Valet Gives Ferrari keys to the wrong guy.

[wswartzwel]

I guess this guy will do anything to impress a chick.


Valet gave keys to $300,000 Ferrari to the wrong guy, lawsuit claims

[speeder]

Valet service should get sued out of existence.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

The minute you hand your keys to someone - especially a valet - expect bad things to happen. Think Ferris Beuller. My car isn’t worth nearly that much but I still know better than to hand it over to someone who can potentially joyride it, burn up my clutch, trash it, etc. and then claim “hey it was like that when you brought it in bro”.

No thanks. I’ll park my own ride. And fix it myself too. I really just don’t trust people when it comes to these sorts of things and they have a way of constantly “living down to expectations” and proving my paranoia wise.

[speeder]

I avoid valet parking like the plague. And it's everywhere here. The worst experience I've personally had is expensive sunglasses getting stolen while having dinner at a good restaurant, (so easy for them because you don't look for them until the next morning when the sun is out). I always have something in my car I don't want stolen. I can't believe how quickly most people hand their car over to some minimum wage teenager w/o even giving it a thought.

I'm not known for being cheap in general but I'll park a block away and walk before valeting my car unless it's just unavoidable somewhere.

[masraum]

Since it wasn't my car, that's a really funny story. Wow, horrible luck for everyone involved that they stole the car of a big shot lawyer.

Wow, just lots of funny all around in this one.

[Bill Douglas]

Aaaargh, I had to give the 911 to a valet park guy. No self park. I could hear him reving it to about 7,000rpm then stalling it, then same again. NEVER again.

[Eric Hahl]

This comes to mind.

[legion]

I have never, in my life, used a valet.

I can't even recall the last time I went to a place with a valet.

[tabs]

Originally Posted by legion

I have never, in my life, used a valet.

I can't even recall the last time I went to a place with a valet.

This comes as a surprise?

[dan79brooklyn]

Only time I valet parked my 911 was when my wife was in labor with our first child. Ha ha. I told them my wife was having a baby but this car was my baby too!

[manbridge 74]

Nope. Like having another man touch my woman.....

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by legion

I have never, in my life, used a valet.

I can't even recall the last time I went to a place with a valet.

Nope, I don't live in that world either...what I'm missing...I have had just a glimpse of....I'll pass...different strokes

[GH85Carrera]

I have used a "valet" only twice. The bank I was using long ago was downtown OKC. The only parking was on the street 1/2 a mile or more away or in the parking garage owned by the bank. It was not self service. I did not want to walk that far in 100+ degree heat so I handed the keys to my 914 to the valet and asked if he knew how to drive a Porsche. He responded he could drive anything.

He promptly put it into 2nd gear and killed it. I told him it would be best to use 1st gear. I rowed around and put it in 3rd and killed it. I repeated that first gear was best. He held up his hands and I reached in and put in in first, (a 901 transmission) He killed it again. I told him it would be required to remove the parking brake. He looked everywhere, felt under the dash and popped the front trunk. I walked around and closed it again. He held up his hands again and I reached in an released the handbrake which is of course on the left side of the seat next to the door.
He put my car in the very first space reserved for the bank president. I changed banks soon after that.

Tho other time was in Downtown San Fransisco with my current 85 911. We were playing tourists and stayed in the Warf area and the hotel had valet parking only, no exceptions. I handed the kid a $20 and requested he find a safe spot for it. He carefully drove it to a spot next to a pillar close to the elevator and gave me back my keys. We could go from our room to the car to access the stuff in the car. THe car did not move for the entire stay. No need to drive in SF.

[svandamme]

We don't have Valet parking in Europe, never seen it anywhere.
Maybe if you are a high end guest at the Ritz or some other big shot $$$$ a night hotel, and you ask for it.. but i'v never seen it happen.

That being said, I would not give my keys to my car to get him to park it for me.
I mean, I know how to park a frigging car.
The whole concept of valet parking is beyond my ability to comprehend.

If you have a ****ty car is embarrasing
If you have a fancy car, why would you let them even get near it?

[GH85Carrera]

For many people it is just showing off. Drive a high dollar car because it is the status symbol of their wealth. Pull up to the front door of a restaurant and have someone open your door and just walk inside the restaurant with a woman on your arm as a decoration. That is not my style at all, but it must appeal to many people.

[gshase]

Definition of valet parking.... Handing your keys to a stranger and expecting them not to steal everything in your car and not to red line the engine.

[wildthing]

I may have been to places where it was "Valet Only". I don't remember where but it was one of those congested parking lots in a tourist area. Luckily, it was just my minivan...

[speeder]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

For many people it is just showing off. Drive a high dollar car because it is the status symbol of their wealth. Pull up to the front door of a restaurant and have someone open your door and just walk inside the restaurant with a woman on your arm as a decoration. That is not my style at all, but it must appeal to many people.

Honestly. it's just a regional thing. It is obvious from this thread that valet parking is not common in other parts of the country but people who grew up in LA don't think twice about handing over their keys to a valet. I don't think it's a status symbol at all, (though fronting an expensive new car may be), it's more a function of the parking situation in a lot of places and the abundance of a certain class of labor here.

Just like people don't consider having a gardener crew mow your lawn and leaf blow your place a status symbol. Everyone has one.