I didn’t have to take a driving test when I got my license, not even a written test (this law has since changed), and even when I did eventually have to take a test, after a cop mistakenly questioned my competence to drive, she passed me on it even though I was nowhere close, and my father was looking along from the inside, questioning whether I was going to pass because that was the first thing they had me do, and he could see it.

I’m just very lucky in that I very, very rarely have to parallel park. In the 6 years that I’ve been driving, I’ve done it once. ONCE. Really, I didn’t even have to do it that time, but I didn’t feel like walking that far, so I decided to go ahead and do it anyway.

I doubt I’ll ever master it, but I’m ok with that. I don’t need it anyway.

When I lived in the States, I once drove around in a car with a broken reverse gear for a month without being inconvenienced big time, because not only did I hardly ever have to parallel park – the average parking lot (be it near my dorm, the gym, the mall…) was usually spacy enough to be able to just drive into and out of the spot in forward gear….

Other than that – practice makes perfect…. :)