The challenges of parallel parking
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Topic: The challenges of parallel parking
Posted By: Windhawk
Subject: The challenges of parallel parking
Date Posted: February 03 2010 at 15:02
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Some people, more ofthen than not women, seems to have major difficulties whenever they need to parallel park their vehicle. Website is in Norwegian, but http://www.sol.no/klipps/video/i_serien_elendige_parkeringer - the video clip should work just fine whatever language you speak. Watch it and see if you can avoid shaking your head in disbelief ;-) ------------- Websites I work with: http://www.progressor.net http://www.houseofprog.com My profile on Mixcloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/haukevind/ |
Replies:
Posted By: NJCat_11
Date Posted: February 03 2010 at 15:07
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That's just sad. I noticed that it took her a total of 9 minutes to park her car in the most horrid parallel parking job I've ever seen. I'm actually better at parallel parking that regular parking in general. ------------- "We are Defenders of the Faith" - Rob Halford |
Posted By: aapatsos
Date Posted: February 03 2010 at 15:42
| I was wondering if she has a licence... |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: February 03 2010 at 15:56
I have to admit I am pretty terrible at parallel parking, even when I lived in a narrow road with on-street parking it would take me two or three shuffles to get in. Sometimes I'd still be so far from the kerb I considered getting a folding bicycle for the journey from the car to the pavement. Once I arrived home angry for some reason and just threw the car into a tiny space in one fluid movement without even touching either of the other two cars- it was the best piece of parking you could image, classic textbook stuff - the only problem was the gap was so small I couldn't get the car out again until one of my neighbours had moved their car out of the way. 
/edit - in my defense - that car had fat tyres and no power assisted steering. ------------- What? |
Posted By: Vompatti
Date Posted: February 03 2010 at 16:06
| I haven't tried parallel parking since driving school, mainly because I try to avoid hitting other vehicles but also because I refuse to drive in reverse. |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: February 03 2010 at 16:09
Ah, the wonders of the drive-thru  ------------- What? |
Posted By: rushfan4
Date Posted: February 03 2010 at 16:16
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I can't remember that last time that I had to parallel park. Especially, in a situation like that where I had to fit my car in a space between other cars. ------------- 
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Posted By: The Pessimist
Date Posted: February 03 2010 at 16:25
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Makes me wonder how some people pass their tests these days...
------------- "Market value is irrelevant to intrinsic value." Arnold Schoenberg |
Posted By: Syzygy
Date Posted: February 03 2010 at 16:29
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The UK driving test used to require you to reverse around a corner, which always seemed kind of pointless to me. Parallel parking is at least a skill which you might conceivably use from time to time - but if you don't get it right first time, it's a lot less hassle just to give up and find another space. ------------- 'Like so many of you I've got my doubts about how much to contribute to the already rich among us...' Robert Wyatt, Gloria Gloom |
Posted By: Queen By-Tor
Date Posted: February 03 2010 at 16:50
 I've gotten a lot better at it since living in a major city. |
Posted By: TODDLER
Date Posted: February 03 2010 at 19:43
| I am lousy at parallel parking. I think if I did it everyday or twice a week, I wouldn't be so bad at it. I never go to the city and parallel park. I always pay to park in a lot. |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: February 03 2010 at 20:23
| hoping this was 'The challenges of parallel universes' |
Posted By: Henry Plainview
Date Posted: February 03 2010 at 22:44
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It's pretty embarassing, but I never learned to parallel park at all. For three months when I was working at a restaurant, every shift I would park by a 7/11 that was supposed to only be two hour parking because I was incapable of parallel parking on the street. I never got a ticket, though!
