Driving down Gayley Avenue, you are forced to come to a dead stop as a car, attempting to parallel park into a tight spot, juts out into traffic.
As friends try to direct the driver from the sidewalk, the car pulls forward, then backs up, trying to get it right several times, and you fight the urge to honk your horn as an expression of your annoyance.
Though some drivers are blessed with the innate ability to successfully parallel park, for many the task may seem impossible.
But parallel parking is not a skill developed solely by chance; all you need to do is follow a few specific steps.
“There’s a trick to parallel parking,” said Suzanne Kunz, driving instructor for the Westwood Driving and Traffic School.
As you eye that open spot across the street and hurry to claim it, it’s absolutely necessary to use your turn signal in order to alert other drivers of your intention.
The most important part of parallel parking is to begin the process the right way, aligning your car in the correct starting position, because one mistake can botch a parallel parking job.
Start by pulling alongside a parked car so that the back bumpers are even and there is approximately 2 feet between the two cars, Kunz said. Cars should be close so you don’t end up awkwardly parked too far from the curb.
Cars that are parallel parked must be within 18 inches of the curb or you could get a citation, said Bruce Gilman, spokesman for the City of Los Angeles Parking Citation and Parking Compliance office.
Once your car is in starting position, turn the steering wheel completely to the right and begin reversing so that the back end of the car moves perpendicularly towards the curb. Aim to create a sharp enough angle so that your tires could hit the curb if you didn’t stop in time.
Straighten out the car as soon as your steering wheel is lined up with the back bumper of the parked car, continuing to reverse so that your car pulls parallel to the curb.
“You’ve got to imagine that the front of your car is controllable, while the back is merely a pivot point,” Kunz said.
If at first you fail, take a deep breath and try again. A few things ““ including not turning the wheel fast enough or getting stressed out in the process ““ can prevent you from getting it right.
If you are cruising around in a large SUV, you may feel anxious about being able to easily parallel park on the narrow streets of Westwood Village.
But the size of your car should not affect your parking abilities, especially if you follow the correct steps, Kunz said.
Even the largest SUVs can fit into the parallel spots on campus, which average about 19 feet long, said Stephen Rand, Traffic Events and Adjudication manager.
Parallel parking her silver Volkswagen Beetle is no problem for Jess Suszek, a fourth-year political science student. Suszek said she thinks parallel parking is a simple task as long as a driver has a feel for how big the car is, regardless of its actual size.
“Living in L.A. (has) taught me to parallel park in 10 seconds,” said Vattana Cheth, a third-year anthropology student.
Cheth said the pressure of oncoming cars and her fear of blocking traffic helped her learn to park, and park quickly.
If you have similar fears, these simple steps should calm your nerves and help you avoid angry honks for blocking traffic with your botched parallel parking jobs.