Where's my car? (I'm inside it.)

September 4, 2006 2:04 PM

My car has no corners! How do I learn where its edges are?

I recently moved on from my much-loved '88 Volvo station wagon to a ca.-2000 Saturn coupe. Perhaps naively, I looked forward to the switch for one reason: it would be so much easier to find parking in San Francisco with a smaller car! The sad truth, though, is that I could park the Volvo in a tiny spot, thanks to its incredibly visible corners/edges/perimeter. The Saturn, on the other hand, I am very nervous about parking without loads of extra room, because I'm never entirely sure when I'm going to bump the cars in front of and behind me. The low driver's seat, the swoopy curves of the car's body, and the (relatively, I know) tiny windows ensure that I can't see a thing that's going on.

I assumed, based on past experience, that I would quickly get used to the new dimensions of the car -- but it has been nine months and I'm still getting it wrong. Is there anything I can do, short of bumping into things until I "get it," that will help me learn what shape and size my car is?

posted by obliquicity to travel & transportation (14 comments total)

I thought the recommended way to parallel park in SF was by feel :D

While you might feel like a total dork, how about if you obtain some wood paint stirrers or yard sticks (free from many hardware stores), tape them to your bumpers for a few days to give yourself a visual reference.

Personally, I'd prefer going out in an empty parking lot and bumping into orange cones one afternoon, but it's easier to find free yardsticks than an empty parking lot in SF.
posted by jamaro at 2:11 PM on September 4, 2006

Instead of bumping into things that will hurt your car, can you put up something that will not hurt your car, and hit them until you get it? I'm thinking giant cones, inflatable toys, uhh..?
posted by defcom1 at 2:14 PM on September 4, 2006

I forgot to add: there's always curb feelers. A bit anachronistic on a Saturn, perhaps, but you could consider it trendsetting.
posted by jamaro at 2:19 PM on September 4, 2006

I think you'll have to just try, try again here - and condolences on your dearly departed brick (what was wrong with the wagon to inspire this switch?).
posted by sluggo at 2:23 PM on September 4, 2006

CA paid us to terminate the wagon -- it spectacularly failed its smog test. The Saturn was a freebie.

I love the paint-stick idea, jamaro; dorky but brilliant. Perhaps I could attach little red flags to them, to complete the look.
posted by obliquicity at 2:31 PM on September 4, 2006

Yes! If you attach little flags to the end of the paintsticks, it will give you that Cultural Attache/Foreign Diplomat flavor while you circle the Russian Consulate looking for parking.
posted by jamaro at 2:43 PM on September 4, 2006 [1 favorite]

When I was adjusting to parking a new car in the city, I went out to visit friends who live in the suburbs, borrowed their big plastic garbage cans and practiced parking between them until I got the feel for where the car was.

Paint sticks would work too, but depending on where in San Francisco you park your car, they may not last long...
posted by ambrosia at 3:10 PM on September 4, 2006

DieHipsterDie: This is my car (well, it's not mine mine, but rather the same model, which I clarify only for your pedantic pleasure). Find a parking-related corner if you can!
posted by obliquicity at 3:25 PM on September 4, 2006

I had the same year & model Saturn when I lived in San Diego. I had trouble even parking it in normal parking lots. I even had difficulty parking it in my garage, at one point accidentally sideswiping the driver-side mirror. Also had trouble at some stop signs, but that's another story.

I'm sorry I have no advice for you here, but I wish you good luck. I actually traded in my Saturn after two years, and the main reason was poor visibility.
posted by Robert Angelo at 4:25 PM on September 4, 2006

You're in San Francisco? Perfect.

Cars in Japan are often outfitted with a more, shall we say, engineered version of the paint-stirrer, basically a chromed metal pole with a translucent green indicator on top. This is attached under the lip of the hood, on the passenger side.

Normally, these would be hard to find in the USA, but I know there's a shop in the Japantown Mall that sells Japanese aftermarket car dress-up parts. I'll bet they'll have one of these.
posted by adamrice at 5:39 PM on September 4, 2006

Turn on your headlights. Your lights' reflections in other cars help you see (and learn) where the front of your car is, especially while parallel parking.
posted by mbrubeck at 8:15 PM on September 4, 2006

Practice in front of a building with mirrored windows!

Also, blue painter's tape is safe for automotive paintwork, though I can't attest to its ability to securely hold yardsticks to your car.
posted by trevyn at 9:40 PM on September 4, 2006

Get some nice big cardboard boxes as obstacles and set yourself progressively harder parking challenges (tighter spaces, corners, smaller boxes) until you can happily tackle the toughest situations. People I know who did this only needed a few hours to regain their confidence with a new car.
posted by malevolent at 11:44 PM on September 4, 2006

Go search out some videos on YouTube (or whereever) about a guy called Russ Swift - he handbrake-slides a car into a parking space, leaving 1" clear at each end of the car. Spectacular and frigtening.

Practice this technique, and never worry again :)
posted by Chunder at 6:49 AM on September 5, 2006