Old drivers and new drivers alike - have you ever turned a blind eye to the one and only parallel parking spot still available in a place where many would fight tooth and nail just to get a lot? If you ever had, you are not alone, and there is nothing shameful about it.

Many drivers - me included - find it stressful and embarrassing holding up other vehicles as you to try to use your limited parallel parking skills to maneuver your car into a lot.

The solution?

Improve your parallel parking tricks, of course. This specific post came about after I scoured the Internet for a how-to on parallel parking. I hope you enjoy this post, and in the process, acquire the tricks that will make parallel parking a breeze. It's good if we start by watching a video on the tricks of parallel parking.

What is parallel parking?

For the benefit of non-drivers and future drivers, let us first know what is parallel parking. Take a look first at the picture in this module. Notice the space between the two cars? Wikipedia defines parallel parking this way: "Parallel parking is a method of parking a vehicle in line with other parked cars.“

Cars ordered in resemblance are in one block, alike to the curb, with the front bumper of any car seeing the back bumper of the adjoining one.

This arrangement in parking entails running the car in reverse gear into the parking location.

Roads that facilitate such parking have an extra lane or a large shoulder for parked cars.

This sort of parking style is highly advised where parking amenities aren't available. It's usually in cosmopolitan regions where there is a bulk density of transports and restricted parking lots.

A tip before you parallel park

Here is a useful parallel parking trick I found from PNF's IAH airport parking: "Confirm that you're not trying to park a Jaguar in a spot meant for the Mini Cooper. Even the most experienced drivers will find this a mean feat."

How to parallel park

Again, I found PNF very clear on this: "Unless there are at least 2 empty joint lots, it is easier to reverse into a parallel parking lot rather than going in the head-on."

Turn the steering wheel all the way to the right and start reversing, stopping at a 45 degree angle. There are no poles for you now, but you can try to look at the side of the rear windscreen as a focal point.

Stop when this focal point is in line with the car behind. You can start turning the steering wheel as much to the left as possible until the car pulls in along the curb.

If you're 10-12 cm from the curb on the first attempt, I'll be impressed by your good luck and amazing skill. But for the many others, do try and practice again until you get it right. Do it 5 times, 10 times or 20 times, just as long as you get it right. Next time it will be your turn to give those new drivers the satisfied 'I-can-parallel-park' look.

How to do a perfect parallel parking... more parallel parking trick information

Follow the arrow. You should be perfectly in your spot!

In a nut shell, approach, backing with the wheel to the right, backing with the wheel straight, backing with the wheel to the left. You won't have to do too much with the wheel to the right if you do your approach right.

Strong Suggestion -

LOTS AND LOTS OF PRACTICE. Get to identify precisely how huge your car is.

Important Tips -

If you're hitting the curb, you're not straightening the wheel or going left fast enough.