Why are you reading this? How difficult can it be?

Well, as a resident of a Cambridge side street, it is unfortunately all too necessary.

Parking spaces are in short supply and inept parking is not likely to endear you to the residents.

Some side streets allow parking on both sides of the road. This means you have to park close to the kerb. If your wing mirrors fold in, fold them in. If you have ever had to have a wing mirror replaced, you will always remember in future.

My car, a family saloon is 1.76m wide. The width of a Scania fire engine is 2.3m. This is wider, for example than a typical dustcart (2.25m).

Also consider delivery vehicles and articulated lorries with dodgy satellite navigation systems, looking for that builders merchants on the other side of the railway lines.

Double Yellow Lines

You can load/unload on double yellow lines, but you can’t park. So you don’t need to leave a space between the end of your car and the the start of double yellow lines. A gap is so another car can can get in or out. If there’s no other car, you don’t need a gap. Unless the there is a physical reason not to (such as a skip, or roadworks, or a wide vehicle parked nearby), park such that your bumper is close to, but not over the start of the double yellow lines.

Social Distancing for Cars

Some people seem to think “I’ve only got a little car, I’ll tuck it away inconspicuously right up against this other small car”. WRONG!

When the other little car drives away, your car ends up with a gap at both ends, but neither space big enough for a typical car. Your parking skills or lack of, will then draw attention to themselves.

Hints

• If there are two spaces next to each other – choose one or the other – NOT both.
• Next to the car or next to the double yellow lines?
  • You can’t waste space or inadvertently box someone in if you put your car next to the double yellow lines (don’t leave a gap). You won’t have a problem driving away, either. Watch out for road works, badly parked cars or other hazards that might risk your car being clipped by a delivery van.
• Do I leave an equal space between two cars?
  1. Make sure it is only ONE space you’re parking in!
  2. If both the cars are the same size – YES; otherwise, if you can avoid boxing in the big car, leave more room for the small car (in case it drives away and a bigger car wants to park in its place).
• Does it matter which direction the car is facing?
  • If on an unlit road, you should align the car with the traffic and leave a parking light on, for both legal and safety reasons. On a narrow, lit side street in the UK, you are extremely unlikely to be in trouble if you’re facing the traffic.

How NOT to do it

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My univerity tutor had a favourite phrase: “… unless you’re Monumentally Stupid …“.

Can’t think why it suddenly sprang to mind.