Car Chronicles: Part 3: Parking and First PMS

It has been 2 months and a few weeks of owning CC. As of writing I've been on so many weekends of training and practicing with Reagan. This also marks the 2nd day of me driving CC around on my own to and from my place to EDSA Shang and Megamall respectively and I feel like even though I still have the jitters on the road, I think I'm getting the hang of it. Mostly. But I'm getting way ahead! Let's rewind for a bit.

+ My obsession with 45 Degree Reverse Parking + 

One of the things that made me obsessed those weeks of training was not with driving but with parking. In my head it's obviously a big problem because unlike when I used to live at our house in Cavite, which has an ample space to just park to (it's just in front of the house) it's imperative that I know how to properly park with only a 45 degree reverse parking because of the limited area I have in our condo building. In accepting CC, I actually got a parking in haste, I found the cheapest one who could offer it (I only asked 2 for long term parkings and the girl who I give donations to was luckily available) and who could give it to me in a short time. I thought it didn't matter anyway, the location I mean, since a parking is just a parking. But based on my experience, it really does, especially if you're a newbie like me. I begin to appreciate locations and parking space quirks where I find some areas that looks so advantageous for different parking types. There's this envious spot I tend to ogle on where it's space looks like it's own and you can actually approach it in different ways unlike the one I got. 

Based on the numerous videos I watched and samplings, here's why these won't work:

Forward Parking is not possible often because it requires a large space to work with. While CC is a subcompact hatchback, this is an impossible feat because the space between mine and the ones in front aren't far enough to maneuver onto. It doesn't look safe for the two cars in front. 

90 Degree Reverse Parking would have been a good option as well. There's this one stolen moment where in our parking practice I hurriedly panicked to move onto my target space because a roving guard is about to pass us. I inadvertently done a 90 degree reverse and was able to reverse perfectly on one spot. This was after numerous tries of not getting it so I was exhilarated to have finally done it after weeks of not being able to but after both Reagan and I tried it I came to the conclusion that it's impossible to do it on my space. See, a 90 degree reverse involves a long marker and is usually based on the turning radius of the car. In my experience that's 2 and a half of cars which just my luck can't be possible on this one because my "and a half" involves a head on collision with a wall. Obviously that is not an option. I think I could do it coming from the left BUT in my area I can only do a right because it's on a bay that can only fit one direction WHICH is going to the right. I could possibly be a nuisance to others who are just trying to get out if I attempt to drive on the opposite of the correct direction. 

Which brings us the 45 degree parking.

I think I can see Reagan's frustrations on how I obsess on how to do it because I was able to do it perfectly on my very first try but didn't for so long after. This has resulted to us being called out with our parking practice area which we found to be a nice one to go to because it's a large unutilized space on weekends but then at one time a guard called us out in practicing due to the odd reversing I was doing because Reagan had an idea of me reversing on my own towards him (he was outside) and for anyone watching it looks dangerous as I'm reversing wildly in different directions not knowing where to go. For newbies I fell on the trap of not knowing how reverse works because my mind is simply not cooperating and we've stumbled on issues that no other videos discuss. 

If you're reading this and is as frustrated as I was, I learned a lot on why it is after our numerous tries. We did come back to the parking spot but we had to lie low for a while so that we won't be flagged again. We actually had to do a hide and seek with the guards in hopes we won't be noticed and was not able to practice as much as we could because we had to stop every once in a while and nonchalantly just hang out like what some other patrons do. Fortunately we weren't anymore but it was at the tail end of when I was able to get it. 

Anyways, one of our epiphanies involved finding out one of my problems is actually not because of the car but because of my height. Yes you read it right, it's my height. To give you how far Reagan and I's height difference is he's 5'7" and I'm a flat 5. This IS a problem because surprise, I can't see the parking lines to know if I'm getting in on a parking spot. This is why I could not figure out when to reverse. 

In reverse parking, there are 2 markers, 1, it's to know when to do a full turn (depending on which side you're going in, either left or right) and the next, when to reverse. Admittedly #1 was an issue for a long time but to be honest, the 2nd marker is far more important because you can always just correct it as you go in. Knowing how to reverse had to be addressed as well. 

So anyway, Reagan loved teasing me about my height so  this epiphany resulted to a hearty laugh when  we realized we actually do not see the same things on the road. We took that fact for granted for a while, we didn't know it was an issue and again, parking technique videos do not address. This was the reason I cannot properly follow his instructions because my vision is different from his. This is quite important because it means we could not use the same markers: we have different chair positions and we sit on different heights resulting to mirrors are not the same as well which is much more important tool than my reverse camera. I notice in my recent successes I just look at both my mirrors to know if I actually make it to my spot, which has greatly improved dare I say. I always get in perfectly at my parking spot now (which I hope to replicate in all parking from here and in the future). 

