Why do some people have such a hard time parking their car?

[KIAman]

I think it is simply repetition and muscle memory. People who have high volume driving and parking their cars will most likely be better parkers than those who only occasionally drive.

I mean, really, does it take a special talent to be a truck driver or a taxi driver?!?

 

[Herr Kutz]

I honestly don’t know. Now that cars have cameras, sensors, and moving cameras everywhere...there really is. I excuse.

Mine has none of these.

 

[ElFenix]

In the case of the Civic, Accord, Taurus, and a couple others, the nameplates have "grown up" with their buyers. (The Accord is probably the most extreme example - starting out as a "compact" sedan and now I'm seeing it referred to as a "full size" even though it probably technically isn't. The RLX is based on it, with a slightly longer wheelbase, and probably qualifies.)

"large" is an EPA standard based on passenger + cargo volume of 120 ft3 or more. the 8th gen accord at 120 ft3, was large. the 9th gen was back to midsize at 119 ft3. the new one added 3 more ft3 of pax volume and a ft3 of cargo and so is EPA large again at 123 ft3. it's a ft3 bigger than the taurus is in total. is the new one a panther? no, but it is well into the large car category.

the 2017 accord was actually a cubic foot bigger than the RLX in both pax and cargo volume. now the accord is much bigger.

 

[ponyo]

Certain cars are harder to park because it's big and have shitty turning radius. My Tundra truck is like that. I struggle in tight small parking garages in downtown. But I don't have really have problem parking the LX470 SUV even though it's slightly bigger than the Tundra because it has way better turning radius. Small turning radius makes huge difference.

I admit I suck at parallel parking. It takes me couple tries to get in. I have no excuse for that other than I don't get much practice and I suck at it.

 

[pete6032]

This post belongs on https://www.reddit.com/r/iamverysmart/

 

[clamum]

Funny, I was just noticing the shit parking in the parking lot at work today. It's not just work, I see it constantly whereever I go. I think it's ultimately just laziness or even a lack of awareness they parked like shit. So I'd say maybe 50% of it is due to laziness in that they couldn't take an extra few seconds to straighten their vehicle, and the other 50% is mongoloids not even realizing they parked like crap.

EDIT: Upon further reflection, I realized I forgot the "I know I parked like shit, and I DGAF" contigent, which I'd say is maybe 25%. So about 37-38% for the other two reasons.

 

[evident]

Maybe because they have to always back in for some reason unbeknown to me.

With backup cameras, i now prefer backing into parking spots. saves a lot of time (and arguably safer) when leaving.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

So, serious question:
Does anyone prioritize parking even spacing from vehicles surrounding them (including pulling in next to a single vehicle) OVER parking directly between the lines? I usually do the former, as I care more about door dings than where lines are drawn, but I've gotten more than one nasty note on my windshield at work about not parking between lines. I'm confident it's not from someone parking next to me, as the same vehicles will be there when I arrive and when I leave, so I've always just assumed it was someone with an over-inflated sense of self-importance policing the parking garage.

 

[local]

So, serious question:
Does anyone prioritize parking even spacing from vehicles surrounding them (including pulling in next to a single vehicle) OVER parking directly between the lines? I usually do the former, as I care more about door dings than where lines are drawn, but I've gotten more than one nasty note on my windshield at work about not parking between lines. I'm confident it's not from someone parking next to me, as the same vehicles will be there when I arrive and when I leave, so I've always just assumed it was someone with an over-inflated sense of self-importance policing the parking garage.

No, my truck is 18 years old and beat to hell. If I must park next to someone I will park between the lines even if that leaves less than an inch from the car next to me. Once that put me close enough to one of the newer vehicles with the auto retracting side mirrors that it would not be able to deploy without hitting my truck, that had to suck for them. Preferably though I always park far enough away that there is no one on either side.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Its called "Driving with your eyes open"

 

[IronWing]

Its called "Driving with your eyes open"

That sounds complicated. Is there a youtube tutorial?

 

[ctbaars]

Drive through Tacos tonight ... Hope I don't hit the post.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCs-xcqyw4w

 

[Thunder 57]

Could be a femininity problem. Men have a higher spatial IQ than women. It's been tested.

(I believe "spatial" is the correct term.)

I was waiting for this to come up and am surprised there hasn't been backlash. Men have better spatial recognition. Women differentiate between colors better. Men and women are not equal, shocking, I know, but rather seem to complement one another.

I once heard the reason for these differences was because men were the hunters and women picked fruits, leaves, etc. Maybe it's true. Sounds plausible.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

is the new one a panther? no, but it is well into the large car category.

I have never seen the word "panther" used in this context... are Panthers particularly large?

 

[Exterous]

OP should head to near by metro and watch people do parallel parking.

Several of us used to have offices with windows out onto a road with street parking right next to a college campus. In September it was a fairly regular occurrence for us to stop working to watch some of the amazingly horrible attempts to parallel park. I miss that office location.

So, serious question:
Does anyone prioritize parking even spacing from vehicles surrounding them (including pulling in next to a single vehicle) OVER parking directly between the lines?

No. I don't want door dings so I find better parking spots (next to a column, wall or find a car I can go passenger door to passenger door with) rather than further the anarchy the Parking Line Heathens try for

 

[sdifox]

I have never seen the word "panther" used in this context... are Panthers particularly large?

Maybe he meant panzer, as in German tank?

 

[Exterous]

Maybe he meant panzer, as in German tank?

Oh man I would totally buy a Toyota made version of the German Panther tank. Then I would give zero fucks about door dings and parking - just driving over any offending vehicle or giving them a 'door ding' with the barrel of the canon

 

[Red Squirrel]

At the last place I worked parking was at a premium. It was on gravel, so no lines. If you left more than a foot between the car next to you then that was a bad parking, because you're wasting space. I got really good at backing into tight spaces. I always like to back my car as it makes it easier to get out. Especially in my driveway as when the snow banks get high you can't easily see if there's cars coming if you are trying to back out.

 

[highland145]

Oh man I would totally buy a Toyota made version of the German Panther tank. Then I would give zero fucks about door dings and parking - just driving over any offending vehicle or giving them a 'door ding' with the barrel of the canon

State Farm, or your like, says "No." ATOT, also, says "No." How else are we supposed to live through your vacations?

 

[snoopy7548]

So, serious question:
Does anyone prioritize parking even spacing from vehicles surrounding them (including pulling in next to a single vehicle) OVER parking directly between the lines? I usually do the former, as I care more about door dings than where lines are drawn, but I've gotten more than one nasty note on my windshield at work about not parking between lines. I'm confident it's not from someone parking next to me, as the same vehicles will be there when I arrive and when I leave, so I've always just assumed it was someone with an over-inflated sense of self-importance policing the parking garage.

Only if there's enough snow on the ground that there's no chance of staying in the lines, or finding them, in which case anything goes.

But you have to follow the rules the other 99% of the time. First people stop parking within the lines and before you know it, society collapses and we're all throwing rocks at each other.

 

[Lanyap]

Millennials

 

[highland145]

Spots should be subjective...duh.

Dafuq is wrong with you people?

 

[IronWing]

Spots should be subjective...duh.

Dafuq is wrong with you people?

It's just paint.

 

[highland145]

It's just paint.

Heh, it's just an insurance increase.



'sup IW? Good?

 

[IronWing]

Heh, it's just an insurance increase.



'sup IW? Good?

So far I've dodged the flu, so far. Had it last summer, gave it to my wife, put her in the ER. So I'm avoiding people even more than usual. At work, when people show up sick other employees be like, "Get the F out of here!" No one is even pretending to be nice about it anymore.