Reply With QuoteI wouldn't worry too much - just make a remark to a parking boy whilst handing over the keys - "don't scratch that baby" ;-)
I'd like some advice please, on valet parking at a restaurant/hotel I'm going to soon.
Never experienced this before so I don't really know what to do and just for once I'd like not to make a prat of myself.
Also how much of an issue is turning up in a car that's worth less than the meal? (And looks it...)
I wouldn't worry too much - just make a remark to a parking boy whilst handing over the keys - "don't scratch that baby" ;-)
Not much paint left to scratch!
We once bought some car bits off a bloke who owns a fair chunk of Scotland. He arrived with his car bumper held on with and trousers held up with, baler twine. He was also wearing kids plastic sunglasses.
if you're that worried, just park it yourself & don't use the valet service!
Can't believe its mandatory but, if it is, so what - bung the guy a fiver & he will love you long time & certainly more than the tight-ass in the Ferrari who gave him nothing....!!
Only done it once but it was a breeze and actually a rather good experience. Something nice about having someone else take care of parking the car and, as previous post said, tips go down well.
Originally Posted by Jeremy67
Prince Charles?
Not worried about what they think of me etc, that kind of thing doesn't bother me at all. Just as well really..
I just want to be vaguely prepared. Tips I gather are the done thing, as mentioned, to whom? The parker or the returner? And the nasty question of how much?
Take a shot of your car before they park it, quick slight of hand to one already saved and on the iPhone it'll look in showroom condition.
Tip avoided.
I would not be tipping anyone before the service is complete, so tip on return, something paper.
"Bite my shiny metal ass."
- Bender Bending Rodríguez
I hate the concept of Valet parking personally.
In the US (well LA, anyway) lots of places ONLY offer Valet parking.
If it was my car, I'd park somewhere nearby and walk!
But I guess I'm not cut out for the LA lifestyle... :Biggrin:
M.
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
I'm not keen on valet parking. It would mean giving some kid the keys to my E63 AMG.
Terry Wogan?
Prince Charles - That's Cornwall isn't it, not Scotland?
Worst: I drive a fast Hackney Carriage post ever.;)
OP - don't stress it.
As has been said, if it is a nice venue, they will have driven anything from a Veyron to a Micra. Unlike in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, they won't be interested in treating your car like a farm animal and riding it hard all over hells half acre. I'm yet to come across any "kid" who wants to joy ride in your car. Like the rest of us, they are just doing a job and don't want to loose it by being careless with your possession.
A monetary tip on collection of the vehicle is a positive gesture and appreciated.
Neither HRH or Wogan.
Actually, that reminded me when I valet parked my old 360 CS at the Grand Hotel in Brighton in the good old days - got up to our room after being checked in & heard the bleedin' thing being thrashed down the front...........it was a very loud car......!!! I had a word........
Once did a summer job as a valet parker, guy turned up in a Ferrari Dino and I couldn't for the life in me get the thing off the line, had to ask him to come back and shift it...
Close enough! Pretty places, people speak funny..
Thanks all for the advice
Please do let us know how you get on - as someone who's also not used valet parking (I simply struggle to pass anyone keys to my car) I'd be interested in knowing how it pans out! Enjoy the restaurant/hotel :-)
Turn up with about two teaspoonfuls of fuel in the tank. They'll have to put a couple of gallons in to get it back from the parking lot.
What is the situation regarding car insurance?
It's one of things I actually really like about LA/USA.
No hassle having to look for somewhere to park etc.
I always tip on collection - quite often the same guy that parked the vehicle will collect it.
Obviously, when in LA, i'm using a hire car, not my own pride and joy!
No way!
Only one person parks my car....that's me.
Highly unlikely I`ll ever venture to places where this 'service' is offered.......but even then I wouldn`t like it. Just seems wrong to me.
Paul
To derail my own thread, I used to work in a car dealership. I was out in the yard one Saturday, moving cars around basically, not my job (i wasn't even that high up) but helping out. Someone turned up for an mot in a lotus elise, fully track prepped, full cage and buckets etc. Now I am not a big guy. 175ish cm tall, and just over ten stone. But could I get in this car? That a 6 foot plus 'powerfully built' owner just jumped out of? Could I bollocks. Had to ask him to drive his own car onto the ramp. I was both embarrassed and dissapointed by this failure.
Back to the topic, my car is now slightly better than before. Just had some electrical gremlins taken out so I will no longer need to hand the valey a 13mm spanner to disconnect the battery to prevent overnight drain..
Ok so that was painless! I just stopped outside the venue, it's on a quite road anyway and was met by the most smartly dressed gentleman I have ever seen, he checked my booking, took my keys and had a couple of subordinates take the wife's handbags.
Collecting the car next day, bizarrely they had no staff authorised to drive customers cars so I had to walk all the way around the corner to get it myself. Took best part of two minutes so nothing to complain about, saved me few quid tip money too!
Sounds like Salford, but better dressed.
"Bite my shiny metal ass."
- Bender Bending Rodríguez
I have an Octavia - it's 320bhp, but it's still an Octavia. I left mine with an airport parking monkey and then watched the dash cam footage after I got the car back. Let's just say there was a successful compensation claim.
Tell us more - what did he do?
No way I'd ever want to hand my keys over to a valet. i'd almost sooner he slept with my wife-to-be
It was 4-5 miles to their offsite car park, all along 40mph roads. He cracked 95mph, bounced it off the limiter from cold, two speed bumps (on Bilstein coilovers) at 40+ and a launch across a car park, nearly taking out a pedestrian.
That's something I've always been worried about, and your post has just confirmed my suspicions. great job on the compensation claim!
My lottery win family wagon!
We had valet parking at the hotel in the lakes we stopped in. Felt strange handing the keys over. Tipped the guy at the end of the week.
Last edited by Chris W; 11th April 2014 at 07:23.
I sent in the DVD so they knew they were bang to rights and the claim was to have the suspension removed, strippped, inspected and refurbed then put back together again. Fair play to the parking company though, they dealt with it pretty quickly and as I'd hoped.
Parked my car literally thousands of times at the airport (myself) on business trips and let some monkey park it twice in the pound while we went on holiday. Both of those times there was something wrong with the car afterwards.
We had a spa day at an exclusive hotel a few years back and valet parking was offered. I declined and parked it myself and walked the 100 or so yards back to the entrance.
I'll let the dealership park it when its in for work but that's about as far as somebody else driving my car goes these days.
The swine! Excellent that you got him collared so neatly.
Many years ago I had a 5 series M Beamer. Dropped it in for 4 new tyres at a well-known tyre fitting outlet on the edge of the industrial park where I also had an office. Walked on up to our site. An hour later I happened to be looking out of my office window when my car screamed up the road at full throttle, did a handbrake turn in the junction opposite, then tore off in a cloud of smoke back down the road.
I saw the whole thing with a mug of coffee halfway up to my slack jaw.
Needless to say I was back down to the Tyre fitters shortish. Upshot, four more (different) new tyres - I took the serial numbers - and a hefty discount. Turns out they let a young man, who was a trainee, road test the original newly fitted tyres.
A lesson learned.
I don't like anyone driving my car (regardless of what it is). I even drive it onto the ramps for the MOT test given half a chance.
I do like the dash cam approach mind you.
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