Parking Fails We’d All Rather Forget
From bumping the curb to stalling the car, we've all made some pretty memorable (and mortifying) mistakes while attempting to park. They're often worsened by the fact that we usually have an unsuspecting audience watching us, too—but hey, at least we're not the only ones who have made these hiccups, right? Here are 20 embarrassing things we've probably all done while parking.
1. Hitting the Curb
Whether you're backing into a spot, going front-in, or attempting to parallel park, we've all bumped into a curb before. Sometimes we're lucky to get out without a scratch, but sometimes it dings our tires. And, embarrassingly, people often witness our mistakes in real time.
2. Forgetting to Shoulder Check
Forgetting to shoulder check can result in anything from almost getting your door flung into the next century (when you're opening it without first checking to see if another road user is coming), to nearly bumping into a car or pedestrian before backing up. Either way, it's both unsafe and embarrassing.
3. Needing to Readjust... and Then Again
It's one thing not to get into the spot on the first try, but it's an entirely different thing when you're still readjusting five minutes and 15 tries later, because you can't seem to get your car within the lines. Sometimes, it gets so frustrating to the point that you just leave it as-is.
4. Holding Up the Lane
While you readjust, cars start piling up on either side of you, eager to get by—only to have first-row seats to your horrible parking attempt. Now you're holding up both lanes and you can't seem to get into the bay, which only just amplifies your anxiety.
5. Leaving the Car Parked at a Weird Angle
Sometimes, you don't even bother trying to get your car into the bay perfectly; as long as it's in, it's in. That means you'll come back to your car parked at a ridiculous angle, tires turned, and you'll have to squeeze to even get back into the driver's seat. It doesn't help that everyone else in the lot can see your bad parking job, either.
6. Forgetting to Straighten the Wheels
Sometimes, you're so overjoyed at the fact that you finally pulled into the spot that you forget to straighten your wheels. Now, this wouldn't be too big of a deal if you just remember to twist it back once you start back your car—but you forget to do that, too. Cue the mini heart attack when you shift into reverse and your car swerves.
7. Forgetting How to Reverse
Apparently, it's not humiliating enough that you have a bunch of people watching you attempt to park, because during those moments, your brain decides it's also time to shut off and forget how reversing works. Which means you're twisting and turning the steering wheel, confused, while your car doesn't get any closer to being parked.
8. Taking So Long, People Offer to Help
Sometimes, it's even worse than just having an audience watching you while you park. What's more mortifying is taking so long to get into a spot that people start offering advice from their windows, or getting out of their car to help guide you.
9. Realizing You Weren't Allowed to Park There
After finally getting into the spot, the last thing you want to see is the sign that says "No Parking." That means all your efforts were wasted—which is even more embarrassing if you had people watching the whole thing go down, too.
10. Stalling the Car
If you drive manual transmission, the embarrassment becomes tenfold when you accidentally stall the car while trying to park. Now you have to start the car again and start over the whole song and dance, all while people wait to pass you.
11. Scraping a Column or Object
What's worse than hitting the curb? Knocking your door into a column or dinging an object with your bumper. That's what happens when you don't do thorough enough observations before moving your car, so now it's marred with battle wounds from your bad parking.
Gerrie van der Walt on Unsplash
12. Forgetting to Engage the Parking Brake
If you don't engage the parking brake, your car could roll away and potentially cause some hefty damage. It's probably something you may or may not have experienced—and have learned your lesson from—due to forgetting this crucial step.
13. Parking Way Too Far from the Entrance
Rather than dealing with the embarrassment of attempting to park in a busy spot with people watching you botch the job, you sometimes decide to just park further away. Sure, it means you'll need to walk quite a bit to the entrance, but at least you don't need to deal with potential humiliation.
14. Riding the Parking Line
Sometimes, you get in the spot on the first try—but then realize after you climb out that your tires are riding the line. Sure, you could leave it as-is, but if it's in a relatively busy lot, the person wanting to park in the space beside yours is not going to appreciate it.
15. Parking in a Tight Spot... and Then Not Being Able to Get Out
The triumph you feel after successfully squeezing into a tight parking spot is immediately squashed when you realize you can't get out of it. Maybe you can't open your door without dinging the car beside yours, or you can't wiggle out of a parallel parking spot without scratching the car in front and behind you. Either way, you're stuck.
16. Parking Too Far from the Curb
Parallel parking is difficult, sure, but nothing is more embarrassing than opening your door only to realize you're parked too far from the curb. Now you have to go back and do it again, which will probably be even more embarrassing than the first attempt.
17. Forgetting Which Way to Turn Your Wheels on a Hill
Ever parked on a hill, turned your wheels, then got out and came to the realization everyone else has them turned the other way? Yeah—talk about embarrassing. Remember: when facing uphill with a curb, turn your wheels to the left. Otherwise, when parking downhill or uphill without a curb, turn to the right. However, the rules may vary depending on where you live or what transmission you drive.
Mehmet Can Özgümüş on Unsplash
18. Shifting into the Wrong Gear
We've all been there: you're parking into a spot or getting out of one, and all of a sudden, your brain short-circuits and you shift into the wrong gear. Easing off the pedal will send you in for a frightening jolt, and worse is if other drivers catch you in the act.
19. Backing into a Spot That Forbids It
While this one might not be as mortifying as the other points on this list, it still can be rather embarrassing when you accidentally collide with something (probably why the rule was made in the first place), or you get in trouble for it. Listen to the lettering—don't back in if the sign says you shouldn't.
20. Being So Nervous That You Give Up
Yup—we've all been there, too. Sometimes, you're one too many attempts in and you just can't take being watched anymore; all the eyes on you only makes you more nervous and jittery. So, what do you do? You drive away and let another person take the spot.
