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A few days ago I wanted to celebrate and have a nice dinner out. I had picked a restaurant that we had been to in the past only to find that it was now providing non optional valet service if you wanted to use their parking lot. The other choice (if not the valet) was to park on the street in a residential neighborhood a block away and walk to their location if you wanted to eat there.
I was opposed to parking on the street in a residential neighborhood and I didn’t want to use their valet service either. So we left and went to another great restaurant about ten blocks away and enjoyed a meal there.
My thoughts are no matter if I am using an old cheap clunker or a new expensive car why would I want to give the keys to the valet and leave my vehicle with him? If I’m using an older $5,000 or a new $50,000+ one why should I give him the keys? I don’t know him and I can’t trust someone I don’t know.
Who should be responsible if the vehicle is missing or damaged; the owner of the restaurant or the valet who appears to be parking cars? What about items stored inside the car; the glove box with all the ID information, the trunk with packaged items recently purchased?
What do you do when it comes to valet parking?
I don't, or won't, use valet parking for all the reasons you listed. If you have something stolen out of it or it get's damaged, it usually comes down to a "he said/she said" situation.
I've even heard of stories where the valet guy is in cahoots with a burglar buddy and he'll take the vehicle and use the garage door opener to burgarlize your home while you're eating.
And if you have a nice Ferrarri or other fine sports car, they may just take it for a joy ride while you're dining.
No one drives my car not even DH. It's my one my only my precious. We wants it. DH named it that and I still park as far away from everyone as I can. The car still looks new and it's an 02 with 43k miles. It has a manual trans so I wonder if the young ones even know how to drive a stick? If they were to take it on a joy ride and drop it into 2nd gear from the 5th gear you can blow the engine. The ratio is really tight and I rarely down shift. I was warned about that when I first bought it. So no, don't touch my car!!!! Don't make me come over there.
On a serious note, I remember a news story when I was in Houston of valet parkers caught by hidden cameras going through vehicles they were parking for things like loose change etc.
Wow I never heard of mandatory valet parking. I don't like not having a choice. I would have left to for that reason.
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