Occasionally, the team at I-86 Truck & Auto Repair discusses parallel parking - a topic which can elicit strong sentiments among Falconer drivers. If you own a car, at least one point in your life you have probably been in a situation where you have had to parallel park or take the chance on finding a closer or easier parking spot to manage. Which one do you choose?
The techs at I-86 Truck & Auto Repair have observed that a person's attitude about parallel parking is frequently shaped by where the person grew up.
Take, for instance, someone who grew up in a rural community and was spoiled with ample parking. These individuals often aren’t accustomed to a 7-point turn in order to fit into a spot. In their hometown, chances are they could find a much easier pull-in spot not far from the undesirable space that they wanted to avoid.
On the other hand, motorists who grew up in cities or even suburban areas often needed to parallel park in order to be in the general area of their destination. In general, these city dwellers seem less nervous about the prospect of parallel parking.
Crowded urban areas create fearless parkers who bolster up their courage along with their skills to squeeze into spaces which barely hold enough room for their automobile. And it seems like European drivers can do it in their sleep.
Did you know that the Guinness World Record folks have an entry for Tightest Reverse Parallel Park? In 2015, stunt driver Alistair Moffatt left a combined distance of just 34 cm between his Mini Cooper and the adjacent cars.1 Speaking of Guinness records, when you think about it, parallel parking proficiency is a far more beneficial skill than the ability to grow your fingernails to freakish lengths or shoot out milkshake through your nose. Perhaps we should lobby to have Tightest Reverse Parallel Park become an Olympic event.
You might know someone who lives where parking is scarce but still has a strong dislike of the parallel variety. Maybe they have sharpened their ability to find pull-in spaces rather than attaining the skills to actually carry out the procedure. In which case, if you are a parallel parking pro, you probably don’t want to be a passenger. But you could always offer to parallel park for your faint-hearted friend. You might even take pride in how well you parallel park and dream of your own personal record.
The next time your car needs professional attention, we invite you to come see us at I-86 Truck & Auto Repair. We provide quality service, friendly technicians, and a timely turnaround. (No parallel parking required.)
Source:
1Rachel Swagman, "Video: Watch Alastair Moffatt break the tightest reverse parallel park record for GWR day," Guinness World Records, November 12, 2015, http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2015/11/video-watch-alastair-moffatt-achieve-the-tightest-reverse-parallel-park-for-gwr-405699, accessed February 25, 2017