Hunter's Moon Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 The thread on driving tests got me to thinking. I have had my permit since April of 2011. I have failed both of my road tests. Both times was because of the parallel park. I promise, I am not a danger on the road. I have been considering just letting my permit expire at the end of April. I don't have a car of my own and will not for a few years. I cannot afford insurance anyways. I would not feel comfortable driving soemone else's car, even if their insurance would cover me. I just really don't want to spend more money to either fail again because of that danged parallel parking, or to pass and then not even be able to use the license anyways. What say the Hive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 I took my UK test last year and had to relearn how to parallel park. The instructor used the technique shown in the youtube video on parallel parking by parkingtutorial--I can't link. I would watch it and try it. I found it much easier divided into these steps then how I learned years ago. If at all possible I would try and get your license. Someday you might really need it and you are already in the process of getting one. I really did not want to bother in the UK but I will most likely live here the rest of my life. It is nice to be able to go where I want and to arrange things for the kids without asking dh to drive us. I also had a fear of being elderly and housebound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athena1277 Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 I know you say you would not want to drive someone else's car, but there could always be some emergency or other urgent matter where you need to be able to drive. If you don't have a license, that would make a bad situation more difficult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 I think it's entirely up to you. I know adults (one who is well into his 70s by now) who have never had a driver's license, and those who have and have let them lapse because they don't feel like driving is that important to their lives. My great grandfather immigrated from PEI to rural Maine (but in town) and never had a driver's license. He walked to work in the paper mill every day, in all manner of weather, wearing a suit. I'm not sure my great grandmother ever drove, either. I think you need to weigh the cost and difficulty of going through the process again, if you plan to pursue it in the near future. Or whether you can reasonably go about your life indefinitely without driving. Can you extend your permit? What is the timeframe where you will have to go through classes and the permit process again? What are your transportation options where you live, as well as where you want to live in the future? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 I didn't get my license until I was 22. When I was a teen my dad tried to teach me to drive but we clashed so badly I quit. We had a good bus system at home. Anyway it wasn't until after college when I was going to start working that I figured I'd better get my license. Dh taught me to drive--he's awesome! But I agree with MyCrazyHouse--it's up to you. I have a friend who is in her late 50's who has never had her license--she's legally blind. She doesn't let that limit her. She just arranges her events and errands by who can give her a ride (or by the bus schedule if she's in a town with a good bus system). The only thing I'd recommend if you don't get a drivers license is to be sure you have a state issued ID or some form of "official" identification. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tita Gidge Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 I didn't get my license until I was an adult, and I still drive only rarely (by choice). I'm still glad I have it, though. I'd rather have it and not need it than to be stuck in the reverse, you know? I guess it would depend on how much it would cost to take the test. If it were $50 or less, I'd go for it. I'd let the money motivate me to study/practice as hard as I could, rather than become a barrier to trying. But I'm terribly stubborn, and I tend to dig in my heels when something is just barely out of reach. If you aren't really motivated to get the license, maybe it WOULD be a waste of money to try right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abeille Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 I would do whatever you need to do to get it. I am 42, and have never driven. I've had a permit a couple of times, but have never gotten so far as a road test. My not being able to drive limits many opportunities for my family. It's not just an inconvenience for us, but a serious liability. You may not be able to use the license much now, but it would be better to have the ability if you need to imho. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momtoamiracle Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 I would get it. I can't imagine not driving, not where I live. I have a friend that doesn't have a car, will never have a car, but she keeps her license up in case she has to drive someone's car in an emergency. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twigs Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 My vote is Yes - get your licence. But before you test again, have someone who really knows how to parallel park and how to teach it, teach you how. (I took driver's ed in high school and the DE teacher was not good at teaching how to parallel park, so I failed that part of the test, but passed overall.) Many years later, a friend of mine taught me how, so I can now parallel park. Once you really learn how, practice it until you are comfortable, then test. Best Wishes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissad2 Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 I live in an area that doesn't have any public transportation to speak of so I vote to get it. I can't imagine not being able to hop in my car and go somewhere if I need to! Although the price gas has limited that somewhat :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdventureMoms Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 I'd get it. When I was 16 I failed my drivers test twice. I was sure I didn't want to take it again, it was just so embarassing. My family and then-bf pushed me to do it, and I'm really glad they did. Even if you don't use it much, having a license is a handy thing! Not having a license can be very limiting in some places also, especially if you have children. Find a coach who is very patient, get out and just parallel park like 50 times. It's one of those things, the more you do it the more comfortable it gets. After all that drama over parallel parking, a few years later I ended up in a very densely populated neighborhood in Chicago. I had to parallel park every single day, in very tight spots, usally with the pressure of somone waiting to get by me. I lved there for a year and by the time I left I could park ANYWHERE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter's Moon Posted December 5, 2012 Author Share Posted December 5, 2012 I know it would be best to get it. *sigh* AdventureMoms, that is exactly how I feel. Embarrassed. I was soooo nervous during both road tests at the DMV. There is a driving school around here that lets people take tests there even if they aren't a student. It is $80 each time. $20 goes to the DMV and $60 is to use their vehicle. I already paid the $50 license fee to the DMV, so I won't have to pay that again. DH is really pushing me to get it because he thinks it would be dumb to have come this far and then just let my permit lapse. I drive all the time when I go places with my mother, so I drive a lot. I never have to parallel park though. LOL. My mother and I clash when she tries to help me parallel park. My father doesn't freak out so much lol. I may ask if we can go to a school parking lot on a weekend and set up cones and practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 Don't be embarrassed. Parallel parking failed almost everyone I knew in high school, most of them multiple times. It's the bugger of the driving test. I don't know why it's so hard to park between those cones, but it is. Most of us, like AdventureMoms said, got good at it when we had to do it a lot, in less than stellar situations. I can park anywhere, but only because I spent years having to do it in weird places, with one-way streets and lots of traffic. You can do it if you want to. Really. We'll all cheer you on. