Toyota Offers Automatic Parallel Parking Option

dstone writes "For drivers who can't parallel park very well, relief is available in Japan. Toyota Motor Corp. is offering a $2,200 option package for its Prius (a gas-electric hybrid car) that includes a computer imaging system which stuffs your car into parallel parking spaces on demand. The driver must manually initiate the process and control the brakes while the car steers in reverse. Some might say if you can't master parallel parking, perhaps you shouldn't be driving. However, the article at Modbee.com points out that in Japan, streets are jammed and parallel parking spaces can be ruthlessly small. 80% of Prius customers have opted for this package. But will the car plug the meter when I run out of time?"

Comments

How about automatic pilot?

[ObviousGuy]

Free up some of that driving time for important things like cell-phoning, child-swatting, and make up-applying.

Re:How about automatic pilot?

[Polkyb]

I'm all for that... A few weeks ago, this woman (on her mobile phone) cut right accross the front of me, from the outside lane to the inside (I was in lane 2)...

It suprised me so much that I nearly dropped my razor into my corn flakes ;-)

I'm a loser

[Saint Stephen]

I can't parallel park for shit. I need a space before the empty space I'm pulling in to, and even then, I rarely get it in there nice and tight. In a pinch I can pull it off.

I kind of feel shame about it!

Hasn't Science-Fiction taught us anything?!

[EuroChild]

"Park in that parking bay, Pirus"
"I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that... and my air-conditioning unit needs replacing..."

(car runs over driver after geting out)

Sorry... had to be said...

Driving Test Story

[CGP314]

I could have used that on my driver's test. I was doing great on my driving test until I got to the parallel parking bit.

Picture this, an empty suburban street. Just one car parked on the road. All I have to do is park behind it. 10 min later, my car is about 6 feet away from the curb, at a 30 degree angle.

The woman giving me the test looked over the brim of her glasses and said, ``You want to try that again honey?''

I wanted to say no, because I was actually rather proud of how close I had gotten that time.

But, I tried again, with the same result.

``Why don't we move on.'' She said.

In the end, she passed me, but with the words, ``You're a very cautious driver, but the worst parallel parker I've seen in my entire career.''


--
In London? Need a Physics Tutor?

American Weblog in London

Alternate Method

[limekiller4]

I happen to have a Toyota. But I've applied Occam's Razor to the problem. When I need to get the thing into a tight spot, I just kinda put my shoulder into it and nudge it sideways.

Two thousand bucks my !@#$. These things weight 100, 120lbs, tops...

Can't parallel park

[mshiltonj]

Some might say if you can't master parallel parking, perhaps you shouldn't be driving.

Let's hope not. *pats driver's license*

Re:FUNNY??? How about -1 Sexist!

[Hittite Creosote]

How dare you! Men have just as much right as women to chat on cell phones, swat at their children, and apply make up!

Parisian Solution

[supersnail]

The French have a much simpler low tech answer to the problem.

Everybody leaves there parking brake off, then, the car parking nudges the already parked cars along to make a big enough space.

Anyone foolish enough to actually engage the parking brake gets dented both ends.

Gender friendly

[Shmengy]

I can see this option being very popular with the parkingly challenged (trying to be politically correct) gender. It should also make their non-gender-specified spouses happy as it will mean less dings and scratches.

Re:Parking Assist

[transient]

driving back out on the street and revising my entrance vector

Only on Slashdot is parallel parking described in terms of an "entrance vector."

Instructional video: Best way to parallel park

[ashitaka]

Here