Valet Parking.

[Ahmed]

In numerous forums and discussions, I have heard horrid storied about valet parkings and the experience people have with their car being parked by some stranger, and I have always said, maybe this happens in their country and I never really gave a damn.

Couple of days ago I was at this shopping mall in Dubai. MJaaFY and emarati will know what mall im talking about "Wafi City". Anyways, friend had his car valeted and we were waiting in the que to receive the car, there comes this guy and parks his Range Rover, valet guy takes the car. He was trying to take the car from the place where valet guys receive the car and drive it to the parking lot. During this process, he literally hit the pavement, made the rims scratch on the damn curb, was about to hit to cars, a Ford Explorer and a BMW 645ci, and he was also going to hit some other car on his way to the lot.

Would you park your car in a valet parking? Or would you prefer searching for a parking spot yourself?.

 

[BMWDave]

I'm pretty hesitant to give anything of mine to anyone else to guard. I'm a car enthusiast, which means that I'm uber protective of what I drive. So absolutely no valet will park my car...I'd tell them I want to park it myself, or I'd find parking elsewhere.

 

[Yperion]

Like BMWDave said i like to take care of my own car but sometimes in some parkings i had to give to keys to the guys that work there something that i don't like at all but had no other option.

 

[Giannis]

well, i had an awful experience with vallet parking once! Last year i borrowed my friend's E36 316ci, because i had to go to a trip and father had the Renault and we didn't have the S60 delivered yet. I went to a hotel to Athens to meet a customer and i gave the vallet the car. We it was returned to me it had some scratches on the right side and the rear bumper was almost broken.

 

[Alx]

As far as valet i dont really mind, i dont got to crappy places where the valet is reckless with cars, restaurants i go to have high end cars there too, and for the most part i drop a $20 and they leave it in the front of the place and dont move it around.

Otherwise i usually park on a hydrant or a no parking zone if i go somehwere that is congested. Unfortunatley that is the price you pay when you drive something you really care for and is expensive.

Parking garages that are valeted like in Manhattan you really have no control over. I try to avoid them at all costs, i rather park in the street and have people hit the bumpers than trusting it to parking attendents, they are the most reckless. Besides i 3M'ed my bumpers and mirrors, for that reason to avoid knicks and scratches, but it inevitable regardless. Nothing you can do.

 

[emarati]

Ahmed, thats so annoying to say the least.

Well i always park my car my self, NO ONE drives my car especially someone i dont know. And when i park i take two parkings (i know its a bad thing to do ) just to avoid the cars next to me not hitting my car with their doors or something (i really hate this ) i mean i try hard to keep the car nice and clean and then someone simply comes along and opens his door right in to ur car and if ur lucky enough u might getaway with a scratch if not a ding.

 

[Ahmed]

I read a story on some other forum about two valets racing each other with customer cars .. now thats bad.

 

[LaArtist]

Now you all know i wouldnt give away my zonda to some punk..thats just impossible..

 

[Car Diva]

Let me tell you an experience with Valet Parking in Boca Raton, FL. We went out to a nice place of town to have dinner. Of course, the only parking available was Valet. At this time we had a brand new lovely XJ6 Jaguar ( this is before the Ford era of Jaguar).
So we give the keys to the attendant and trusting that this was a good place nothing bad would ever happen. We have a dinner and stroll around a bit; some 2 and a half hours passed.
We pick up the car, it looked just a nice as it did when we dropped it off, not a scratch, ding or fingerprint! The attendant compliments the car, says what a wonderful ride; he is tipped nicely and we drive off.
Well...have you seen 'Ferris Buehler's Day Off'? hehehehhe the car had an extra 50 miles or so!!! It seems that he (and some long legged friends) were compelled to test drive it!!
No damage done, but what really happened in that 50mile + test drive has remained a mystery... which I'd rather not solve

 

[Yaz]

Man, I hate valet parking.
First, they're careless when they park it. Then they don't care if someone scratches or keys the car. We've had our ML scratched, the windshield cracked and besides that, they leave the windows open to let all the dust in.
Living in New York, you have no other choice

 

[cawimmer430]

Anyone remember that Seinfeld episode where his BMW stinks so badly after a valet driver parked it?

As for me, nope even experienced valet parking. I also would not let someone drive my car. Big cars need to be driven by people who've gotten USED TO IT.