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter's Moon Posted December 5, 2012 Author Share Posted December 5, 2012 Don't be embarrassed. Parallel parking failed almost everyone I knew in high school, most of them multiple times. It's the bugger of the driving test. I don't know why it's so hard to park between those cones, but it is. Most of us, like AdventureMoms said, got good at it when we had to do it a lot, in less than stellar situations. I can park anywhere, but only because I spent years having to do it in weird places, with one-way streets and lots of traffic. You can do it if you want to. Really. We'll all cheer you on. :) Thanks :) It will be sometime in the new year, before the end of April as that is when my permit expires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ummto4 Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 Hubby tried to teach me parallel park, but couldn't. He has the instinct; I don't. But I managed to find a website which teaches explicitely how to parallel park. The key is to use reference. You should know when to do the reverse, and the angle you turn. That website suggests a 45 degree reverse to the right, then go on (while maintaining 45 degree position) till you see the pavement and the front of the car clears the pole. At that point, do the reverse to the left. When I was practising, I would go to the DMV a few afternoon and practise this manouver again and again until I was certain that I could do this consistently (9 out of10). That's it .... Once you know the reference (what to look for), it's easy. Then it's just a matter of perfecting the manouver with the car that you're going to use for the test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 Can you extend your permit? What is the timeframe where you will have to go through classes and the permit process again? What are your transportation options where you live, as well as where you want to live in the future? These are good questions to consider it making a decision. I couldn't advise either on whether or not to drive. In my situation, driving is truly necessary. There is nothing within walking distance and there is no public transportation. I wouldn't feel comfortable having to rely on someone else to transport me everywhere I would need to go. Your situation may be entirely different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lllll Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 Don't let yourself feel embarrassed. I failed backing up in a straight line, which is ridiculous, because I had backed out of my straight driveway a million times before (and after) my test. Fortunately, I passed the overall test with that one ding. Do they really fail people JUST on parallel parking?!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 Do they really fail people JUST on parallel parking?!?! I was wondering about this as well. I remember talking to an acquaintance who said her ds failed the parallel parking but still passed the driving test. Maybe he aced everything else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdventureMoms Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 Don't let yourself feel embarrassed. I failed backing up in a straight line, which is ridiculous, because I had backed out of my straight driveway a million times before (and after) my test. Fortunately, I passed the overall test with that one ding. Do they really fail people JUST on parallel parking?!?! It depends on the tester. My first two flunked me based on parallel parking, my third did not. My parking wasn't much better, he just didn't really care. I parked into a snowbank and he was like "yeah that's life around here. you pass." Same office the whole time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 I'd get it. I got my license on my first try as an adult after several permits. I had to try twice for the parallel parking though. And he said he was thinking about failing me for that and because when he made up imaginary scenarios (we were on a flat road with no curb and he was saying things like "pretend you're parking uphill with a curb") it took me a minute to picture it before doing the required action. He thought I wasn't sure about what to do when I just have an awful imagination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdventureMoms Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 One of my motivators for actually taking the test and getting it done - once you take it and pass you DON'T have to take it again. Ever. As long as you maintain the license even changing states is just a matter of a written test and and eye test. Ironically I'd now be fine to take it again. But I've driven a LOT in past years and I'm much more comfortable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 Do they really fail people JUST on parallel parking?!?! Yes. If you hit the cone, it's considered the same as hitting another car, and you fail. Other things (at least when I was taking the test) got you points off, which could add up to a fail, but parking was an all or nothing sort of thing. As was managing another sort of collision on the closed course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoot Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 But I managed to find a website which teaches explicitely how to parallel park. The key is to use reference. You should know when to do the reverse, and the angle you turn. That website suggests a 45 degree reverse to the right, then go on (while maintaining 45 degree position) till you see the pavement and the front of the car clears the pole. At that point, do the reverse to the left. That's how my instructor taught me. I will never parallel park in real life (I'll drive a mile away and walk before I ever consider attempting it) but needed to do it for the test. He teaches all of his students to use the reference points. He even tells you exactly how many turns to do on the wheel, which window to look out of and what to look for at each step. It made it SO easy for the test. Naturally, I forgot it all the second I walked out of the DMV though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TranquilMind Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 The thread on driving tests got me to thinking. I have had my permit since April of 2011. I have failed both of my road tests. Both times was because of the parallel park. I promise, I am not a danger on the road. I have been considering just letting my permit expire at the end of April. I don't have a car of my own and will not for a few years. I cannot afford insurance anyways. I would not feel comfortable driving soemone else's car, even if their insurance would cover me. I just really don't want to spend more money to either fail again because of that danged parallel parking, or to pass and then not even be able to use the license anyways. What say the Hive? I could teach you how to parallel park. ;) Go practice, using your family cars (or add chairs or something) in a parking lot. You can do this. It's getting the trick down of pulling up to exactly the right spot on the car in front of the space. Once you get that, the angle comes easier and then you've got it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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