Parking your car, Spot On!

Although parking in the garage may seem like a simple task, for many people it is a frustrating one. Knowing where to stop is the frustrating aspect for many. Either you pull to far forward and the bumper of your car knocks over your daughter’s bicycle, or you don’t pull forward far enough and when you try to close the garage it goes down a few feet, then back up and lights start flashing like mad.

The remedy for this common parking problem is as simple as the problem itself. All you’ll need to cure this problem is a length of rope that is at a minimum 5 feet in length, a tennis ball, a drill, and the car that normally will occupy the space.

You will have to park the car in the garage in the ideal location, as you know this may require a little trial and error. Next you’ll get to work constructing the ‘parking buddy’.

Drill a hole through the centre of the tennis ball (follow all safety precautions and use proper tools). Feed one end of the line through the ball and tie a stopper knot, a figure 8 knot will do well here. Then take the other end of the line up to either a safe spot on the garage door opening apparatus or an eye bolt that you’ve secured in the ceiling (eyebolt goes in only after measuring). Tie off the line in a position that will allow the tennis ball to just touch the centre of the windshield. With that you have created a simple garage parking gauge.

Now each time you pool into the garage, you’ll know to stop when the tennis ball just touches the centre point of the windshield. The guesswork is now gone and you’ll have perfect parking every time.