I despise valet parking. Unless the lot is only 1,000 square feet or the nearest public parking lot is a mile away, I avoid valet like the plague. I don't need some dude in a maroon vest joy riding in my car -- even if it's not really my car. I don't need to show off at the valet stand. When I'm driving something like the R8, it's even worse. But twice I've been driving the R8 and had to valet. The first time (photo above) was because the lot was about 1000 square feet, but it's right next to the restaurant so I don't mind. And the second time occured this weekend when the nearest public parking was a mile away. I reluctantly handed over the keys to maroon vest dude who was working solo. It's a tough feeling handing $130,000 over to somebody.
Anyway, when I got out of dinner, I handed the guy a $20 for the $7 parking charge. To make it easy, I even just asked for a 10 back. He informed me he had no change, only a 1 and a 20. I would have to check in the restaurant for change. They had none. I came back to the guy empty handed and the little snot was giving me attitude as if it was my fault he didn't have the change to do his job. "You have to pay for your service, sir." "Service? What, driving my car 30 feet to the other side of this building? Do you expect me to just pay you $13 extra for that? I may be allegedly rich, but I didn't get allegedly rich by being stupid." But I didn't say that. Instead, I ran over to a gas station for change and paid the little bastard -- no tip. I should've just driven off.
It sullied my evening and I couldn't help but feeling that he was treating me like this because I was a 20-something driving a flashy 130-thousand-something car. The sort of unwelcome attention I was lamenting over in Riswickland. Perhaps it would've been the same had I been driving the Focus, I don't know. Either way, my distaste for valet parking continues. Next time, I'll say, "Get in the car buddy. I'm parking her myself."
James Riswick, Automotive Editor @ 19,066 miles
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I'm sure he was lying about not having change. Just trying to squeeze some extra money out of you.
I also try to avoid valet like the plague, and it always makes me think of the episode of Seinfeld where he ended up giving his car away after the monster BO from the valet.
I stayed in a hotel in downtown Philadelphia where the lot was valet parking only. I reluctantly gave them the keys to my manual-transmission Altima and left the car out front.
In the morning, when they brought my car out, it smelled terrible. I wrote it off as an odor from the garage and drove off. But the clutch engagement wasn't right; it was stuttering at partial engagement, not smooth. Then it hit me what the smell was: burnt clutch. They had allowed some idiot to park my car even though he couldn't drive a stick.
I drove straight back to the hotel to file a claim. The manager came out and tried to calm me down, telling me they had to send paperwork to corporate for this incident. I had a bad feeling they were going to deny my claim, since I couldn't prove the clutch wasn't like that before and it was my word against theirs. Surprise surprise, I got the denial notice about a week later.
I probably could have gotten them to pay if I had made a big enough stink about it, but with some driving the clutch eventually started to engage more smoothly and I did not need a clutch replacement. But that incident will make me think twice about ever staying at a hotel that does not allow people to park their own cars.
I agree completely, and on a side note you guys have put an extraordinary number of miles on the R8 in a very short period of time. I personally didn't think you guys could do it, I am impressed.
The restaurant didn't have change? come'on! I always head for the barkeep in the restaurant and get it from him/her. They always have change.
You tell em Jriz!
There's a bar nearby (an Irish bar, not exactly the "Our cheapest drink is $12" type of bar) that has mandatory valet parking. There's no immediate other parking nearby.
Where's their parking? Right where you drop off the car. You drop off your car IN THE BAR's PARKING LOT.
They always have like 3-4 valets.
The only reason I could figure is they are trying to reduce liability/prevent drunk driving. But it's a damn annoying way to do it :)
Handing over a manual transmission car to someone, or a sports car, or both is like handing over your pension plan to an untested financial planner. Who knows what you'll get back.
Joe
My favorite valet experience was with my Altima hybrid. Everyone knows about the Prius, but the Altima's a sleeper hybrid, and I found the one kid who didn't know that the car was on. That was hilarious.
I've had a similar burnt clutch experience. The parking garage was underneath the restaurant, with a steep drive down from the street. When the valet brought my car back, I could hear him revving the engine at around 4000 the whole way up the drive. When it got up there, it reeked of burnt clutch. I got free parking, but it drove fine so I didn't try for anything else.
I also have a few friends who valet part time for a little extra cash, and some of them don't even pretend to drive stick (they call it 'on the job training'). For anything but a regular automatic, I'd rather walk a mile than hand over the keys.
yeah, the ol' "I don't have any change to give you, now what are you going to do?"
My guess is he gets enough people that just have him keep the change that he keeps doing it.
How many more miles did the R8 have when you got it back? Two words "Ferris Bueller".
I'm not good when it comes to knowing what to tip people for things like that. But it always seems to me that I should tip the guy parking the car rather than the guy bringing it back. That way he might park it a bit more carefully, but then I guess you'd have to tip everyone to keep them from hitting your car with one of the cars they are parking....
I have valeted one night at a high end restaurant where it was offered as service (no charge). The regular valet bailed and my wife was the office manager at the time for the owner who couldn't find anyone else that knew how to drive a stick other than me. The best part - I live in the midwest - and all of the cars were automatic that night! But I got to drive a mid-'80s Jag XJ with the service manual in the back seat and a bunch of BMWs...bunch of bland stuff, Toyotas, Hondas, Lincoln or two...but as a car guy, that was cool, to drive a bunch of different cars back to back and compare.
I live in a pretty trendy area (with an Irish pub exactly like joefrompa described, parking lot and all) and there are valet guys up and down the street. These idiots race to and from the lots down residential streets, peeling out in everything from Porsches to Jettas (doesn't matter how fast, they treat it all like crap), run out in front of you while you're driving by, and just generally act like jackasses when they're not destroying your car. I would rather drive my car into the sun, logistical issues and all, than hand it over to one of those guys.
Phew.
Moral - next time just park further and walk. It's a good feeling to take a walk after dinner anyway.
I won't even hand over the keys to my RX8, let alone if I had anything as expensive as an R8. I street park and walk, haven't valeted once and I live in LA too. Why would I pay someone to park my car for me? I can do it myself and not risk them flooding my rotary D:
I've seen an Aston Martin fly down Main Street in Santa Monica, just where Abott Kinney hits Main Street.
The two guys in the car? 2 valet doods in red vests with the biggest sh-t eating grins on their faces.
No way would I valet.
Great post. This reminds me why I feel so uncomfortable about tips every time I go to the US. While I'm always happy to give a large tip for good service I find that most of the time I keep bumping into people who expect one for no service at all. Best to date being a guy who was expecting one for literally dropping my bag from the back of the limo on the sidewalk in front of my hotel in SF...Aston prices are coming down, there's hope ! ;)
I hated the valet too for all the reasons listed above. I would have given the valet guy 7 dollars in all quarters.