That was a stupid, sexist thing to say, and I'd tell you where to put your head, but I'm afraid that would fall under the personal attacks rule... ------------- if you own a sodastream i hate you |
Windhawk wrote:Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: February 03 2010 at 23:39
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Never mind that he (or anyone) could very possible pull up a study or a few that confirm women are worse at parallel parking than men. Perhaps the opposite can be shown. It's not sexist if it's true, or a general rule. However, I totaled my car while listening to Dream Theater's Octavarium. I suck at driving. ------------- http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want! |
Posted By: Windhawk
Date Posted: February 03 2010 at 23:41
Really? Here's an article about http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/6849247/Women-worse-at-parking-than-men-study-shows.html - one of many studies that shows that women in general have more problems with parking vehicles than men. Go talk to someone working in the claims departments at an insurance company dealing with car insurance as well - and if you have the inclination you might also want to look up statistics on car accidents on parking lots. It all boils down to the fact that men in general have a better developed instinct for mathematics, geography and geometrics than women. Our brains works differently, women have strong points on other fronts where we men can be oafs. Handling emotions for example. Caring for others is another one. And you won't find many women going around shooting or in other ways killing other people either. That's very much a male thing to do. In general. ------------- Websites I work with: http://www.progressor.net http://www.houseofprog.com My profile on Mixcloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/haukevind/ |
Posted By: Windhawk
Date Posted: February 03 2010 at 23:45
That's not an example of bad driving though, but a case of not being able to parallel process - or multitask if you like. As far as car accidents go, men will dominate most accident statistics that point towards multitasking while driving a car. Somewhat depending on just what kind of multitasking we're dealing with though ;-) Accidents that have happened close by posters of scantily clad women will always be dominated by men, for instance ;-) ------------- Websites I work with: http://www.progressor.net http://www.houseofprog.com My profile on Mixcloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/haukevind/ |
Posted By: harmonium.ro
Date Posted: February 04 2010 at 06:31
| My girlfriend is bad at parallel parking and takes right when I show her the left - it's got to be something about the cerebral hemispheres! Other than that, she's a perfect driver: careful, attentive, polite, able to drive long distances. |
Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: February 04 2010 at 06:51
Olav, there may be a lot of truth in those studies, but I would also like to point out that such findings can be dangerous. You mention caring for others - this is one of the excuses generally used to keep women in certain (generally low-paying) jobs, or even to keep them at home altogether. As regards the question of aggression (the shootings you mentioned), I believe it is mostly motivated by testosterone, as well as cultural stereotypes (remember, boys play with toy soldiers, girls with dolls  ). However, women have developed other, more covert forms of violence, which can hurt a person as badly as the more 'physical' kind. I have been hurt very badly by other women, and in general dread having a woman as a boss.Anyway, I've solved any problems related to parallel parking in a very radical way: I don't drive. And Micky (who is not a woman) tells me he absolutely HATES parallel parking ! |
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: February 04 2010 at 07:00
No. Not stupid.....not sexist...men and women are different to one another. Live with it. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: February 04 2010 at 07:02
I can't parallel park for crap. 
------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
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Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: February 04 2010 at 07:02
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Here's a vid of someone taking 2 minutes 41 seconds to park a Mini convertable:
------------- What? |
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: February 04 2010 at 07:25
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Parallel parking is tricky, and like anything, the more you do it, the better you get at it. I see people in London parallel parking in spaces I wouldn't even consider parking in, they're so small! But they do it in one hit every time, because they have to do it every day. I have little need to park in that way, so rarely do, and when I do it always takes me a few attempts.
Of course, one could always practice.. ------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Posted By: Gamemako
Date Posted: February 04 2010 at 08:07
You live in Atlanta; you'd never have to. But yes, it's true at this juncture that women are not as effective parallel-parking. However, men get in more highway accidents anyway, so in the end, the lack of parking finesse on the part of women is balanced by the excessive aggression of men. Car insurance companies prefer parking lot bumps to highway pile-ups, by the way. ------------- Hail Eris! 
