Drivers test

See, my mom is 57 years old and has never used parallel parking (except on her drivers test). So we've never practiced it. Everyone says they don't test for it. But of course I'm going to a different testing place. I'm going to practice it tonight once I have my rental car. I'm gonna practice parking backing up as well. I hope the test is easy, but I don't want to leave anything uncovered because I NEED to pass the 1st time. I'm renting a car, missing work, and driving an hour away JUST so I can get my license TOMORROW. If I retake the test I'm gonna have to do that all over.

Well parallel parking was part of my test, but it wasn't important. You had to succeed in two tries, and I did it in three. So while I failed the parallel parking portion, I still passed the overall test.

Honestly....I don't know very many people who passed their test the first time. So if I were you I'd try to prepare for the fact that, despite it being inconvenient and out of the way for you to retake it, many people do and it shouldn't be a big deal. Some of my friends who are excellent drivers needed to take the test 8+ times. I took it twice (failed the first one at a very strange kind of traffic triangle that I'd never seen before or since the test - also took it in a car I had never driven before). I know a few folks who passed the first time, but not the majority.

I did have to parallel park on my road test, but know others who weren't asked to. I don't find parallel parking very difficult (and I do it pretty frequently), I'm not sure why people struggle with it, I think they just never learn how to properly line up the car or something?

I've also heard of people having all sorts of different experiences with what they had to do as far as parallel parking, 3 point turns, traffic circles, etc...and a huge range of strictness on the part of the tester. Your best bet is to ask people who have taken the test in the same location you're taking it.

Mine was the standard checking to see if you can use your blinkers and lights, then a parking lot course where you had to pull into a parking space, back out and swivel into a different parking space (stupid cones) and then pull out. After that it was just driving a several block radius and back to the dmv. No parallel parking, which is good as I could not (and still cannot) parallel park. I've never even tried it, how sad is that.

I failed at parallel parking but still passed the test. The tester even told me no biggie, you'll probably never need to parallel park again... lol and so far he's been right.

Unfortunately or maybe fortunately pretty much everyone I know passed the test the first time. I actually can't think of anyone I know (from my area) who failed. So it's a lot of pressure on me because I will be really embarrassed if I fail. I also have anxiety, so that doesn't help me. I get very stressed and paranoid about any big thing like this. I just feel like people are counting on me, and I don't want to let them down. Everyone I know is like "don't worry, you're going to pass" and I wish they wouldn't say that. I wish they'd just say "if you fail it's not a big deal, just try your best." I just know if I fail it's gonna crush me and shatter my confidence. And I hate that. Because I know it shouldn't and I know it's not that big of a deal, but it doesn't change my anxiety over it lol!

I think parallel parking should be on every test, so should every other skill. I rarely do it, rarely have to, but that's not the point. It's one of those things that test your capability as a driver. If you're to have a license, i think you should be competent and comfortable behind the wheel. Parallel parking is one of those things that will test that.

Not that I find it terribly difficult, but it shouldn't be, to someone who is comfortable and capable. But everything from how you handle a little pressure if cars are behind you, tester watching you're every move, how you use the throttle, brake, use signals, mirrors, check blind spots etc. Almost every aspect of driving can be tested in that one skill. I could care less if someone can drive around a block, I could do that when I was 12.

I'm addressing the general you, not anybody in particular.

I am just flabbergasted by people not parallel parking...how can you (general you, directed at no one in particular) never need it?? I mean I can see some areas not using it but if you ever travel or go to different neighborhoods you will have to know how to do it and trying to learn on a busy road while late for an appt and people waiting impatiently for you to get out of the way is not a good learning situation lol.

This. There are times I had to do things in a car I NEVER planned on so am so glad I had to practice and learn different turns, reverses, etc.

And yes, in the tests here you can fail parallel parking and still pass as long as you did well on the rest of the test.

This.

