Parallel Parking the MiniVan

IS A NIGHTMARE!!!

Okay, not really...
But it was when I first learned to parallel park. I just didn't get it. Possibly because my dad used these poles weighted by milk jugs filled with water as cones. And blue ribbon, the kind used for hiking or marking places, to set the boundary which represented a vehicle. You couldn't even see these 'cones' so obviously I NEVER understood parallel parking that first day.

Well, I guess I normal height person would have seen these 'cones' just fine but I'm vertically challenged (less than 5' ) so I can't see much in the minivan. Thankfully we were practicing in an empty parking lot.

My later days parallel parking were probably almost as bad. My first few days were spent on a pretty isolated street. I never did parallel park perfect the first days on that isolated street. My dad showed me all the concepts using toy cars and such but real life and toy cars are totally different. And not only that, he doesn't exactly know how to teach/explain so all he does is sigh and make comments if I'm lucky, otherwise he yells and gets angry.

So anyways, the process of me learning parallel park has been greatly slowed. Honestly, if given the chance, TAKE LESSONS from a trained professional. Seriously, this has proven to work. My friends took lessons just a month before their driving test and have passed. I on the other hand have had my learners license for over a year and am finally getting this whole idea of parallel parking because my dad refuses to get lessons until like.. a week before my test to "brush up" my "skills". Well, I guess another factor is that my friends do not drive a MINIVAN, they drive CARS... or other smaller vehicles.

Although my Parallel Parking skills are at probably 80% at the least I can give tips to those who have troubles parallel parking the MINIVAN.

When adjusting your mirrors
- tilt your right hand mirror a little bit towards the ground
- tilt your right hand mirror so that you can see some of the body of the car
- This is so that when you pull into the curb you can somewhat see how far the back of the minivan is from the curb.
**Once you get good at parallel parking you shouldn't tilt it towards the ground because you want to reduce your blind spots at much as possible**