I Need Feedback! Quickly!

[Cory Wolfe]

Okay, okay... here's the deal. I am finally going to take the test to get my driver's license. FINALLY!!! :D Anyways, there is one detail that I am very confused about. Nobody in my family can give me a straight answer about it. The parking/emergency brake. Am I supposed to use it when I park... in an automatic transmission car? Yes? No? ...I need an answer, please. Now... to get everybody caught up on why it has taken so long. First, I didn't take the permit test a good month or so after my B-day... because of my parents. Then when it came time to take the license test... my parents cancelled it because of my aunt's wedding which was a few days after the scheduled date. They finally made an appointment, but forgot, or so they say... They were then going to make one for last week, but waited until the last minute and couldn't get me in. Now, they did for tomorrow. But, I swear they don't want me to get my license... Give me answers and wish me luck, damnit! :P

[Cory Wolfe]

Oh... I guess. I just feel wierd using it. Unless it's a manual transmission, what's the point? Anyways, the car I'm using is my grandma's '00 Malibu. But I really don't see why everybody makes a big deal out of parallel parking. I think it's easy... Although, I've never tried it in large vehicle... :P

[Cory Wolfe]

Okay... Thanks, once again.

[Northstar]

I didn't do it when I took the test and they didn't care. Of course the lady I took the test didn't really seem to care, she just sat there and said "turn here," "park here," and didn't actually pay much attention to what I was doing.

[Cory Wolfe]

Um.. I just took the test. What to say first? Well, I'm sick of GM braking systems. Remember the thread about the Blazer? ...Same thing happened with my Gma's Malibu. Intersection. Hit the brakes... Funky, funky happened... I hope to god this won't become a problem with newer GM vehicles... Or I'll have to start sueing. :angry: So... Got my license, anyways. The instructer said "well that was interesting" ...but not enough to keep me from getting it. Everybody better watch out for that green Grand Am GT. There's going to be crazed little BV behind the wheel... :D

[Justin Bimmer]

Ha! Parallell parking on a driving test, not out here in California.... unless you are taking a comercial drivers licence exam. Our test out here is, show me the hand signals for right, left, stop...... go around the block, congratulations!

[Petra]

I didn't do it when I took the test and they didn't care.

[post="1008"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Ditto. I don't think they asked me to use it even once. The reason, I think, is that most people who have Automatic transmissions never use their parking brake. So, if they were to use it during a road test, it might sieze up and get stuck (which tends to happen to P.B's that haven't been used).

[Flybrian]

I always use my parking brake, which really doesn't make sense in Florida, but I do anyway. I picked the habit up from my father who grew up and learned to drive in Southern California, so that doesn't make much sense either. Regardless, I just do it. I got a sign-off from high school driver driver's ed class and my instructor didn't even ride with me. He just watched me drive around and not hit anything and I 'earned' my license. Go figure.

[Cory Wolfe]

Jeesh... You guys all got it easy and I didn't. :P

[CSpec]

Here was my driving test: right turn onto street, go down street for 100 ft, turn right into parking lot, make a 3-point turn where I had to "pretend" there was a curb, turn left back onto the original street, turn left into the RMV parking lot. Test over. :D

[Mike The Canadian]

You people are so lucky, (well bv sounds like he has a simular test as mine) We gotta do everything. ugh did you have to park backwards? For some reason I cant park backwards properly in the buick :lol:

[Nick]

Ha! Parallell parking on a driving test, not out here in California.... unless you are taking a comercial drivers licence exam. Our test out here is, show me the hand signals for right, left, stop...... go around the block, congratulations!

[post="1170"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Haha, yea, seriously...I got this guy, he happened to have the same exact car I was driving...we were just talkin the entire time...wasn't much of a test...I didn't get anything wrong...actually he asked me if it would be ok to mark me down atleast 1 point so it doesn't look so suspicious and that it actually looks like he tested me...but yea, I did a pretty good job...not that you can screw that test up very easily...

[Cory Wolfe]

Well... I don't have to do everything, Mike. No backwards parking, three or two point turns, hand signs, or such. Just driving, parking, parellel parking, basic manuevering, controll operation, and a strict guy sitting in the passenger seat. Anyways... I have made myself a record for most driving in one day. Wasted a good 1/4 tank of gas. I drove it all over the place... to... test out it's abilities and such, so to say. Handling... which is the best I've driven, but that isn't saying much. Top speed... not quite, but I got it up to 75 in a 45 on a back road (not one of the bad ones I complain about). I now take bad my regrets about it. It's running excellently (despite the tick) and could easily reach 100 if I tried. I don't know how far after that... But, I'll definitely see what the governer is set at. I also got to test it out in various conditions... all in one day! ...Dry pavement, wet pavement, night-time of both, dirt roads, city driving, heavy traffic (because of the dirt track), and hills. I must say... a manual tranny is so fun. I love shifting gears. Still getting used to it, though... but that will take time. I just don't like the transmission... Wish it were the Getrag 5spd offered the previous year instead of the shitty Izuzu one. Oh well... Still alot of fun. :D B) Finally, atleast I won't beat my cousin's record of wrecking on the first day he had it... With my Gma's car, I might add. The old 97 Sunfire. :P Poor thing... But yeah, he wrecked it. He lost control while going about 90. Went off the road... hit a few trees. He and his friend were magically unharmed. What made it worse was that my Gma had just cancelled her insurance for whatever reason... Now she has that 00 Malibu.

[NOS2006]

Oh... I guess. I just feel wierd using it. Unless it's a manual transmission, what's the point?

Anyways, the car I'm using is my grandma's '00 Malibu. But I really don't see why everybody makes a big deal out of parallel parking. I think it's easy... Although, I've never tried it in large vehicle... :P

[post="996"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Dude, it's so easy. I took the test and received no points whatsoever on the road or course.. in a '03 Durango.

[Cory Wolfe]

Yes.. Easy.. That's why I passed. :D I have a funny feeling you didn't read every post... :P

[Sixty8panther]

It's a good precaution to also make theft harder so using a parking brake on an automatic tranny car is not totally stupid.

[Cory Wolfe]

I guess... Anyways, I forgot to add that a manual transmission equipped car + a wet road + an interstection + a hill + a 16 y/o driver that just got his license and is still learning to use the manual tranny = bad news. :D Yes, I spun the front wheels. It was fun, though, and I couldn't help but smile afterwards.

[z28luvr01]

It's a good practice to use it when you park on a hill, so as not to put so much stress on whatever component in the tranny keeps the wheels from turning while in park, as well as to protect your car, and those around it, in the event that the park gear should fail. Anyway, congrats, BV. I'm happy for you.

[Bimmer325]

My road test is set for September 15th. I'm lovin' the stories of easiness so far. B) Anyway, I don't think I have much to worry about. At first, I had second thoughts about taking the test in the Bronx (busier streets, slightly different laws, etc), but 3 of my friends have taken theirs (and passed) at the exact same site. I can't wait to take it.