and it's so much safer.
Can you use a back-up monitor to help?
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Backing in parking is mandated here in some situations where backing out would put you into an active traffic lane and make accidents more likely.
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I got to the parking lot early today, there were tons of open spaces with no cars parked on either side. But there was also one space in a "prime spot" (i.e., less walking distance for me), with cars parked on either side.
So I parked there.
And no, I didn't hit either of the cars. But I did end up too close to the car on the right, so I repositioned three times.
Oh, and on my way into the lot, I saw a big sigh that says "backing in not allowed." Guess the first five times I went through that gate, the sign wasn't there yet....
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@ShiroKuro said in Help me re-learn how to park:
the Niro fit my tall sized back seat riders better
I had to read this several times -- I assume you mean you have tall people who sometimes ride in the backseat?
Correct! I'm a bit under 6'4" and always test out the back seats when looking for a car to check for family riders.
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@Rontuner said in Help me re-learn how to park:
I'm a bit under 6'4" and always test out the back seats
Smart!
I am about 5'4" and Mr SK is 5'6" on a good day, so our needs are a little different!
