ADUK Archive

Does anyone fancy giving this lady a lesson in how to park a car?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fydP4HjARkE

Nigel ADI
IAM trainee observer

ha ha thats funny!!!! and i thought my parking was bad!!!!

She did not try very hard !

Also gives me a chance to show off that I know how to do the youtube tab thingy - thanks Darren

To be fair, that's quite a tight space for the car she was trying to get into it. I'm the first to admit I find parallel parking the most difficult of the standard manouevres. If anybody here reckons they would easily park that car in that space, I'll take some lessons from them

Mr Cholmondeley-Warner wrote:To be fair, that's quite a tight space for the car she was trying to get into it. I'm the first to admit I find parallel parking the most difficult of the standard manouevres. If anybody here reckons they would easily park that car in that space, I'll take some lessons from them

The gap looks fairly reasonable to me and I would readily have a go at it, but I may not end up parked neatly and close to the kerb. As you say, if somebody can give good tuition on this subject, I'd sign up too.

It is somewhat embarrassing to have to admit that even after all this time I'm not too good at manoevering in confined spaces; and I'm even worse when I have to do it with a car.

Eileen reckons that she could park our XJ12 more easily than she can park the much smaller cars we've had since then. The more modern cars do seem to be more difficult in that respect.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

I do agree with Nick here, I would not even attempt it, i need at leased 3 car spaces!!! Even in a car park I will drive to the other end, the furthest possible corner lol, jus so i ave more space to park!!! Reversing has to be my weakest point!!

chriskay wrote,
As accurately as I can measure it, the space is 25% longer than the car. I reckon I could do it, but I have had a lot of practice.

Yes Chris, thats about what I would reckon on. I park in a space like that every day where I park opposite my house. And likewise I have years of experience. I remember my brother challenging me in Dorchester years ago, not that long after passing my test. The space was barely one & a half times the length of his Morris 1000. That was like red rag to a bull. I had to prove him wrong, and I did. The DSA in their book Driving the essential skills reccommend finding a space at least one & a half times the length of your car. A candidate on test will have to complete the maneouvre in two car spaces.

Nigel ADI
IAM trainee observer

fungus wrote:chriskay wrote,
As accurately as I can measure it, the space is 25% longer than the car. I reckon I could do it, but I have had a lot of practice.

Yes Chris, thats about what I would reckon on. I park in a space like that every day where I park opposite my house. And likewise I have years of experience. I remember my brother challenging me in Dorchester years ago, not that long after passing my test. The space was barely one & a half times the length of his Morris 1000. That was like red rag to a bull. I had to prove him wrong, and I did. The DSA in their book Driving the essential skills reccommend finding a space at least one & a half times the length of your car. A candidate on test will have to complete the maneouvre in two car spaces.

Nigel ADI
IAM trainee observer

IIRC some of the advertisements for the original Minis that appeared in 1959 claimed that the Mini (at 10 feet long) could be parked in a space 12 feet long. Presumably that was true, but i doubt if many people could do it quickly and easily.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

TripleS wrote:IIRC some of the advertisements for the original Minis that appeared in 1959 claimed that the Mini (at 10 feet long) could be parked in a space 12 feet long. Presumably that was true, but i doubt if many people could do it quickly and easily.

I reckon that's not far off 12 foot. Looked pretty quick and easy to me

jont wrote:

TripleS wrote:IIRC some of the advertisements for the original Minis that appeared in 1959 claimed that the Mini (at 10 feet long) could be parked in a space 12 feet long. Presumably that was true, but i doubt if many people could do it quickly and easily.

I reckon that's not far off 12 foot. Looked pretty quick and easy to me

Oh yes, that guy is very clever; quite fascinating to watch. I've seen videos of him getting a car into a space no more than about 12 inches longer than the car he was driving. Quite remarkable.

However, the method envisaged in the Mini advertisements seemed to be the more conventional method of parallel parking.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

jont wrote:I reckon that's not far off 12 foot. Looked pretty quick and easy to me

Has he ever produced any videos of him getting out of those spaces?

Chris

Scooby Chris wrote,
"Has he ever produced any videos of him getting out of those spaces? "

Probably not. My recollection of the original Minis turning circle was that it was pretty awfull. You'd need a Triumph Herald to do that one in one, they had a brilliant turning circle.

Nigel ADI
IAM trainee observer

by my understanding - apply handbrake, full "away from kerb lock", 1st gear and full throttle then let the car drag its' nose round.

Ross is right about the technique, but don't try it at home.

You may remember that, when the old Vectra VXR was launched, Vauxhall ran an advert showing it being used by the anti-hijack training course at the Metropolitan Police Driving School. One of the things talked about in the advert was the "how to get yourself out of a tiny space" technique.

My understanding (and perhaps Von will know for sure because maybe he was driving ) is that the front driveshafts on the Vectra didn't last very long at all...

James

fungus wrote:Scooby Chris wrote,
"Has he ever produced any videos of him getting out of those spaces? "

Probably not. My recollection of the original Minis turning circle was that it was pretty awfull. You'd need a Triumph Herald to do that one in one, they had a brilliant turning circle.

Nigel ADI
IAM trainee observer

26 feet was claimed in Triumph advertising, but I didn't think the Mini TC was all that bad.

Some road tests ('The Motor' or 'Autocar' magazine, I think) used to quote two figures for turning circles; between kerbs, and between walls. In the case of the Triumph Herald i don't know which of these the 26 feet refers to.

Best wishes all,
Your local supplier of useless facts - some of which might occasionally be right.