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Comment by PhasmaFelis | Hacker News Reader

This may be obvious, but for me, reverse parking got a lot easier once I realized that (on my Mini Cooper) if I pull forward until my B-pillar is exactly aligned with the next dividing line past the space I want to enter, then I can reverse into it almost without looking. (Does that make sense? I'm not great at describing visual concepts.)

Presumably there's a spot like this on every car; you just have to figure out where it is.

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You should use the rear axle as a guidline, not the B-pillar, it's more accurate, and it's how a 2-point reverse turn is taught to be done by driving instructors here.

Driving exams involve performing a 2-point reverse turn with the rear inside wheel not going further away than 1 meter from the kerb, no more than two stops (except for traffic/safety related reasons), no more than one engine stall, no forward movement and no contact with the kerb itself.

> Driving exams involve performing a 2-point reverse turn with the rear inside wheel not going further away than 1 meter from the kerb

Which curb? I'm mostly parking in lots with perpendicular parking on both sides of the lane. The only curb involved is the one at the back of the space I'm backing into (unless there's a pull-through from the other side, then not even that).

The "inside" one obviously. The 2-point reverse turn is more designed to test your skill into reversing outside a blocked street back into a perpendicular street, but the skills involed apply to reverse angle parking too.

That's a great cue! Seems to work on the viz too (if you set x = 6.7m & y = 2.6m). BTW Mini Cooper look like the perfect car for parking conveniently in tight spots.

Oh gosh yes, it's the best. I can do a two-point turn in a narrow parking lot lane if I have to. It's actually shorter even than the original Beetle, but has amazing front-seat leg room (a big part of why I chose it) and plenty of trunk space if you fold down one or both rear seats.

The rear seats themselves are mostly decorative unless you have very short friends/family. It's not a good car for four people. But for one or two, it's amazing.

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