These Are The Worst Valet Experiences Our Readers Have Ever Had – Jalopnik

Most of the time, valeting your automotive is okay. It is not that tough to park a automotive with out messing one thing up, and at worst, you’ll have to readjust your seat if you get your automotive again. Even when you pull up in a model new Ferrari, we’re nonetheless speaking a couple of automotive with an computerized transmission, parking sensors, cameras and energy steering. They’ll determine it out. Your automotive will likely be completely high-quality. You don’t have anything to fret about. At least in concept. 

Every every now and then, handing over your keys to the valet is not the simple, hassle-free expertise you are promised on paper. And because it had been some time since we talked about valet horror tales, on Tuesday, we requested you to share your worst valet expertise. The excellent news is, most of your solutions weren’t fairly as unhealthy as they may have been, however none of them sound enjoyable. Let’s check out a number of the hottest solutions.

It was most likely their worst expertise, however I discovered it hilarious.

Rolled as much as a Crowne Plaza lodge (unsure what they’ve modified to now, however a reasonably good chain) in my 1998 Cavalier with ~230k miles.

There was nothing flawed with the automotive aside from the very fact it was what it was.

Thankfully, I am unable to say I’ve ever had unhealthy experiences, although I additionally are inclined to strive an keep away from it if I can.

Suggested by: MP81

That one time a buyer got here in with a ~Nineteen Sixties Porsche and after I went to unlock it, the important thing snapped off within the door lock cylinder. He laughed and stated it occurs ceaselessly and had a stash of key copies readily available!

Suggested by: Stephen.

Not me however a shopper of a buddy. Valeted his E90 M3 one night. When it was time to get it – “Sir, your car won’t start.” Towed it to the supplier. “Sorry, warranty doesn’t apply, this thing was revved to nearly 10,000rpm.”

One of the valets had money-shifted it.

I do not know the way it labored out in the long run.

Suggested by: MikeF

Here’s one from a special perspective. I labored as a valet one summer time throughout school, and because the new man bought the worst shifts. While the “veterans” set to work the evening golf equipment and make $300-$400 in suggestions alone per evening, I used to be caught working the Saturday morning shift on the mall some weeks. I labored 3 Saturday shifts, from like 8am-1pm, and parked a complete of two (sure, two) automobiles. The $15 (complete, not per hour) shift pay did not fairly make up for the dearth of suggestions. Not to say the Raleigh, NC summer time warmth/humidity standing in a concrete parking zone with solely a tiny umbrella for shade.

Suggested by: iwasthevalet

Back within the mid-oughts I took the spouse out for an anniversary dinner. Had a 2nd gen Nissan Xterra 6MT on the time. Pull as much as the restaurant simply to understand it was valet solely. I usually by no means valet if I can keep away from it, this time I couldn’t keep away from it. Wife walked into the restaurant to safe our reservation, and I spoke politely with the valet and indicated it was a handbook transmission and that I’d favor to drive with him to the parking spot and stroll again, and that his tip wouldn’t be in jeopardy. He introduced the valet supervisor over who indicated “Sir, our staff is all experience with manual transmissions, and we do not allow customers to ride along. A liability, you see.” I requested if there was some public road parking inside a few blocks. There was not. Resigned, I handed over my keys and stated “ok, well I appreciate your patience with my request” the response: “absolutely understood sir, have a wonderful dinner”. We did certainly have a beautiful dinner. After leaving I handed over my ticket and inside 2 minutes I heard the distinctive “whoosh” of the cooling fan on that 4.0L V6 working at a very excessive RPM. I’m speaking at the very least 3k RPMs if not increased. It stored getting louder and spinning quicker. My truck comes across the nook creeping alongside at possibly 4 MPH however with the revs bouncing between 2k and 4k RPMs. It lastly pulls up in a literal cloud of clutch smoke. I very visibly pocketed the money tip and took the keys with some critical facet eye.

