How To Do Side Parking Properly
After stopping and puling up the handbrakes, the candidate should be able to succeed in going up the slope. Failing to do so, will result in a candidate having failed.
The slope test was later incorporated into the road test. A candidate in those days, had to stop at a junction, where there was a steep slope. With heavy traffic approaching from both sides, a candidate was expected to control the car properly, proceeding up only when the traffic was clear.
As I ponder over the difference between the present day slope test required to be done by candidates today, and to what I had to do many, many years ago, without saying, what I had to do, with the tester sitting beside me, was a hundred times more difficult.
This represents my own opinion. Others may tend to differ with me. I remember clearly failing my first road test. All because of the slope.
And what was the consequence of my failing the road test?
Going up a slope became the weakest aspect of my driving ability. To tell you the truth, I used to go round and round the entire town, finding places where there weren’t any slope, just to get to my desired destination. All because I was poor or bad in going up slopes.
For all these years, this little secret has been kept with me only. And you know what, I was also rather bad in side parking too, especially in town areas.
So when readers write in to lament they cannot do their side parking in towns, saying their car control is bad, their judgement is poor, they are afraid of hitting and causing damage to other vehicles around, I tell myself, “Well, I was just like them, maybe even worse when I first passed and got my ‘kopi oh’ or ‘lousy’ driving license, many, many years ago.
Today, I will try to help all of you, especially those bad or poor or lousy in side parking, how to eliminate this perpetual problem once and for all.
Why do I choose to do this, you might ask?
Well, because I myself was bad at it. and if I, with so many years of experience behind me cannot assist you, who else then, can?
The side parking technique that I am about to expose to you in this article is taken from the Weekender magazine, a rather well known British publication in the 1960’s.
To do the side parking in towns, the writer advised us the following steps.
Step 1
Drive your car parallel to the car in front. The back of your car should ideally be in line with the car beside yours.
Step 2
Turn your entire steering to the left.
Step 3
Reverse your car until it is at an angle of 45 degrees position.
Step 4
Straighten your steering wheel.
Step 5
Reverse slowly, looking at your left hand side mirror. Stop, the moment the left hand mirror reaches the tail lights of the car in front of you.
Step 6
Turn your steering all to the right, adjusting your steering accordingly as you slowly reverse into the parking lot. Of course, initially, you might need a few practices before you become adept at side parking. You might even need to move your car a few times forward or backwards as you adjust and re-adjust your movements.
Hopefully, this technique of side parking which was learnt from the Weekender magazine will be of some help to you.
Failed Your Side Parking Test? Read This.
Stop and your eyes should now either look towards the Left or the Right where the Side Parking lots are. You make the decision as to which slot you are about to do your side parking test in.
During your practice run or training you had prior to this practical test (Ujian J.P.J.), you would have known which is your favorite parking slot. At times, the J.P.J. official will direct you to the parking lots they would like you to go to.
In such cases, you will have no alternative but to follow their instructions. In most cases, it is the candidates themselves that make the choice.
In this article, I shall not be able to use any graphic or diagram to aid in my explanation on how to do a “side parking”.
As such I shall do my utmost best to describe / explain how the side parking is done. Hopefully candidates reading this article would be able to overcome the problem facing them.
Coming into the parking slot you have chosen, the parking slot / lot will be on the left side of your car. Remember, to always place your car approximately 1 – 1 1/2 feet from the parking posts.
Your car should ideally be parallel to the parking area. Ensure your entire car crosses the first three parking poles.
Secondly, reverse slowly, looking left until you see the first post appear in the small triangular mirror. Then stop.
Thirdly, turn your steering to the left completely. Ideally you should jam it.
For the forth step, place your neck outside the window, look backwards towards the 7 – 8 sticks behind. Look for the 5th, 6th or 7th stick. When your car body is parallel to any one of the above sticks, Stop.
Turn your steering now towards the Right. Straighten your front tyres. You can put your head out to do this.
With the front tyres now in a straight position, place your head out to look at the back tyre. Ensure the back tyre sits on the white / yellow line of the parking lot.
Remember though as long as the car is parked within the parking area and you have not touched any of the parking sticks, you have Passed.
However, your front or rear tyres should not touch the lines either. Remember also, it is not necessary your car has to be parked straight in the parking lot.
You are given 5 minutes to complete the side parking maneuver. If the car engine dies (even a few times), no action is taken.
The important thing to remember is, just complete your “side parking” within a span of 5 minutes. You will then pass your side parking test.
As coming out of the side parking lot should not be a problem, you will then proceed to the last of your Part II test, which is the “3 Point Turn” aspect of the test.
Passing this part of the test, will earn you the complete Part II of the test.
Best of luck to you in the Part II (Slope, Side Parking and 3 Point Turn) aspect of the test.
If you have any problem regarding my explaination, do refer to your own instructor for assistance. Anyway, his side parking method might differ from mine slightly.