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Posted By: Windhawk
Date Posted: February 04 2010 at 12:11
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Oh well - I'm by no means a perfect parallel parker myself. Still, I find it fun to watch those who are oblivious to even the most basic skills of it - and amazed that they ever managed to get a driver's license in the first place. I find it just as rewarding to watch and read about male stupidity though - http://www.darwinawards.com/ - the Darwin awards have long been a site that gives me many hearty laughs. As far as sexism goes, http://www.vancouversun.com/Girl+buried+alive+honour+killing+Turkey+Report/2521342/story.html - this is an example of the kind I find horrific , and which should be considered a true criminal offence all around the world. This specific incident is gross, but it is a horrific example of what is arguably the most sexist traditions yet existing on this planet. ------------- Websites I work with: http://www.progressor.net http://www.houseofprog.com My profile on Mixcloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/haukevind/ |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: February 04 2010 at 12:15
If I had to parallel park on a regular basis, I'd drive a big car like Kevin Kline did in A Fish Called Wanda and just ram the other cars out of the way.  ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: February 04 2010 at 14:46
You big girl! ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: micky
Date Posted: February 04 2010 at 19:23
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man alive... I hate parallel parking. Can do it... often have to in this urban jungle we live in. But close my eyes every time I do in my scratch-less, dent-less vehicle... and of course always do it with reckless abandon when driving the company vehicle.
------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: JJLehto
Date Posted: February 04 2010 at 19:26
| Yeah, it's always the big joke about driving but really I have no problems with it |
Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: February 04 2010 at 22:56
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Haven't done it once since my driving test. *knocks on wood* Don't like it at all really. I have no problem walking the extra block or whatever if that means finding a space I can park normally in. ------------- Dig me...But don't...Bury me I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
Posted By: mystic fred
Date Posted: February 05 2010 at 04:27
I never had any problems with parking, i even won a manoeuverabilty contest once 
...but have you ever tried to parallel park a boat..?
 . -------------  Prog Archives Tour Van 
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Posted By: The Doctor
Date Posted: February 05 2010 at 04:58
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I lived in New York City for awhile and my girlfriend at the time had an SUV which she was unable to parallel park, so needless to say that task always fell to me. I got skillz.
 If you can park an SUV in NYC, normal parallel parking is no challenge. Edit: Would like to comment on the whole sexism thing. While men and women on average share the same overall level of intelligence, men are better at some things and women are better at others. This is simply the way it is. In fact, this really has nothing to do with intelligence, but with depth perception (a visual matter, not an intelligence matter). Men generally have better depth perception than women. Not always, of course, but on average. But for crying out loud. When we can't even make a small amount of fun of the opposite sex for our differences or make a little fun of anyone for anything, then there goes all humor. A humorless world is not one in which I care to live, thank you very much. ------------- I can understand your anger at me, but what did the horse I rode in on ever do to you? |
Posted By: BaldFriede
Date Posted: February 05 2010 at 07:16
I have to admit it is true though. And since I am a woman I can say it without being sexist. The average woman has less skills of spatial orientation than the average man; all those jokes about us using maps or parking have a basis in reality. On the other hand women are much better at multi-tasking than men. It probably goes back to the days of hunting and collecting. The males needed to be good at spatial orientation when they were out hunting and collecting. The women had to be multi-tasking in the caves or wherever they dwelled (looking after the kids while grinding flour and baking bread, for example. That does of course not mean that ALL women are bad at spatial orientation, there are even women who are outstanding at it. I am talking of averages here. While I perfectly find my way around a map I definitely have problems with parallel parking. That woman in the car could have been me; only I don't wear blonde wigs. -------------  BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue. |
Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: February 05 2010 at 07:41
Count me in as one of those women who have no problems whatsoever with finding their way around a map. I remember that once I was told by one of my colleagues at work that it was quite unusual for a woman, which may very well be true. On the other hand, now that I'm married I've noticed that the multitasking thing is also quite true. I can do two or three things at the same time, while Micky concentrates so hard on what he is doing that sometimes he doesn't even hear what I say. |