Suggested by: Mike McDermott

Went for a weekend getaway within the Poconos with my girlfriend within the 2010s. Pulled up with my 2001 Aurora. Young man comes over to seize the keys, walks round (trunk was open) and truly asks “okay, I give up, what is it?” “2001 Oldsmobile Aurora” “Can you spell that?” Needless to say, I used to be nervous a bit all weekend, however nothing was broken. Still although, it had solely been 10ish years since Oldsmobile had ended.

Suggested by: Drg84

Years in the past, I went into Boston to park the automotive for a live performance. Went into the place there was a P signal, but it surely was only a loop out and in, with an elevator door. Nobody round. I bought out, pressed the button, elevator doorways opened. Took the elevator up a pair flooring. I used to be driving round amazed at what number of automobiles had been blocking different automobiles in. Parked the automotive. Went again into the elevator on foot, got here out the place I entered. Suddenly it is full of individuals, some man in a uniform stops me “hey, what are you doing in the elevator?”. Turns out it was valet parking solely, and they’re imagined to be those to take the elevator! And someway simply no person was round after I went in. Had to offer them the keys on the best way again so they may get the automotive as a result of they did not need me going again in.

Suggested by: StalePhish

In my school days again within the Nineteen Nineties, I used to valet automobiles. Made first rate money, but it surely at all times felt bizarre going into the financial institution with envelopes of $1 payments to deposit. I prefer to assume that we took excellent care of individuals’s automobiles. I grew to become a supervisor so I needed to deal with the uncommon dings and scratches that typically occurred when making an attempt to cram automobiles into tight parking garages.

However, when you confirmed up in a pleasant, new sports activities automotive, there was an opportunity that your automotive was occurring the burger run. We had a number of methods to inform who wasn’t going to essentially test on mileage and if the automotive was pushed. Normally, if a single man confirmed as much as an actual property occasion, or another black tie occasion with an apparent date whereas driving a Porsche, BMW, Corvette, or Viper, he is leaping out of the automotive to get the door for his date and did not report the mileage. We additionally knew the size of the occasion. We NEVER did this with weddings and receptions as a result of folks tended to go away receptions at random instances. So, sure, responsible as charged…I did take a Viper, an Esprit, a number of M5s, and a few 911s on some meals runs at very excessive speeds. Always made certain the home windows stayed right down to hold the fries odor from build up, and at all times cherished blowing by site visitors on I-75 in a Viper that wasn’t mine.

So, for apparent causes, I not often use valet. And down the road from my house is a somewhat fancy restaurant with Ferraris and Bentleys exhibiting up frequently. And I assure these valets go Ferris Bueller’s Day Off on them!!!

Suggested by: Xavier96

I run govt conferences for my agency and have a classic Rolls-Royce that I prefer to carry out (as a result of it is extra enjoyable than ferrying them round in my Jeep).

The automotive is outdated and finicky and the right beginning process has about 10 steps to keep away from hurting the engine. As such, there was a tag on the mirror and one other on the important thing which each stated “This vehicle is only to be started or driven by its owner” together with my identify and get in touch with info.

The final day of a convention, I used to be getting the room ready when the EVP got here in and stated, “Oh, you’re here already? Then who was driving your car?”

Turns out a valet knew we had been testing that day and determined to be “helpful” and convey it up for me. 9 hours earlier than I used to be truly going to go away. Also, the VP noticed it from a breakfast spot a number of blocks from the lodge in downtown rush hour site visitors.

On the plus facet, because the precept signatory for his or her largest account, each keep after that discovered my room busy so I’d get moved to a collection.

Suggested by: TRath

Back in 2000, I needed to wait half-hour for my 99 VW GTI GLX VR6 whereas I used to be at Caesar’s Palace in Atlantic City. It’s not as a result of they had been busy but it surely was as a result of the valet retrieving my automotive, by no means had pushed a handbook transmission so he ended up studying (badly) with my automotive. While no injury was finished, I’ve made it a degree since then to at all times ask a valet if they’ll drive a handbook and this was additionally my first miserable realization that the handbook was a dying breed.

Suggested by: My Bobby Valentine