Yep, while I've never used it in almost 6 years (neither here nor Florida), my brother once had to park in the next parking lot and get my mom to park his car, because our parking lot was being painted and the only spot to park needed parallel parking. He even had to do parallel parking on the test. xD

This is exactly how I felt when I went to get my permit. Everyone was saying of course you'll pass, everyone passes, they've never met anyone whose failed before, etc. All that meant to me was "so if you fail you're the biggest idiot we know!". Id rather people just say oh well, lots of people fail, you can just take it again.

This. My Uncle had to take his driving test something like 13 times before he passed. I believe both my parents had to take it at least twice.

I was so happy to pass the first time, both times, but I was prepared to not.

Best of luck with it

The only thing about parallel parking is the curb. In NJ at least, they'll take points off or fail you if you hit the "curb" cones. I guess its good because there could be a fire hydrant, but normally you can use the curb to feel where you are and the body would pass harmlessly over the curb. With cones though your bumper can't hit it but you still need to get close enough to the curb to avoid being dinged for that.

They use a big cement slab here.. so if you get to close, crunch!

First of all, especially if you're taking the test at another location, how anyone else you know did is not a very good reflection of you or your driving skills. You might be the unlucky 1 out of 10 who gets a really strict or grumpy instructor, or the location you take it at might have more complicated requirements to pass...plus everyone else you know probably took it in a familiar area. There's a very good chance you'll do fine, but there's also a chance something will not go right - and that is very likely to not be your fault at all.

Secondly, when you have a lot of anxiety, even getting your stuff together enough to TAKE the test is a huge accomplishment. You should be really proud of yourself for passing the written part, getting behind the wheel, learning to be a good driver, and being brave enough to sign up for and take the test!

Good luck! I'll send you passing-the-road-test vibes!

ETA: Like Psyfalcon said: here it's an automatic fail if you hit the curb during any part of the test...and 3 point turns are often done in areas where there is no curb, just grass and then street...and when I took the test, the ground was covered in leaves. I know quite a few people who failed because they drove onto the "curb" (dirt) during the test.

I have generalized anxiety disorder, and I was unmedicated when I took the test, so seriously, be proud that you're even taking the test. Just getting myself there to take the test felt like a win. Take everything one step at a time. Parallel parking was the first part of my test, and I was so nervous and focused on finishing that I wasn't paying attention to what was happening right now instead of just being done. It was after failing the first two tries at parallel parking that I realized this wasn't going well. I took a couple moments to collect myself, took a deep breath, and I did fine.

As for parallel parking, I never use it. Maybe it's because I don't live in or near the city, but parallel parking just never happens. Out of the maybe two random times I have had to do it, I've done it fine. No curbed wheels, no smushed bumpers.

I had the worst luck on the day on my drivers test. I was a super competent driver, I was even pretty good at parallel parking, which I need to use pretty often because I park downtown all the time. (it's a really good skill to have! watch a couple youtube videos and learn it.)

Anyways, I had mostly practiced in my grandmas car. The day of I was pulling out of the driveway to go to the test and actually scraped the car up against the house!! The first, and only time so far (knock on wood) I've hit anything. Then we get there and try to check in my grandmas car for the test, and her insurance was apparently invalid (didn't have a correct pink slip) So I had to rent the registry's vehicle for 50 bucks, which was a brand new civic. When we got the in the car she asked where a couple things might be (hazard lights blah blah). I started to drive off and realized I still have the e-brake on. After that the only thing else I failed on was not shoulder checking before I pulled out of the parallel park. Everything else was a breeze.

I took my driver's test in my (then) boyfriend's Chevy Silverado pickup truck. Which I had never driven. WHILE I was incredibly hungover (like dehydrated and shakey hungover, because it was the day after my birthday celebration and my friends were NOT nice to me.) AND I had to parallel park this beast of a truck, between REAL cars. AND I had never taken driver's ed or even read the driver's ed manual. :yikes:

I passed the first time.

Thanks so much for all the advice and encouragement!! I didn't realize so many people on Chaz dealt with anxiety. I really need to make a thread about that, I have a lot of questions.