Reader Donald Rowe noticed that motorists attempting to parallel park often wait until all the traffic behind them has passed before backing into a curbside space.
The Minneapolis resident said he has had a number of occasions of drivers "raging" at him because he doesn't do that.
That inspires the question-and-answer format for this week's Drive column. Rowe's question:
Q: When parallel parking, doesn't the vehicle trying to park have the right of way? Don't motorists behind the parking vehicle have to wait until the lane is clear or until they can safely go around the parking car if an adjacent lane exists?
A: Drivers education instructor John Kieffer says he could not state a statute directly covering this, but generally a vehicle in a lane has right of way. Passing may only be done where and when it is safe and legal. On a two-lane road, motorists should wait for the parking vehicle to clear the driving lane before proceeding.
"This should only take a few moments, and is much safer than driving on the wrong side of the road," he said.
Instructor Chad Mead concurred, but added that motorists attempting to parallel park should let other drivers know their intention by turning on their signal. "This lets the person behind know that they are doing something, in this case parking."
Of course, sometimes it's hard to see a parking spot until one comes upon it, but it's best if drivers signal at least 100 feet in advance of their intended parking spot. Motorists following the parking car should slow down and then determine whether to stop or pass safely on the left.