People have all kinds of quirks when it comes to driving, and many of them are just based on the way we learned.

In most situations, no one is wrong or right, and as long as everyone is being safe, it’s a non-issue.

This couple has a disagreement over the parking brake that came to a head when their daughter was learning to drive.

I know you’re dying for the details!

Parking Brake

One of the reasons my marriage works is that my husband and I have very similar opinions most of the time. One of the notable exceptions to this is the parking brake.

She likes the parking brake.

When I learned to drive I was taught to use the parking brake every time I parked.

Once I got my license I learned that not everyone actually does that. I made a conscious decision to continue to use the parking brake for every park.

It’s better to use it when it’s not needed than to forget it when it is needed.

Also, building the habit of taking the brake on and off means I’m less likely to end up driving around with the parking brake on and eventually needing an expensive repair.

Her husband prefers his own method for parking on a hill.

My husband only uses the parking brake when he parks on a very steep hill.

Parked on any hill, he turns the steering wheel so that if the car rolls it will roll into the curb.

He actually does what a lot of people do (including my driving instructor): he turns the wheel, then lets the car roll until its touching the curb.

He claims this is extra safe. I don’t think it’s any safer than just turning the wheel.

Tires are expensive and it’s unnecessary wear and tear on them to leave them smashed up against a curb.

They’ve agreed to disagree, but now their stepdaughter is learning.

We’ve come to an agree-to-disagree about the parking brake.

He so times grumbles a little when he drives a car that I drove earlier and has to remember to take the brake off, but it’s not really any kind of big deal.

Well, my stepdaughter learned to drive. Her dad has been the main driving instructor, but (with his blessing because I’m not her actual parent) I’ve done some driving instruction too.

The first time the emergency brake came up we explained that her dad and I had different habits about how we use the parking brake.

We told her that for simplicity while she was learning she should do it dad’s way, but when she’s out driving on her own she’ll eventually develop her own habits.

This was about a year ago.

They had a disagreement after she asked whether or not to use the brake.

Today my stepdaughter drove and it was the first time she parked on a hill by a curb. It was a slight hill but definitely a hill.

She parked by the curb and asked if she should use the parking brake.

At the same time I said yes and her dad said no.

He instructed her to turn the wheel and let the car roll into the curb and that was good enough. I let him finish this instruction.

When we got out, though, I said that I prefer to use the emergency brake and not press the tires against the curb.

I didn’t say his way was wrong, I just shared that do the same parking job a different way than her dad does it.

This is a normal thing we’ve done throughout her learning to drive.

Well, I don’t know. My husband must have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed, because he got a little salty, and said, “Maybe you should read the driver’s manual and see what it says about parking.”

She decided maybe she should look it up.

I was a little annoyed but I was going to let it drop. However, once we got where we were headed and I had a minute, I thought I should do just that.

We currently live in a different state than the one I learned to drive in, and I’ve never read the driver manual for this state.

I have no idea what the laws or suggestions about parking brakes are!

So I pulled up the state manual on my phone and looked at the section on parking.

Boom. Right at the top, “You should use your parking brake every time you park.” In the section on hill parking, it says to turn the wheel, but doesn’t say to roll your car until the tire is up against the curb.

She and her stepdaughter were more amused than her husband.

I showed this to my stepdaughter and she found it hysterical, especially since her dad DID learn to drive in this state, from his dad who wasa retired cop (although he also rarely uses his parking brake).

My husband just rolled his eyes at me.

I went on to tell my stepdaughter that the most important thing is to secure her car in some way when she parks on a hill.

Her dad and I are both good drivers, and as she gets more experience she’ll figure out the things that make the most sense to her.

I imagine nothing changed as far as opinions but now they know who is right.

Let’s find out how Reddit reacted to this story!

This person has another pertinent question.

And this commenter is on the wife’s side.

Apparently it’s a thing.

His way would work in an emergency, too.

Stepparents can be considered parents.

It is just an easy thing to do.

Knowledge is power.

Everyone who ever wanted to win a marital argument knows that.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a daughter who invited herself to her parents’ 40th anniversary vacation for all the wrong reasons.