June 27, 2005
Parallelogram
This weekend while my parents were visiting, I got the thrill of startling my Dad while driving. Since he used to race cars on a quarter mile track in Spokane that is a fairly unique accomplishment. We were at the grocery store to get food for dinner and there was a lovely spot right in front of the Over Priced Snooty* store. As long as I was willing to parallel park. Thanks to my High School driver's ed** teacher I have that ability. That and years of having to park in Seattle.
So, I sidle up the car parked ahead of the open spot and Dad says, "Jesus! You're so close you could drive that car!"
I pulled my patented©*** "One Smooth Reverse" and put it in park. Right up next to the curb.
He said, "Wow, I'm impressed!"
That's right, SUCK IT, DAD, I can park better than you.
*My Mom is allergic to the yeast they use to make wine, but she can have wine coolers because they are actually malt beverages. Since we were having wine with dinner, she asked us to pick her up some so she would have something similar. Snooty store doesn't carry these because, "A lot of those have artificial coloring and flavoring." Now I am very much into natural products but the tone used was so utterly annoying and pretentious. Aside from that, I bet I could find at least one product they carry that has artificial coloring.
**He was a total jackass that guy. I found out later from my college roommate who strangely was in the same Summer Driver's Ed class that I was, even though we were in different schools and grades, that he used to suggest that she and her friends grab their suits and stop by his house for a swim in his pool. They were too creeped out and never went. Still, I wonder if he ever got any complaints?
***You have to drive up until your steering wheel is even with the steering wheel of the car in the spot ahead of the space (presuming that your car is even-ish length). While stopped, but in reverse, turn your steering wheel 100% to the right. Reverse until your steering wheel is even with the bumper at which point you turn the steering wheel to be straight and back up until your bumper is even with the other car's bumper. Then you crank the wheel all the way to the left and back up until you are in the spot. Until you get comfortable with it, you have to do it in stages. Eventually you can do it in one movement. I can't always get it totally right, I usually screw up when someone else is in the car.**** Also this works for spots on the left, too, you just have to reverse the directions.
****BTW, you're welcome*****
*****OMG, could I be more into the ASTERISKS, lately?.
Posted by kerewin at June 27, 2005 09:42 PM