In the 1960’s or 1970’s, there were no slope test like we have in our present day practical test. Permit me to explain further. In present day slope tests, a candidate is expected to proceed up a slope approximately 30 – 35 degrees.
After stopping and puling up the handbrakes, the candidate should be able to succeed in going up the slope. Failing to do so, will result in a candidate having failed.
The slope test was later incorporated into the road test. A candidate in those days, had to stop at a junction, where there was a steep slope. With heavy traffic approaching from both sides, a candidate was expected to control the car properly, proceeding up only when the traffic was clear.
As I ponder over the difference between the present day slope test required to be done by candidates today, and to what I had to do many, many years ago, without saying, what I had to do, with the tester sitting beside me, was a hundred times more difficult.
This represents my own opinion. Others may tend to differ with me. I remember clearly failing my first road test. All because of the slope.
And what was the consequence of my failing the road test?
Going up a slope became the weakest aspect of my driving ability. To tell you the truth, I used to go round and round the entire town, finding places where there weren’t any slope, just to get to my desired destination. All because I was poor or bad in going up slopes.
For all these years, this little secret has been kept with me only. And you know what, I was also rather bad in side parking too, especially in town areas.
So when readers write in to lament they cannot do their side parking in towns, saying their car control is bad, their judgement is poor, they are afraid of hitting and causing damage to other vehicles around, I tell myself, “Well, I was just like them, maybe even worse when I first passed and got my ‘kopi oh’ or ‘lousy’ driving license, many, many years ago.
Today, I will try to help all of you, especially those bad or poor or lousy in side parking, how to eliminate this perpetual problem once and for all.
Well, because I myself was bad at it. and if I, with so many years of experience behind me cannot assist you, who else then, can?
The side parking technique that I am about to expose to you in this article is taken from the Weekender magazine, a rather well known British publication in the 1960’s.
To do the side parking in towns, the writer advised us the following steps.
Drive your car parallel to the car in front. The back of your car should ideally be in line with the car beside yours.
Turn your entire steering to the left.
Reverse your car until it is at an angle of 45 degrees position.
Straighten your steering wheel.
Reverse slowly, looking at your left hand side mirror. Stop, the moment the left hand mirror reaches the tail lights of the car in front of you.
Turn your steering all to the right, adjusting your steering accordingly as you slowly reverse into the parking lot. Of course, initially, you might need a few practices before you become adept at side parking. You might even need to move your car a few times forward or backwards as you adjust and re-adjust your movements.
Hopefully, this technique of side parking which was learnt from the Weekender magazine will be of some help to you.
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