Problem of Doing Side Parking in Town Areas

Some driving institutes use sticks or poles measuring 5 feet tall in side parking maneuvers. A few institutes are currently even using sensors.

Can a student learning how to drive and having learnt side parking using “sticks and poles” during his practical test, negotiate this difficult aspect of parking a car in the town in real life situations?

The above was asked of this blog very recently. The reader had written in lamenting she was unable to do the real life side parking in town with real cars all around her. She was unable, first of all to park her car for fear of hitting other cars around her. Her judgment, according to her, was poor.

What are we to do in such a situation?

The reader however came up with a brilliant, wonderful idea. Incorporate doing side parking using real cars parked as in real life during test. In fact, both the driving institutes and the testing authorities should give a thought to it. Pondering over it carefully, although the suggestion was good, nevertheless, it might be slightly impractical to implement.

Why you might ask?

First, side parking using real cars parked as in real life situations, will take time to conduct the tests. Secondly, cars parks in such situations require quite a lot of space. Bearing in mind, most institutes are only 5 – 6 acres in size, this brilliant idea may after all not be too brilliant after all. Much as we may wish to, consequences prevent us from adopting its implementation.

But admit I must, it’s a good idea nonetheless. It shall be K.I.Ved and brought up in future meetings with the authorities.

All is not lost, especially to the reader who mooted the idea.

In towns, there are actually a few types of parking available, do not despair. If you are unable to do side parking, as you might be still not proficient at it yet, my suggestion to you is to go for the parallel parking instead.

In future articles, maybe I might instruct you regarding how to do side parking in town which I read in the Weekender magazine, a British publication, some 30 – 40 years ago.

Meanwhile, to those who are not too good in side parking, do not despair. You have to do lots of practice. Practice, they say, makes perfect.