I hate it.

I’m willing to drive a couple of blocks just so I don’t have to do it.

But for the sake of the paper I tackled my fear, without any outside help.

That’s right. It’s parallel parking.

Depending on the car you own, the easier it will be. My car happens to be a giant blue sailboat so it took awhile.

There aren’t many steps to parallel parking, but the space between cars is a key factor.

The first step in parallel parking is finding a space with enough room. Enough room is where you can fit your car, plus a body on each side. I’ll admit if you’re with friends, it will be easier to accomplish the task with their aid.

After you’ve found an ample space, you should pull up to the driver’s side door handle of the car in front of the space you want to park in. Once you’ve pulled far enough up the car, it’s time to throw it in reverse.

For some, reverse can be tricky. The idea is to reverse the car into the spot, but we all know it’s not that easy. When you’re reversing, you want to stay close to the car in front of you but maneuver your car into the spot. You might want to turn the radio down for more concentration. This step takes the most time because it takes some skill to get your car into the space with room to spare.

You’ve successfully parked your car in the spot, but don’t shift to park just yet. Make sure you have enough space. Don’t be the jerk parking too close to a car and blocking a person in. No one likes you, and you should just stop.

Also, pay attention to the curb. You don’t want to be on the curb (unless you’re doing it as a joke), but you want to be close enough so your vehicle isn’t out in the driving lane. You don’t want to open your door and have it dismembered by a reckless driver.

You should also consider how close to light poles you’re parking. If you park right next to one, the person in your passenger seat can’t get in.

Once you’ve checked everything, put the car in park and marvel in your awesomeness!

Or run away quickly so no one knows you’re the one who parked the car.