P's in Wetherill Park (3 Viewers)

[lychnobity]

I have booked my test for next week and am apprehensive as I don't know the area well. Originally, I wanted to go to Fairfield but it is booked out for months and my L's are gonna expire soon so by then it might be too late. Liverpool and Ingleburn are also pretty much full.

So anyway, are there any additional tips from personal experience?

First you'll be exiting the carpark via the one near SuperCheap Auto. You'll be turning left, and heading forward until you get to the traffic lights next to the Shell petrol station where you'll be turning left. Go straight until you they tell you to turn left somewhere. You should be surrounded by whitish office buildings and black gates. Be careful, the speed limit on these smaller roads is 50.

Then you'll be taken on a gamut of residential, smaller streets, until they make you go into the busier areas, eg near fairfield hospital, along school roads (esp. william stimson public school).

Another hotspot is the road where maccas is, the really big one where the speed limit is 70, then changes to 60 when you cross the traffic lights just before McDonalds. Keep going for the next 5/6 traffic light and be sure to right when you see a traffic light at an intersection that looks like |-

just, in short, practise around the hospital, shopping centre (Stocklands) and the schools (ie Prairievale Public school and William Stimson)

I have been around the area once and noticed there was a huge double roundabout, and the car park around the RTA itself was pretty busy when I was there

Stay calm don't worry. For these, just stay in your lane, signal your direction, and ALWAYS signal when you're going to exit, and check over your shoulder

Finally, this is a lil embarrassing but when you get back to the RTA to the designated parking spaces for people taking their P's, the road has a double line but if you stay on the left it is too tight to park properly (or maybe my driving is just poor) so can I cross it and edge over a little to the right side so I have enough space to turn into the parking space? (of course when there isn't a car coming down the right side of the road). Does this require signaling even though I am not fully going over to the right side?

NEVER cross the double lane if you intend to do a head first park. For these, go as far right in the lane as possible, then turn left into the parking spot (always signal). You won't have enough room to go in smoothly, so reverse out a little, and try again. You will only have 5 gear changes to perfect your park.

Another tip: try to reverse park when you get there. It will make getting out that much easier. And look both ways before going out of your parking spot, signal for 3 seconds at least. Do the head checks.

Finally, be a good driver, stick to the speed limits, over the shoulder head checks when switching lanes, indicate for 3-5 seconds before turns. Watch for traffic signs. Some of them say "left turn permitted after stopping" ie you can turn left on reds even.

 

[Azamakumar]

When I got back to the rta (some time around 4ish) it was reasonably empty, and the instructor told me to park it however I wanted, that he wouldn't mark it.

So I parked perpendicular to the markings, across 3 spaces and passed. Go for the reverse park, it'll make your life that much easier.

 

[cuppy]

Thanks a bunch
Fingers crossed they ask me to park however I want!
Unfortunately, I have not done reverse parking into car park spaces. My reverse kerbside parking is also one of my weaknesses I can't seem to get the timing right 100% of the time. Is there by any chance some magical fail proof technique?

 

[Azamakumar]

...practise?

 

[Riet]

Okay, for curbside parking, my technique (may be slightly different depending on the size of your car):

1) pull alongside the car you want to park behind, reasonably close
2) reverse, start swinging in towards the curb when the front of your car is approximately in the middle of the car you're going behind. Further back if its a long car.
3) when you are 3/4s of the way along and at approx 45 degree angle, turn the wheel straight
4) go back a bit more then turn the wheel right and you should go into the park without any risk of swinging into the one in front

If you do this you probably won't even have to go forward again once you're in. If this doesn;t make sense, do what Az said and practise, it's really the only way.

 

[hairspray]

BEWARE of those HUGE double-laned round abouts!

 

[Riet]

wtf is hard about double lane roundabout? you guys are supposed to have done like 120 hours or whatever, what the fuck I didn't have that much until I got my green Ps I don't think.

 

[Azamakumar]

double lane roundabouts are the best you can hammer em at like 90 and drift em and shit

 

[Azamakumar]

Okay, for curbside parking, my technique (may be slightly different depending on the size of your car):

1) pull alongside the car you want to park behind, reasonably close
2) reverse, start swinging in towards the curb when the front of your car is approximately in the middle of the car you're going behind. Further back if its a long car.
3) when you are 3/4s of the way along and at approx 45 degree angle, turn the wheel straight
4) go back a bit more then turn the wheel right and you should go into the park without any risk of swinging into the one in front

If you do this you probably won't even have to go forward again once you're in. If this doesn;t make sense, do what Az said and practise, it's really the only way.

as a guide to that part though, when I'm in line with the end of the other car I turn towards the curb. That said I have a tiny fwd hatchback thats a piece of fucking pie to park in one hit. Put wheelie bins out the front of your house and go nuts, it's how I learnt, and hadn't ever parallel parked til 3 days before my test.

 

[loller]

parking is easy

life is easy


but seriously if you cant do a simple thing like car a goddamn car then jesus christ you will struggle through life i imagine.

why is a double laned roundabout any different to single lane?
like az said, if they are empty you barely have to slow down for them olol

 

[cuppy]

I passed =D

Went nowhere near the roundabouts and didn't come across any unexpected hazards so it was all good. They got me to do reverse parking (in front of a driveway! my examiner just told me to 'ignore the driveway') and also kerbside stop.