Do you valet your car?

[kanvas]

Like the title states, do you?

Maybe it's because I really cherish my car, but I don't trust anyone else with my car. Giving my keys to someone to drive it off and park it at an unknown location to me is simply terrifying. If I carpool with my friends and we end up at a restaurant that offers VALET ONLY parking, I drop off my friends and go around the block and find street parking. Some of them don't understand my reasoning, following up with a "Just valet the car.." with a flustered tone.

Am I the only one?

[bimmette]

I've never used valet. Mostly because I'm cheap but yeah, I also don't trust them.

[jtodd_fl]

Originally Posted by kanvas

Like the title states, do you?

Maybe it's because I really cherish my car, but I don't trust anyone else with my car. Giving my keys to someone to drive it off and park it at an unknown location to me is simply terrifying. If I carpool with my friends and we end up at a restaurant that offers VALET ONLY parking, I drop off my friends and go around the block and find street parking. Some of them don't understand my reasoning, following up with a "Just valet the car.." with a flustered tone.

Am I the only one?

Nope. I don't valet either. I don't even valet rentals. If I'm honest, there is probably an element of cheapness there. Also, I don't want to have to wait, so there's an issue of autonomy too. But I also don't really trust them either. I'm more worried about lack of care than I am the egregious things though.

[SDH]

Dont have it here in the uk (not anywhere ive been at least) but if we did, no way I would use it. A trust thing I suppose. I dont even like techs test driving my car after a service but I cant really avoid that one!

[Blksnowflake]

Eff no. To some it's just a car, to me it's a McLaren P1 that nobody knows how to drive.
My car sits really low, many valets still don't know to use the DCT.

I find that valet works well for shitty cars you don't care about, SUVs or higher echelon exotics. Those mid range cars are too tempting for idiots to want to play with a little, like STIs, AMGs, M3/4s, Hellcats and such....but rarely will you find a kid wanting to mess around in someone's Ferrari or McLaren.

Of course the location matters, not all valet are created equal, but in general if I have to valet I'll either ask to park it myself and give an extra tip or avoid the place altogether.

[1LRM3]

didn't any of you see Ferris Bueller's Day Off?

[John 070]

if you're in Manhattan, etc., there's nothing you can do except take a different car into the city. I've valet'd it only 1 time, and nothing happened.

Think about how many people at various BMW dealerships have driven the car over 9 years....have to be 50+....

[John 070]

Originally Posted by 1LRM3

didn't any of you see Ferris Bueller's Day Off?

Yeah but that was a movie. How about the YouTube where a valet reviewed a customer's new M4 with a coworker in the pass seat? That was real life....

[jtodd_fl]

Originally Posted by Blksnowflake

Eff no. To some it's just a car, to me it's a McLaren P1 that nobody knows how to drive.
My car sits really low, many valets still don't know to use the DCT.

I find that valet works well for shitty cars you don't care about, SUVs or higher echelon exotics. Those mid range cars are too tempting for idiots to want to play with a little, like STIs, AMGs, M3/4s, Hellcats and such....but rarely will you find a kid wanting to mess around in someone's Ferrari or McLaren.

Of course the location matters, not all valet are created equal, but in general if I have to valet I'll either ask to park it myself and give an extra tip or avoid the place altogether.

Wait. Someone told me that M cars are elite exotics? I bought mine because #racecar.

[IndotagSwizz]

Hell no, I didn't even valet when I had a Honda. If I'm going somewhere where there's only valet I either let someone else drive or take a uber, which will probably be cheaper than paying for valet anyways

[Killramos]

I can't think of anywhere up north in Calgary that even offers it. Actually last year when I had my wedding at a ritzy hotel i left it in Valet, but that was in Banff. Nothing came of it except they didn't shut my trunk properly lmao.

Down in Scottsdale I leave the M6 in Valet when its included ( too cheap to pay for Valet lmao ) and convenient. 9 times out of 10 they just leave it right out front and not put it in the lot along with the ferraris etc. that get left there. I think it might be a policy to avoid valets bagging some of the more expensive customer cars. So i guess the answer is if you want to valet your car get something nicer than a standard BMW

[Verbiage]

Washington DC is brutal. Metro or die.

[jtodd_fl]

Originally Posted by Verbiage

Washington DC is brutal. Metro AND die.

FTFY

[Verbiage]

Originally Posted by jtodd_fl

FTFY

[F87LUV]

Hell no but I have been using the same garage for six years. I only let certain attendants park it. Random valets at restaurants/events, no way.


The last time my mother valeted her X5, they backed it into a tree, broke the taillight and more. They gave it back like nothing happened. She didn't even realize. I noticed it when I saw the car later on like

[RJ_]

I used to be a valet driver at a ritzy fundraiser once a year in college. It was pretty uneventful honestly. If you're in a place where parking is tight, it's probably also not a great location for hooning around either. Plus, if you're busy with a lot of customers like we were, you're trying to hurry back so people aren't left waiting.

It could be different if the valet got bold from doing this every day or they weren't as busy, but for the most part it wasn't a big deal.

I still don't valet though because I'm cheap.

[David70]

My daily driver gets valeted a decent amount and I have valet by Z4M once before also (I could see the drive and lot it went into). I also take it to the dealership to get it fixed and don't say anything about all of the people that have access and drive it either, from the tech it to the guy that moves it between the tech to the lot and lot to me.

It is also common for me to park it in places where I can't see it, then also risking something bad happening to it. Reality is it is a pretty standard car and most of the reason I don't valet is because I don't think the benefit is worth the cost and prefer to just walk a little more.

[silvergray545]

I've valeted my cars. No issues. I prefer to park them myself though.

Funny story, I valeted at the Ritz Carlton once. I checked in, went up to my room, dropped my stuff of and relaxed for a minute. When I came back down to go to dinner, my car (the GLI) was still sitting where I left it for the valet. I found someone and asked if something was wrong. The response I got was, "No, sir. We are just looking for someone that knows how to drive a manual."

[Verbiage]

Originally Posted by silvergray545

I've valeted my cars. No issues. I prefer to park them myself though.

Funny story, I valeted at the Ritz Carlton once. I checked in, went up to my room, dropped my stuff of and relaxed for a minute. When I came back down to go to dinner, my car (the GLI) was still sitting where I left it for the valet. I found someone and asked if something was wrong. The response I got was, "No, sir. We are just looking for someone that knows how to drive a manual."

/thread.

[fecurtis]

Originally Posted by Verbiage

Washington DC is brutal. Metro or die.

Given how the metro works, it's metro and die.

Edit: Goddammit someone beat me to it

[F30lolz]

Valet parking, never heard of it. So basically, you let someone drive your car, park it and they fetch it for you when you want to leave? WTF. NO.

[EALm4]

Only have valeted mine at the Four Seasons here in Balto. I just ask the guys to leave it on the curb or in the center. Have never had them put it in the garage.

I'm not opposed to valet but am a bit cautious though.