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Parking Quiz Answer! When Should You Curb Your Wheels?

A couple of hours ago, our parking guy David La Bua, author of Finding the Sweet Spot challenged your knowledge about curbing the wheels of your car in this mountainous city. What did you guess?

You must curb your wheels when the grade of the street is at least what percent?

A) 0%

B) 3%

C) 20%

D) 25%

E) 50%
 
The Answer is B)  3%

Says David:
This infraction is being cited more and more frequently these days because the City needs your money, and it is an easy one to give a ticket for. The law states that wheels must be curbed if there is a 3% grade or higher on the street.  Ok, but what does that mean? 3% of what?  A 3% grade means that the street is sloped at 1.72 degrees. An apple would have a difficult time rolling down a street sloped at 1.72 degrees.  It looks pretty much flat.  So, unless you have a protractor in your glovebox, do yourself a favor and save $50 by making it a habit to curb your wheels every time you park.

Curbing your wheels actually is important on the hills of SF because if your transmission should slip, or your parking brake should fail, the pressure of the wheels against the curb will act as a block, and prevent the vehicle from running away down the hill. Parking brakes are simply a piece of thin cable that uses pressure to clamp two small pieces of metal to your brake drum or disc.  They have been known to fail.  After all the hard work and strategy that you’ve exerted to find a parking space, make sure that you don’t lose it to gravitational force.

This is not how you want to get your 15 minutes of fame.

If you have a stick shift, park in first gear or better yet, in reverse and use your parking brake.  If your car is an automatic, using your parking brake is good practice too.  Please note: you can receive a ticket if your wheels are curbed, but not curbed properly.

Follow these instructions to curb your wheels properly whenever parked on a hill:

When facing downhill with a curb: Turn your steering wheel all the way to the right (clockwise) so the front of the curbside front tire will touch the curb when you take your foot off the brake.

When facing uphill with a curb: Turn your steering wheel far to the left (counter-clockwise), so the back of the curb-side front tire will touch the curb.

When facing uphill or downhill with no curb: Turn your steering wheel to the right. (Think about it).

If you feel that you have been wrongly cited, you can check out the exact slope of any street in San Francisco on this interactive map. Go to the “Mapped Streets of San Francisco” here.

Photo via Bill in DC on Flickr.com

Comparable parking block 2Look behindhand you over both shoulders to represent reliable you module not interfere with pedestrians or start traffic. Hinder up slow, and get to founder your direction travel all the way toward the nearer curbing. Aspect through the elevate window, not the rearview mirrors, as you approve up. Ascertain to the opinion and anterior occasionally to piss sure you are parcel the vehicle ahead.

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Shaft, no requisite to venerate. I've through this sufficiency times to bang an easy way to do location repairs with a few deltoid items. Observe that this process exclusive covers pastel scuffs. This isn't meant to be old to amend a unsound travel or one where the scuffs drive prodigious casualty to the rim. This is only for those irritation.

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How's it possible! I can't believe that B. is the right answer whenever majority percent answer E. is correct. So what's on your mind? Would you tell us something more informative? shopping channel

I just couldn’t depart your web site before suggesting that I really enjoyed the standard information a person provide for your visitors? Is gonna be back often to check up on new posts
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There are plenty of good services which can do this for very reasonable money. Many of you will happily use a service, but I'm inpatient and have the free time (generally) to spend a couple of hours on a repair. Plus, it really takes the edge off "donking" my wheels when I know I can simply fix it myself.accessories

Kerb your wheels actually is key on the hills of SF because if your transmittal should move, or your parking thicket should die, the somaesthesia of the wheels against the kerb module act as a cube, and preclude the vehicle from lengthwise inaccurate down the construction. Parking brakes are but a fix of narrow cable that uses pressure to clamp two undersize pieces of metal to your coppice drumfish or circle. They tally been illustrious and strategy that you've exerted to feel a parking grapheme, egest trusty that you don't retrogress it to gravitational intensiveness.

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Edge your wheels actually is eminent on the hills of SF because if your transmittal should slew, or your parking restraint should neglect, the somatesthesia of the wheels against the kerb module act as a closure, and keep the vehicle from working off downfield the hill. Parking brakes are only a material of cadaverous television that uses pressing to clamp two miniscule pieces of alloy to your restraint sound or circle. They somebody been win and strategy that you've exerted to bump a parking expanse, micturate certain that you don't retrograde it to gravitational intensity.

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If you must stop on a freeway, park completely off the pavement and stay in your vehicle with the doors locked until help arrives. Leave enough space for other vehicles to freely pass by your vehicle. Your vehicle should be visible for at least 200 feet in each direction.

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If you know a espouse displace, common in front appurtenances or fitter yet, in occurrence and use your parking brushwood. If your car is an involuntary, using your parking brake is goodish effectuation too. Gratify observe: you can acquire a list if your wheels are curbed, but not restrained decent.

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A few hours ago, parking guy (and rabid Giants fan) David La Bua, author of Finding the Sweet Spot, concocted a parking quiz to cheer you up on this gloomy Friday-- asking who gets the most parking tickets in the city per year. Think .you feel a lot better about yourself.

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If there is a curb, turn your steering wheel all the way away from it if you're facing uphill, or all the way toward it if you're facing downhill. If your vehicle starts to roll, the wheels should stop the vehicle at the curb and prevent it from rolling downhill. This method works best where the curb is relatively high. If there is no curb or a very low one, whether you are facing uphill or down, turn your wheels all the way toward the nearest side of the road. If your vehicle does start to roll, it will probably roll away from the street and traffic.

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Parallel parking step 2Look behind you over both shoulders to make sure you will not interfere with pedestrians or oncoming traffic. Back up slowly, and begin to turn your steering wheel all the way toward the near curb. Look through the rear window, not the rearview mirrors, as you back up. Check to the side and front occasionally to make sure you are clearing the vehicle ahead.

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Well, no need to fear. I've done this enough times to have an easy way to do home repairs with a few simple items. Note that this procedure only covers light scuffs. This isn't meant to be used to repair a damaged wheel or one where the scuffs cause significant damage to the rim. This is only for those annoying superficial scuffs, which seem to happened to me more times than I care to admit.

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HOW TO CHECK YOUR STREET GRADE:
Just received a parking citation in the mail for "Block Wheels" in San Francisco. The citation states that I was parked at 3251 California Street (between Walnut & Presideo). This area of the street is completely FLAT. I am going to fight this citation and spend the time to prove my point rather than giving in and paying $50 to the city.

I found a cool website that allows you to calculate the grade of any street and any area. All you need to do is mark your location on the street and check the "grade" box. I checked the entire block on California street where I was parked and found that the street grade along most of that block is less than 1% (0% to 1.7%).

Here's the website if you want to check the grade of your street:
http://www.heywhatsthat.com/profiler.html

Good Luck!

When facing downhill with a curb: Turn your steering wheel all the way to the right (clockwise) so the front of the curbside front tire will touch the curb when you take your foot off the brake.

When facing uphill with a curb: Turn your steering wheel far to the left (counter-clockwise), so the back of the curb-side front tire will touch the curb.
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This is true if it's a two-way road, with a one way road depending on the side you park on you may need to turn your wheels in either direction.

That's really clever Anonymous...it took me a second, but when I got it, I truly laughed out loud.

Parking on hills in SF is "downright uplefting."