Parallel Parking Practice

    Claire was driving us to our violin lessons yesterday and since her drivers test is coming up she and Mom thought it would be a good idea for her to practice parallel parking.
    So, we pulled up to the side of the building on a very unpopular road. No other cars were parked in the other spots and Claire swung in crooked to one of the empty spots. Mom began trying to walk her through the process.
    "Imagine that there are cars in the other two spots." She instructed her. Honestly, if there were cars in the other two spots we would be in serious trouble.
    She tried to pull into the spot again. "You just took off that cars bumper." Mom tells her. Then she says to me. "Get out and pretend to be that car."
    I guess it's safe to say I'm not the favorite child, but I, of course, wanting to live a long life sent Jane out to pretend to be the other car. She stood on the sidewalk and kind of gestured to the empty spot.
    She really didn't help much, because Claire still couldn't seem to get it.
    All this time some random kid was out mowing his lawn and first the kid glanced up. Then he looked up for a little longer and seemed a little confused. Then he stopped mowing all together and just watched.
    Claire swerved into the spot and then dissatisfied pulled back out again. The kid just watched for a good while, probably silently judging her. Then with a very confused look on his face he shook his head and went back to work.
    As Claire swiveled in and out of her parking spot, cars nervously drove up behind her, not really sure of what she was doing, they cautiously waited for a moment watching, and then they sped by her. I'm pretty sure a lot of people were judging her.
    Finally, Claire pulled into the spot correctly. By this time, everyone but me had been out of the car at least once. Three cars have driven around her and the kid silently judging us had pretty much given up.
    Then she pulled out of the spot and left. Seriously, she didn't even want to park there. She drove around the block and into the other parking lot, where she parked normally.
    As we drove by the house with the kid mowing his lawn, I'm pretty sure my Mom waved and she said, "Thanks for watching."  He couldn't hear her though. He gave us one last weird look before just giving up.
    That was Claire's lesson on how to Parallel Park.

Until Next Time,
    Katherine Rose