# Is there a physical reason why I don't parallel park well? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 5, 2005, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-physical-reason-why-i-dont-parallel-park-well/283170 "2005-01-05T07:14:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-physical-reason-why-i-dont-parallel-park-well/283170/41 "2005-01-06T15:32:44Z")
> [@blowero](#): > > :smack: I can’t believe you wrote that. > > Parking by braille is NOT ALLOWED. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-physical-reason-why-i-dont-parallel-park-well/283170/42 "2005-01-06T20:40:57Z")
How could that possibly be confusing to you? ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-physical-reason-why-i-dont-parallel-park-well/283170/43 "2005-01-06T21:37:35Z")
> [@blowero](#): > > How could that possibly be confusing to you? “Parking by Braille” = not looking carefully, just “tapping” one’s way into the space? If so, I don’t think anyone was advocating that. I just said that one shouldn’t be afraid of a tap. Overcorrecting against a potential bumper tap can make parallel parking difficult. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-physical-reason-why-i-dont-parallel-park-well/283170/44 "2005-01-06T21:51:08Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > > [@BobT](#): > > > > For the record I am a poor chess player, but I am extraordinarily good at reading maps. > > Ditto. Same here. But I always blamed my pathetic chess playing on not being interested enough to see the game X moves in advance, not an inability to figure out where the horsey moved. ---
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-physical-reason-why-i-dont-parallel-park-well/283170/45 "2005-01-07T00:15:46Z")
The answer for me was to affix a 4-inch convex mirror on my passenger’s side mirror. It provides all the feedback I need–even the tire as it nears the curb. With a little practice, it’s perfect. And you don’t even have to turn your head. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![hyjyljyj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/0ea827/32.png) [@hyjyljyj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hyjyljyj)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-physical-reason-why-i-dont-parallel-park-well/283170/46 "2005-01-07T04:14:24Z")
Practice. Just do it over and over, 10-20 minutes at a session, until you get so tired of it that you’re an expert. Do enough sessions that you get this handled. In very few sessions you’ll be so good at it that you’ll be able to do it the first time every time, and you’ll wonder why you ever found it to be difficult. The trouble is, doing it so rarely, it stays challenging. You can do it. Just practice it. Don’t worry about bing frustrated or how long it takes. You’ll get it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-physical-reason-why-i-dont-parallel-park-well/283170.md?page=2)