beach5

I'll try to keep this short....

This week-end, I got into an altercation with some of the Valet Parking guys at a restaurant I went to. I would not let them park my vette, I asked to either leave it in front of the restaurant or park it myself, and they would not let me. The guy's remark was "It's a car...and we get many of them." and I replied, "That is precisely why you are not touching my vette, because it's not just a car" Long story short, I ended up parking in front of the restaurant and let the valet guys know that nothing had better happen to it. I had a great dinner, came back 3 hrs later, and she was there safe and sound waiting for me. I will not let Valet guys drive my car.

I may have come across as **** or nasty to the valet guys and the other customers....Do any of you ever run into this issue? How do you deal with this?

Grease Monkey

i never have had a valet, however they would not drive my car. i would park across the street

j3studio

Here's a weird answer from me:

We happily let people valet the 2003 'vert - it's easy and predictable and we've never had a problem

I never let folks valet the 1985 coupe - I have no confidence that they will be able to deal with the darty steering and the sudden application of torque

By the way, no valet in any of the places we go to has ever given us a problem either way...

aminnich

Ye Olde Bookbinders in Society Hill?

shakedown067

It all depends on where I go, but 98% of the time the vette can not and will not be valeted.

SJW

Under no circumstances would I hand the keys to my Vette to a parking lot attendant, or to anyone else I don't know well and trust.

Be well,

SJW

PourJim

Haven't been in that position yet but I suppose I would park it myself.

poplife

I was a valet in Atlantic City right out of high school back in '89.

If you value your car or any items in your car:
1. park it yourself
2. have a valet go with you to park the car and take the keys. Tip him $5.
3. Tip the head Valet (usually the guy handing out the tickets or supervisor) $20 to keep the car in front and in a safe place. But you may have to leave your keys with him.

Then if you do 2 or 3, try to find the same guy that parked your car and tip them $5.

If your staying at a casino for more than one night and your going in and out every time, tip every time. If not, park the car yourself.

I've seen many things happen to a car and in a car enough to know that I would NEVER just let a valet park my car. Even a rental.

LilR3dCorvette

You handled it exactly the way I would have. I don't care if people think it is right or wrong, it's my comfort level at play here.

Nobody...let me make that clear...NOBODY...drives my red '94 other than myself or my mechanic to pull it into a garage bay. He also knows that I don't want the porters at the place he works to pull the car out for me...he leaves it somewhere I can just hop in and go.

My '89 is a POS, so I am a little more lenient...but not that much. Only a few trusted friends have driven it. Once that car is in better condition, I will probably have the same rules for it as the '94.

To others it may be 'just a car', to me it's not, so those people are 'just not allowed to drive it' If I go somewhere there is a valet, I either take a different car or park it away from the valet parking area.

jimmers

I never let my car sit out in public for long. If I have to run a quick errand i'll take the vette. If it involves shopping or anything time consuming, i'll take the other car. I don't trust people.

deerra

Short story - Went to Reno a couple of years ago in a Merc, the family car. It was winter and of course the undercarriage gets packed with snow. It was parked by a valet. We return home and a day later I'm washing all the snow crud off the car and find the left lower fender panel severly dented.
Couldn't see it before washing due to all the road crud. I called the casion/hotel and they said, Too bad, you should have called our attention to it before you left.
Have neve been back to that casino.

beach5

I totally agree......I stand firm on my position.

Wayne88

I might let them park the C4 [its an automatic], but I would have to watch them park it.
I would not let them park my C6 [MN 6]. Letting someone drive a 6 speed 400 HP Vette is asking for trouble.

vinnies87

I don't valet in the C4

onedef92

Never been in that situation...

Razor89

I would try to avoid the situation and park accross the street.

Fuzzy Dice

I'm with the majority here...NO one drives my car, least of all a valet...I went to a poker room in Palm Beach last year and they wanted to valet the car...I politely declined and parked it myself...

If I got a beef from the valet folks I would take it up with the owner/manager of the joint (after parking my car myself)...

cv67

Mc Donalds doesnt have a valet

5pinball

when lived in a civilized city (MIAMI) and state fla 2places i parked myself no problems left them a good tip 3rd place went to college with owners son who had avette let valet park it no problems ever

bogus

oh, dear... this is inane.

let them park the damned car. that's what I do. No problems. Never. These guys are insured... I know the condition, if it's hurt, I will hurt them. But I have never had a problem with a valet.