This was also coupled with our recent training in a spot we discovered some weeks back. We are in dire need of a proper area to learn reversing which is hard to do where we are not going to be disturbed. Learning to drive in the city is something I highly discourage because there are so many factors involved and one of which is places to practice with no fear of being disrupted or worse, ticketed. We haven't gotten back to PICC where we first practiced CC because of fear that maybe one of those days someone will notice us practicing. We've read of stories how people are fined even though upon  our 2-3 days we've attempted we've only seen one car who was reprimanded by a roving guard. We left hurriedly in case he sees un next. Obviously the parking I said earlier isn't possible because we might get caught again with what Reagan is making me practice.

But we had a wonderful discovery! In one of our training weekends we inadvertently found a large dead end with barely any car activity to practice left and right reversing. It was so perfect in fact that we have found numerous driving schools who practice parking and 3 point turns in that same spot. At one time there are 4 of us practicing in different areas of the said dead end which is quite funny because the guards of the surrounding buildings just shrug us off. It's technically within their vicinity but since as I've said road activity is close to nil, they just let us practice. I don't know if it's something those driving schools picked up while watching us but Reagan was teaching me something unconventional. He made me practice going to a certain spot just by reversing alone. When I was taught in driving school before I remembered it not as detailed like it. Reagan was trying to make me understand how stirring in reverse works which is essential with what I said earlier, course correcting when you found out you're not going to make it to the parking spot. Coupled with knowing where I'm actually is with the left and right mirrors and not staring at the steering wheel on guessing where my tires are going, so far in doing it has proven very much effective. 

 

+ First Preventive Maintenance Service +

I was told that the first PMS is the most important of all PMS because of the change oil. Since my casa is on another city that requires an EDSA drive, Reagan drove it there for me. I was actually pissed because as I've read it's supposed to be on the 1000 KM mark but for some reason the girl who's contacting me via text is eager to have CC checked the soonest. Even the service guy was shocked I'm having mine checked with barely a 300 odometer reading. I thought we weren't doing it and he's going to send me on my way but he just went on with it. I mean, it has barely been used. Possibly on a non COVID time we would have taken it to some place further. Besides, I have yet to gain the courage of driving CC on my own which means the reading would understandably be that low because Reagan and I only practice on a few weekends. We're actually lucky if we were able to practice on both Saturdays and Sundays. To prevent the car from draining battery I turn on the engine once or twice on weekdays and I barely move it, I just go forward and backward if 'm lucky. I can't possibly go in circles just in the parking area because I might get reprimanded by the guards. There is, after all a lot of other cars here. Maybe if I was back in Cavite I would have drove around our subdivision's roads on early mornings, late evenings but alas I live near the most car infested place in Metro Manila, EDSA. It's even worse in my case because I literally have to merge with EDSA just to get out out of our condo building.    

I was relieved to have found out that I was given just a regular oil. I am still unconvinced on why fully synthetic oils are recommended by almost everyone on the group I joined with my car make. Upon reading on why I shouldn't use FS, I am convinced I don't have to so getting just regular is fine by me. 

I did, however made the mistake of getting unnecessary stuff recommended to me like nitro gas on the tires and gloss which resulted to a higher bill. I'm not sure if it's something I would get in the future but I have yet to be convinced to get these later on once they wear out. I was told both the nitro and gloss would have an effect for just a few months before I redo it again but who knows, did they really did what they said to me? Haha! There's basically no way of knowing because as unnerving as it is, you actually leave the car and your keys (!!) with them for a while. Disturbingly a claim I read on one thread saying that your original parts are being replaced by cheap knockoffs or you're not getting what you pay for while you're not looking is rampant in casas but who knows. You just have to trust they are not unscrupulous.

We got an appointment for 2 PM and had to wait for 2 hours while CC is being serviced. Luckily there's an open air kitchenette on the Petron side in front of Toyota Manila Bay which I preferred better because I would really like to limit my indoor stays with strangers. I mean how many people do their couches serve? One can never be too careful these days. As of writing I was even told that they've found someone who got positive and they had to shut off their office for a day of disinfecting. I'm semi-glad it wasn't when we were there when it happened.

So far other than my weird record (my name was incorrect in their database for some reason) and how I felt a bit compelled in getting some stuff and the annoyingly way of conversing with their scheduler (seriously, they should keep messages, I hate repeating myself over and over, JUST KEEP OUR MESSAGE HISTORY!), the PMS is fine and obviously I would have to come back at some point. I said to Reagan I hope by then (5K KM) I'm the one who is going to drive it there and hopefully I would get the grasp of forward parking (mode of choice when you get there) because oddly and funnily enough I still don't. There is still a lot to learn obviously, I just need to gain enough street cred to be able to make my way through the roads of the city. I'm anticipating the day I would be able to finally get myself back to Cavite with CC which is actually my ultimate goal. I know CC would be helpful for me in hauling my groceries that are not within my building and getting myself around especially once office resumes but I think it would surely aid my family in being more mobile. When our father passed away we have no one to drive us around so I'm optimistic to be the one to take even a quarter of his place. I always find his skill in driving exceptional, his license is Pro after all, but maybe if I can take my family to some places reasonable, why not right?