Valet parking woes...

I was a valet driver and college and I will NOT have my car valet parked. Most of my co-workers at the time were either hungover from the night before or high on something. Oh yeah, and dumb. 80% of them were the dumbest people I had ever met.

It made for interesting stories though - the time we had a paramedics/emergency services convention at the hotel, and had to park a bunch of brand new ambulances. A kid forgot that the back of an ambulance is wider than the front, and managed to rip a parking booth off of its foundation and drag it a couple feet with the box of the ambulance. That carnage was pretty amazing.

Or the time a kid that didn't know how to drive a stick, stalled a Ford Ranger about 5 times, before doing a 4K rpm clutch drop burnout right in front of the hotel lobby. It was a pretty sick burnout though.

Car was fine.

I knew where it was parked so I went and checked on it.  Work is covering the parking so the cost wasn’t the concern. It was more the parking a convertible downtown in a busy city. I was worried Dirty Mike and the boys would be using my ride for a soup kitchen. I was also worried about the valets damaging it. 

When I posted they already had the car and I started thinking “I bet these guys don’t park a lot of Mustang GTs”. Lol.  I think the difference is I called the hotel and asked “do you have parking?” And should have added “is it only valet”.  

So far it has worked out well that the car didn’t get damaged (that I could see on the walk around) and they brought it right to the hotel so my wife could use it to go meet her girlfriends for lunch. 

Since some of you were valets, do I tip each time I get the car? Only at checkout? Not at all? Parking is $34 and it’s in a $15 a day lot across the steet. 

Not a valet parking story, but once I had to take my car to Sears to get the lifetime warranty struts replaced (long, funny story there).  I suggested that they have me pull it into the shop, because "it can be a bit temperamental, and it has a carburetor." "No, that's fine. We'll get it."

Stall. 

Stall.

Weelspin, then stall.  Now it's flooded.

"Get the berkeley out." Started it up, pulled it into the shop. 

Well I take it back. Got back to the hotel this afternoon and watched the one valet stall the Mustang a couple times, and then get out and hand the keys to the other valet who took it to park it. 

One of the best hotels in downtown Nashville for parking a car you care about is the Hilton.  They have underground secure parking that can be either self park or valet.

Cotton said:

One of the best hotels in downtown Nashville for parking a car you care about is the Hilton.  They have underground secure parking that can be either self park or valet.

That’s where I always stayed and they had great valet parking. The new one across the street did also, but theirs was mandatory which is annoying in an open garage.

No matter where you park, some clown will sideswipe you, the valet is as safe as any other option.  

I was in Miami for work once in a Doge Ram Diesel work truck.  I decided to hit South Beach for dinner, and I pulled up to the first restaurant valet and asked where I could park.  I was asking because the truck was large and I needed an outdoor public lot and figured he would know where one was.  He thought I was asking to park in front of his establishment and replied "not in South Beach man".  LOL.  When I walked past later, there was a GT2 with a full cage, a Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale and a Bentley Convertible with custom rims parked out front.  I think the Ram would have been right at home! 

"Its Red, Like a Ferrari!" 

Went to a work related social that had valet parking. I've gone there multiple times and each time I avoid it. Instead I have parked where the mini park/beach off Courtney Campbell Causeway instead. Why tip a valet when I can pay 1.50 for 3 hours and pay the county instead and the walking distance is the same.

As I left that evening, saw that the parking lot was full and one of the drivers drove a stock Nissan ultimate over a curb to get it out of the parking spot. One that a typical truck/suv can go over, but a modern hot hatch would scape over. No thanks. 

Car was fine again this morning, but I found another one of the valets can’t drive a manual. When I asked for the car I said “it’s a manual” and they valet handed the keys directly to the supervisor valet who went and got the car.

The funny thing was I watched the valet who could drive my manual 300 hp Mustang, hop directly into a newer Ford Raptor (450-500hp?) and take it to park. 

I also just realized this whole thread could be in the OT “first world problems” thread.

My track/autocross car waiting to be parked at a casino.  The drivers were a little nervous about the seats and the harness, but the real concern was the removable steering wheel.  It was fun to watch.