Inside my head: parallel parking

I think I've mentioned this before, but growing up in the South did absolutely nothing to prepare me for parking in Boston. Like most other big cities, the majority of parking here is of the parallel variety: a skill that I was sorely lacking upon arrival. For the better part of the year (plus) that we've had our car in Boston, I've dreaded any time I needed to drive because there's just no knowing what kind of parking situation will await me at the end of my journey (and by "parking situation," I don't mean whether or not it will be parallel- it will- I just mean how tight the spaces will be/if they'll be covered over in ice/if the other parked cars will have parked well or lousily/if there will be any spaces at all). Then, there's the issue of holding up traffic while backing into the space. This isn't because I'm so bad that I hold up traffic- it's because so many of the roads are really tight/cramped/one-way that there's no way around holding up traffic. And, Bostonians are not known for their patience, y'all.

Parking is also complicated by things like only being able to park on certain sides of the street, due to street cleanings or "resident parking only" These are assigned based on which neighborhood you live in. There's not a "Boston" residents only, so ours is "Brighton/Allston." If we go into another part of town, like the North End or Fenway or Jamaica Plain, we can't park on the "residents only" sides of the street (even though we all live in Boston, "residency" is based on your neighborhood). 

Then, of course, there are tow zones, fire hydrants, driveways, commercial-only from 8:00-12:00, and fire lanes that you can't park in. It's a lousy feeling to think you've FINALLY spotted a parking spot...only to realize that it's another fire hydrant. Drat you, fire safety. (Just kidding...we're big fans of fire safety.)

Some parking signs on our street.

On the right side of the street, street cleaning is on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month...

...and on the left side of the street, it's resident parking only and street cleaning on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month.

Also, generally speaking, in Boston city limits, parking spots are not marked with lines. This means that you don't have markers for where your spot begins/ends and where the next does. It's very annoying. I had a moment a few weeks ago wherein I realized how different our parallel parking situation is from the kinds that you see down south. A gal that we know lives in Alabama and posted a shot on instagram of her parallel parking job in a downtown area where she works. Brad and I had a good long chuckle because the parking job involved clearly marked parking lines and a good two feet on either end of her car. Disclaimer: I'm not mocking her abilities, by any means. I just realized how different things are here. We're usually parking with no lines and have inches to spare on either end of the car.

I thought I'd give you a little peek into my head...the manic thoughts I have whilst parking in Boston.

Ok, Erin. Eyes open...find a spot. Wait...is this resident parking only? The right side of the street is but not the left. Must find a spot on the left...is that one? Nope. Hydrant. Ok. End of the one-way street. Gotta drive around the block and start back up this one again...drive drive drive...alright, left side of the street...there's empty space. Will my car fit in that spot? I think so...maybe...it's probably the size of a sedan, but Brad Boswell would attempt it...I'll give it a try...pull up next to car in front...cut wheel...back, back, back...shoot...I overshot it...and there's a car behind me...AGH! <pulse speeds up because of holding up traffic> pull out...correct...<nervous about car behind me and can't seem to make it happen because of said nervousness> should I have just kept on going to a different street to try to find a bigger spot? Probably...but now I MUST MAKE THIS WORK...and that was the curb I just hit...at least the other car could scooch by...inch forward...get off curb...inch back...hit curb again...inch up...inch back...don't bump bumpers...whew. In. Finally. I have two hours to park here. Check watch and set alarm.

<unloads baby and gear and walks towards destination>

<spots wide open parking spot closer to destination and bigger than the one I squeezed into>

<feels part of my soul die a little bit...>

End scene. (until the next time I move the car)