Parking
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Rennlist Member
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 265
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Parking
Just curious what everyone does when you get to a restaurant / banquet hall that has valet parking. Or a parking garage in Manhattan?
Let them have the keys to the 911? Give them a few bucks and demand to park yourself?
I'd hate not to take the car, there are some nice drives to/from these places.
Let them have the keys to the 911? Give them a few bucks and demand to park yourself?
I'd hate not to take the car, there are some nice drives to/from these places.
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 99
Likes: 54
From: Philly suburb
Forget a valet. Period. Never again. I parked my 2003 300SE MB at a country club for a wedding and when I returned at 1 AM after the party, they let me have my car and $11,000 of damage they did when they backed it into a tree. They spend the night sitting in it. listening to the radio, driving it around. Car was in the shop for 11 weeks. For the last 20 years I have always, parked my own cars. It's a small price to pay, believe me!
Pro
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 723
Likes: 4
IMO, the rules are as follows :
1) Avoid valet wherever possible. Use your other car, SO or friends car, taxi, car service, whatever.
2) If you must valet, bribe them with a tip and park yourself in one of their spots and insist on taking up a lot of room so they dont park other cars near you.Trust me a good tip works very well for this and works most places especially where you can see the cars in front or a restaurant, whatever.
3) If 2 cannot work, leave a good tip upfront and promise the same after for top notch care.
4) Attempt 2 or 3 with style, humor,grace whatever works for you but always with friendliness. Never be an a** about it under any circumstances or be overtly demanding. Generally whenever I have to use option 3 (very rare) it happens to be where there are already a lot of high end cars where my 991 fits right in and the valets are well aware of the level of care expected.
1) Avoid valet wherever possible. Use your other car, SO or friends car, taxi, car service, whatever.
2) If you must valet, bribe them with a tip and park yourself in one of their spots and insist on taking up a lot of room so they dont park other cars near you.Trust me a good tip works very well for this and works most places especially where you can see the cars in front or a restaurant, whatever.
3) If 2 cannot work, leave a good tip upfront and promise the same after for top notch care.
4) Attempt 2 or 3 with style, humor,grace whatever works for you but always with friendliness. Never be an a** about it under any circumstances or be overtly demanding. Generally whenever I have to use option 3 (very rare) it happens to be where there are already a lot of high end cars where my 991 fits right in and the valets are well aware of the level of care expected.
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Pro
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 533
Likes: 5
From: Saratoga Springs, NY
Do we really think these valets are professionals...NOT?
Practically speaking, our electric parking brake they have never experienced. Just say advanced technology, let me do it...no extra tip required ( if they chime in I know it has an electric brake then let 'em have at it, but I'd be very shocked.)
Practically speaking, our electric parking brake they have never experienced. Just say advanced technology, let me do it...no extra tip required ( if they chime in I know it has an electric brake then let 'em have at it, but I'd be very shocked.)
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 29
Likes: 3
From: Bay Area, CA
If you're in a pinch and can't get around it, this is what I've done in the past.
1) Tip a lot up front and ask for them to keep it up front. (Or tip up front and park it yourself, keeping the keys).
2) Turn on the speed limiter in the instrument panel. It's not an actual governor, but it'll pop up a notification and beep at the driver. If nothing else, a low-ish MPH tolerance might make a valet think it's got some sort of black box that's recording his actions.
1) Tip a lot up front and ask for them to keep it up front. (Or tip up front and park it yourself, keeping the keys).
2) Turn on the speed limiter in the instrument panel. It's not an actual governor, but it'll pop up a notification and beep at the driver. If nothing else, a low-ish MPH tolerance might make a valet think it's got some sort of black box that's recording his actions.
Pro
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 533
Likes: 5
From: Saratoga Springs, NY
If you're in a pinch and can't get around it, this is what I've done in the past.
1) Tip a lot up front and ask for them to keep it up front. (Or tip up front and park it yourself, keeping the keys).
2) Turn on the speed limiter in the instrument panel. It's not an actual governor, but it'll pop up a notification and beep at the driver. If nothing else, a low-ish MPH tolerance might make a valet think it's got some sort of black box that's recording his actions.
1) Tip a lot up front and ask for them to keep it up front. (Or tip up front and park it yourself, keeping the keys).
2) Turn on the speed limiter in the instrument panel. It's not an actual governor, but it'll pop up a notification and beep at the driver. If nothing else, a low-ish MPH tolerance might make a valet think it's got some sort of black box that's recording his actions.
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Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Boca Raton-Santa Monica
