I just have to tell someone this, because I am just so damn proud of myself. I am also kicking myself that I didn’t have the foresight to take a picture of it with my phone camera last night. D’oh! Hindsight is 20/20…
I did the most marvelous, outstanding, PERFECT even parallel parking job last night when I went to go pick up take out because I was too tired to make my own food. I had just done a U-turn at the light and approached the local Italian eatery in my town. I scoped out that there was exactly one street parking spot left in front of the building and decided to go for it.
I lined up my car parallel to the one next to me, turn my wheel hard to the right and back up until I was at 30 degree to the curb, straightened the wheel and slid smoothly into the parking spot. I only needed to move forward a foot or so to bring me into the most perfect spot ever to be seen by human eyes. I was exactly flush with the curb and equidistant in length between the two cars in front and behind me. The women who were parked behind me shortly exited the restaurant just as I was stepping out of my car and admiring my work. I can only guess that they decided to come out and say to themselves, “holy shit, she just parked a perfect parallel park!” I know, I know, ladies. No autographs, please!
Now, this might seem like a small feat to some but let me assure you, I am usually a horrendous parallel parker.
When I was just learning to drive at 16, my family took a trip to the Cape in Massachusetts. I was driving my father’s boat, a 1999 Lexus, and we had to parallel park on the left side of the street in order to get out and see a landmark we had been looking for. I was at the wheel and my father was my co-pilot directing me for landing.
Somewhere along the line, wires crossed, aliens attacked, didn’t know my left from right, etc but I ended up with the butt of the car on the curb and the nose of the car pointed out into traffic – a perfect PERPENDICULAR park in a parallel parking space. Other automobiles were honking and my mother covered her face and slowly sinked into the back seat. Suffice it to say, that day will live down in infamy and family and friends still remind me of it to this day.
This story is just a testament that yes, dreams do come true.
Ha, I had a roomate do that with his car – the perpendicular park, I mean. Almost got hit by a tractor trailer because of it.
Kudos to your perfect park!
In comparison, I had the worst parallel parking job ever the other day. I pulled up next to the car, as you’re supposed to, then backed in quickly but didn’t crank the wheel soon enough and hit the curb. I couldn’t adjust it without starting all over again… and of COURSE there was someone standing nearby. Never fails that when you suck at something, there is always someone watching.
But congrats on your awesome job!