Why am I the only one who can't.

The answer is to reverse-park. I am proud to say and endorsed by my friends, that I am a good ‘Parker’

Thanks crazyH. I usually reverse into parking spots and drive ways with no problem. Its only when I'm walking away I see I haven't straightened my front wheels. There is some move I'm missing.

I must admit, it does take me a few manoeuvres to get the wheels straight ….

Dollygloss I can assure you are not the only one with parking problems. I am the same. I think I am within the lines then get out of the car and always parked at an angle. Don’t forget Dollygloss a lot of newer cars have self parking. Just press a button and hey presto the car parks itself. You are not on your own !

Why bother. Providing you are within the lines of your parking bay, that is all that matters, or if parallel parking that the car is not skewed into the traffic.

For me perfect parking is something I am really not bothered about.

Does it matter?

I've recently realise I'm doing this too. I have no problem reverse parking correctly but i walk away and have wonky front wheels. Ive been driving 45 yrs 20 of those professionally so I'm wondering if its something to do with spatial awareness?

No point in reversing into a space in a supermarket car park. You have to take the trolley to the boot to unload into it.
Who cares if the wheels are straight btw?

I’m never parked straight, almost but not quite. As long as I’m well within the lines I’m happy.
A friend was fined for parking with a wheel on the white line in Dunelms car park in Cardiff.

In theory we could be fined too as streets are narrow in my local town but I'm not worried about that. Just intrigued. It occurred to me that many of these perfectly aligned front wheels could have park assist which could complete the final manoeuvre of straightening the wheels. I would like to think so and its not all down to superior skills.
Thanks to those who chipped in.

If the logo on the steering wheel is the right way up, you'll need to turn it a full circle to straighten your front wheels.
Which way to turn is the next question!

I am pleased that I am not alone. This is a recent thing for me and I get cross with myself. It usually happens at Asda where the white lines are not parallel to the perimeter fence so are slightly angled. I am fine if I can approach from further back.
I remember my reversing into a tight roadside space once got a round of applause from some builders. Very sexist but I was chuffed!

Unless I park between two cars I’m never straight …

I don't really understand the issue.
As long as you are parked within a marked bay or parallel to the kerb what does it matter.
I've never considered this.
For neat parking esp reversing into a bay angle the side mirror downwards.

Obviously do not park hard against the kerb to avoid damage to the tyres.
I have never noticed which way up my steering wheel is.
Nor cared.

I was at a garage recently and it was casually mentioned my front wheels weren't straightened though I was parked perfectly otherwise.I was there because of a noise near my left wheel so that's probably why. It made me aware of how others park. When I looked around every car there had front facing wheels.
Well done shysal. I would find it hard to park in front of an audience.
welbeck I have used that tip. It works!

Rather than turning into a space, I always drive past it then reverse into position so I am lined up with the space. Then when I drive forward into the space my wheels are straight.
This doesn't help with reversing in, where my solution is to do another forward & back to straighten up.

When I changed from a neat little Ford Fiesta to a much bulkier Ford Puma, I couldn't park it straight for love nor money! I've had it for six months now and I'm a lot better at it.
There are so many things that irritate me about the new model (not limited to Fords, all new makes are the same), too many to list. The only thing I really like is that when I unlock it and the lights come on there's a lit up puma on the ground by the front doors.

I used to be a great parker (even though I say it myself!). I got out practice during covid and am now often ashamed of my parking. I hate it when people, usually men, stand and watch me reversing.

When you notice something you can't not notice it! It has probably always been the same but you just never took any notice - maybe you have more time now to notice small, and I have to say irrelevant, things?

Am I the only one who gets fed up waiting for a person taking their time reverse parking whilst we have to watch them patiently. 🤔

Could you need a wheel alighnment maybe?

No frogs, you arent, my son does it all the time, i call it his okey kokey parking😁

Frogs

Am I the only one who gets fed up waiting for a person taking their time reverse parking whilst we have to watch them patiently. 🤔

I always reverse park, one easy manoeuvre straight in.