A Member of GM Northeast Takes on Worst Fear… Parallel Parking.

June 18, 2012 3:51 pm ET

This post is from Lauren Coley who is a member of the GM Northeast team at MSL New York, where she began working full-time upon graduating in 2008.  When she’s not avoiding NYC-area roads, she can be found exploring her Brooklyn neighborhood by foot, catching a concert in Manhattan or cheering on the North Carolina Tar Heels.

I’m from the South, the land of suburban supermarkets, dirt road short cuts and plentiful parking lots.  Other than the few times that I parallel parked during Driver’s Education.  When I got my driver’s license, I was not required to parallel park to be granted my pass to freedom.  Who needs parallel parking when you had parking lots and decks on every corner? I would pay $5 for parking than to parallel park my car, any day.

As a resident in New York City for the past 4 years, I’ve come to realize my parallel parking reality: I have to learn eventually.  This hasn’t been a problem, as I have avoided the congested highways of the Big Apple since I arrived. I had no wish to get caught up in the aggressive driving and profanity-laced traffic that I have witnessed from the back of cabs.  After joining the GM Northeast Grassroots team, I knew my day would come.

In April, I was given an opportunity to drive a Chevrolet Cruze to an upstate event.  The anxiety of having to parallel park in my neighborhood encouraged me to ask (no, beg) our agency partners to parallel park for me upon delivering the car.  Luckily, I work with some of the nicest people on the planet and they happily obliged.

In early May, while visiting home, I took some friends downtown for a night out, not realizing that our destination would only have street parking available.  Thank goodness for my boyfriend, who told me to pull over so he could take over the wheel, parallel parking without even thinking twice.

I should have known I wouldn’t have been so lucky the third time around.  Having driven back from Oz-stravaganza in Syracuse, I found myself in my Brooklyn neighborhood, looking for a parking space for the Chevrolet Equinox to nest within overnight.  It took a few loops for me to find a spot large enough for me so I gave it try.  Oh boy.

Using the Rear Vision Camera, I began to back into the available spot.  To my delight, the Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist began to beep, alerting me to the proximity of the car behind me.  The beeping picked up speed as I continued to back up.  I could breathe easy.  “This car’s got my back,” I thought to myself.

Although it took a few extra maneuvers and more time than the average parallel parker, I can finally say that I have conquered New York parallel parking!  The best part? I didn’t even get a parking ticket!

Featured photo by Lauren Coley.