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: February 05 2010 at 07:46
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I've not really encountered any problems with women being unable to parallel park, but almost every woman I know seems to have no overall sense of direction. A female friend of mine drove me to a neighbouring town the other week, less than 4 miles away, and via a very direct route. She needed her SatNav to get her back home!! If she was new to the area, I'd understand, but she'd lived there for 30 years! ------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: February 05 2010 at 07:48
Looks like my marriage. Practical multi task woman meets dreamy cave man, and they fall in love. I do try to concentrate on the words of my wife which I'm sure are important if I could hear them, but once a train of thought comes by, I catch that train and forget the world around me. Now, parallel parking is another story. |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: February 05 2010 at 08:22
Driving in general is not something I want to be a multitasking activity, regardless of how able anyone thinks they are, guiding a 1˝-tonne metal projectile at 70 miles an hour in the presence of many other projectiles of similar mass and velocity is not something that should be accompanied by anyother task, however trivial. SatNav is a god-send, now people can concentrate on the road in front of them rather than craning their necks looking for street signs - all of the acidents I've been involved in were caused because the other driver "didn't see me" - how the hell can anyone miss a 14 foot long bright red car? (well, obviously they didn't miss it at all, they managed to hit it quite accurately inspite of not seeing it  ). And as any parking shows, it's not just at speed or the inability to parallel park either - both our cars show the signs of dents and scrapes from people who can't serial park. 
...anyway, this from the brilliant Green Wing tv series:
------------- What? |
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: February 05 2010 at 08:26
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I love Green Wing. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: micky
Date Posted: February 06 2010 at 08:47
yes... that has been an adjustment for Raff... I'm especially bad when I drive keeping on topic. I'm sure that Raff has noticed that when I drive she might as well be talking to brick wall. The people here can not drive and love nothing more than cutting you off or hitting the breaks for no reason other to f**k with the people behind them. I am simply not a mult-tasker. I tend to be a dreamy, flighty type normally and overcompensate when I have something I need to concentrate on and completely focus on what I am doing to the point where I won't even chew gum while walking ------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: February 06 2010 at 09:40
What I've become good at - and I'm sure a lot of other people recognize this - is to say "yes" and "no" at the right time, completely subconscious, and finding out after a minute or two that a. your wife is actually talking to you; b. you didn't pay attention and c. you have no idea what the actual content of her words were; sounds terribly anti - social but my mind wanders off extremely easily. Having tricky traffic situations means not being open at all for any communication. The chewing gum phenomenon: I recognize that. I often eat and drink fast to get it over with so I can use my conscious energy undividedly for more important things. Like dreaming |
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: February 06 2010 at 10:01
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I could see that.... it is hard with Raff though and probably why I am forced to toss the gum out when walking. Talking with her is quite the experience. She has a mind that never stops turning, I thought I was deep, but I've nothing on Raff and it is such a joy to talk with her and hear her thoughts on life, politics, and especially her thoughts on life here from an European perspective. If I didn't concentrate so hard behind the wheel I'd be just like those f**kers that try to drive all while yelling at the kids, tuning the radio, and bitching at their spouse on the cellphones.
------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: February 06 2010 at 11:04
When I applied to fly in the air force part of the selection process was a series of psych-motor skills in a simulator. Maybe they should have something like this for driving schools. My kid sister drives around until she finds somewhere easy where she can just slide it in forwards. what is so difficult about this very basicdriving maneuver? ------------- |
Posted By: Luca Pacchiarini
Date Posted: February 08 2010 at 16:23
| I passed my driving license test despite being unable to park...I suppose the examiner was too busy talking about how great his son was at football |
Posted By: horsewithteeth11
Date Posted: February 08 2010 at 16:47
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That was classic. And it reminded me of the time a girl I knew in high school managed to take up 3 parking spaces in her SUV.
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Posted By: erzyhazel
Date Posted: February 10 2010 at 06:09
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yeah its hard, but when you get used too, its easy... - jetta turbocharger |