Valet parking, LOL.

If you are worried about valet damage, take a few pictures of you vehicle before you leave. Or right before you hand them the keys -- in front of them.

Typically for insurance purposes, you should take photos of you vehicle at least once a year anyways.

So having a set of recent pictures of the vehicle is always helpful for those times when you need em.

I've needed them at a car dealer, since I almost always take pictures of the vehicle and the area they are expected to work before the get the car from me.

I've needed it once, they gouged paint and nicked a headliner when replacing a side window. So having picture made hours before they got the car in the shop was very helpful, though they really hated repainting the vehicle and paying for another side window, and headliner repair.
 
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tzhu07 said:
Why allow an amateur driver to do it when you're able to do it yourself?
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Where I live, if you visit certain restaurants you're better off using a valet. For instance, I went to the capital grill in Boston with my wife. I can spend literally 40 minutes looking for street parking, and then having to walk 20 minutes back to the restaurant, or I can give the keys to a valet and let him park it.

Seems like a no brainer to me.
 
tzhu07 said:
Why allow an amateur driver to do it when you're able to do it yourself?
Click to expand...

At one particular high end shopping mall here you can never find parking, even very far. My wife usually pay $5 for valet parking instead of sitting there idling to stalk for a spot for half hour or more.

I've done it in hotels before, I just drive up to the front door, unload my luggage and off I go. I don't have to worry about finding a parking spot in a city I don't know much about and trying to find the cheapest 24 hour rate.
 
heehee said:
I've done it in hotels before, I just drive up to the front door, unload my luggage and off I go. I don't have to worry about finding a parking spot in a city I don't know much about and trying to find the cheapest 24 hour rate.
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Many city hotels use valet and you're better off with the valet.
 
I’ve used valet parking about a dozen times. Resorts in Orlando, some hotels around Miami and Atlanta, high[er] end restaurants. I _much_ prefer to park my own car (I’m very particular), and don’t mind walking, I’m not into paying for something I can do myself (I do my own brake jobs :) ) so it’s almost always been a case of logistics - just zero parking within a reasonable distance, or weather + bags + little person, etc.

The best was a time we were at a car show in Miami, I was driving my Supra, and the hotel in South Beach was pretty much valet only if you didn’t want to park in the street. The valets were kids, so when I rolled up, their eyes got big - now keep in mind, this was just a really done up Toyota, and in South Beach, a Porsche is like a Camry. Still, custom rides, especially a Supra, push the right buttons :cool:

After a long series of Q&A, I showed them I was setting it to “valet mode”, gave them a little something, and got a front row spot next to a Lambo :D
 
Apple fanboy said:
I don't think I have ever come across valet parking once my whole life. Maybe it's just a U.S. thing?
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You will find Valet parking at Heathrow airport. I have seen it elsewhere in the UK but cannot remember location. Also if you live in New York and have a car you don't have much choice since most of the monthly parking garages require that they park your car.

One of the best I have seen was in Japan. You drive your car into a Lift leave it there and it is parked with no human intervention.
 
Around home I'll use valet at certain restaurants on certain occassion. I tend to carefully control the destination and timing so I typically don't need them. When out of town I use taxi.
 
senseless said:
If a hotel has valet parking only, I will choose another. It's just annoying.
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I find it off-putting too - when it's unnecessary.

It's bit like those hotels that used to offer turn-down service. I ask, who wants housekeeping knocking on your door around 8:00 pm, wanting to come in and turn down your bed sheets? Usually when you're lounging around in your undershirt with a beer :)

Quaint for a luxury resort vacation. Unwelcome intrusion for frequent travelers.
 
Sun Baked said:
If you are worried about valet damage, take a few pictures of you vehicle before you leave. Or right before you hand them the keys -- in front of them.

Typically for insurance purposes, you should take photos of you vehicle at least once a year anyways.

So having a set of recent pictures of the vehicle is always helpful for those times when you need em.

I've needed them at a car dealer, since I almost always take pictures of the vehicle and the area they are expected to work before the get the car from me.

I've needed it once, they gouged paint and nicked a headliner when replacing a side window. So having picture made hours before they got the car in the shop was very helpful, though they really hated repainting the vehicle and paying for another side window, and headliner repair.
Click to expand...
And how do you prove the date of the photos?

How would you prove that you didn't take the photos before you caused a dent and then handed it over to someone later?
 
senseless said:
If a hotel has valet parking only, I will choose another. It's just annoying.
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Kimpton hotels charge $40 for valet. At least the one in Washington, D.C. did when I was there. It was a bit absurd and overkill to park a car 10 ft away...
 
maflynn said:
Where I live, if you visit certain restaurants you're better off using a valet. For instance, I went to the capital grill in Boston with my wife. I can spend literally 40 minutes looking for street parking, and then having to walk 20 minutes back to the restaurant, or I can give the keys to a valet and let him park it.

Seems like a no brainer to me.
Click to expand...

My wife and I ran into the same situation in Denver. I gladly gave up the keys.
 
I prefer places with valet parking. Life's too short to spend time stalking lots for open spaces or worse, looking for street parking. As an example, when I was setting up my company's Christmas dinner, I spoke with 3 steakhouses. Ended up choosing the one with valet parking as parking in that area is atrocious.
 
I use it all the time. Especially around Christmas time at the mall when it's a madhouse trying to find a spot.
 
My first experience with valet parking happened years ago. It was a wedding reception for a relative of the Missus. They had it at some fancy restaurant which--being a simple guy--I found utterly frivolous.:rolleyes: Well, it's their money.

Anyhow, I pulled up to the front of the place to drop off my wife. I got out, opened the door for the Missus.* Out of the corner of my eye, I notice some jerk in a red jacket hopping into the driver's seat. I turned, jumped over the hood 70's Starsky and Hutch like (@ the 17sec mark), hauled the jerk out of my car. I held him up by the lapels and growled, "You've got some nerves, bub, trying to steal a guy's car right in front of him.":mad: Immediately, the Missus was by my side, her face as red as they guy's jacket. I figured she was as PO'd at the guy as I was.

As I was about to reel back to land a haymaker, she whispered harshly in my ear. "What are you doing? Let go the valet." Valet?!:eek: I had to tip extra.

*Joke in old country: A man only opens the car door for his wife if: 1) it's a new car or 2) it's a new wife. In this case, 6 months new wife. She still had her new wife smell.:D
 
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