Learning how to park (especially parallel parking) may be a really tough task at first. While at driving school, you are shown the right technique (some teachers even have landmarks attached to their cars to make the parking easier and faster for the scholars) but after passing the driving test and faced with everyday traffic, you completely forget about it and start parking disregarding what you've learned. You come to struggle in between two cars without taking into consideration the right method you were taught. And it takes a lot of time and peeps (if you happen to jam the traffic) and eventually, either you give up or you leave it just the way it is.
Yet, if you live in a crowded city, parking skills are a must no matter if we speak about male or female drivers. Firstly, it's about time saving when doing a common maneuver and secondly, it's about respect for you and for other traffic actors. Whether they lack knowledge, find parking extremely difficult and exhausting or simply don't concentrate enough to properly perform the task, there are a lot of women (simple coincidence or not) who don't care where or how they park their vehicles.
If women are safe drivers, there's no reason why they shouldn't also park wisely. Therefore, a few tips and tricks might be of great help to deconstruct the myths about women and parking.
Practice
You're perhaps tired of hearing practice makes perfect. It has become redundant and also boring. But how else can you achieve a certain skill if you don't take some practical exercises first? It sounds nicely in theory, but when it comes to practice... So, what you could do in order to acquire parking experience is to take it slowly and practice with no obstacles at the beginning and, after that, with plenty of space between vehicles. The time depends from one person to another. It can take you hours, days or even months until you are completely confident in your parking skills.Find a suitable parking space
Yes, you're maybe in a hurry, you're late to work or to an important meeting. But wouldn't it be better if you left a little bit earlier so that you avoid unexpected inconvenience? Parking anywhere, even where not allowed, is not a good alternative to reducing the delay. Firstly, find a suitable parking space. Secondly, make sure your vehicle fits perfectly without giving you pains in the neck while doing the feint. Remember that parking is difficult only because you don't find an appropriate place, either too big or to small. And of course, if you were lucky enough to find plenty of free parking places, remember to use only one for your car. Do not choose the easy way, rather try to think that others might use that space later.Checking
This is an extremely important step. Check your mirrors and use your indicators to inform other road users you are about to park your vehicle. Put yourself in their shoes: you wouldn't want unexpected surprises from the car in front of you. Then, check your side mirrors and look in front of you and behind before you start reversing. In case you don't possess car that has proximity sensors, make sure there are no other vehicles approaching or pedestrians crossing the road.Parking
When you're completely sure it is safe, you can begin to reverse. If we are to speak about parallel parking, reverse until the front of your car is parallel to the rear wing of the car in front. Begin to steer quickly to the left in order to pull the car into the parking space. Do not forget to straighten up by steering enough to the right so that you bring the car in line with the curb. However, you might need to go backwards and forwards a couple of times until you see there's an adequate distance from the car in front and the vehicle behind you. Apply the handbrake, put the gear into neutral or park and turn off the engine.
Safety
When leaving your vehicle, never leave anything on display. Even an old coat or a plastic bag can tempt a thief. It's highly advisable to get an alarm fitted. Alarms are extremely useful as they can deter thieves not only from stealing your vehicle, but also from taking items from it. When parking outside, always try to find an attended car park. When parking at home, always use your garage in case you have one and lock both your vehicle and your garage. If you don't have a garage, try to park in a well-lit, open place. Remember that car crime is still a problem nowadays and, as you know, it's better to prevent than to fix.Parking is surely a delicate deal. It was difficult enough to get used to driving itself and parking might seem quite impossible for the moment. But remember, things are difficult just for lazy persons. So if you're tired of being labeled as a total mess behind the wheel, why not make a little effort to improve your parking skills and contradict the stories? Driving safely is not everything, parking wisely would be next level for female drivers.
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