Priya

Iceaxe

While going to college both of my daughter's landed nice jobs at local car dealerships because they could drive a stick. Hard to believe but that ability is now a marketable skill.

Greg

NONN37 is correct. It's very common here.
And, just to dispel many preconceived notions, most of the guys that work as valets here in P.S. are usually anywhere from 35 to 55 years old and long term employees. I don't ever see any 19 year old kids doing this job.
You have to understand in a resort town, this is a very well paying job, with heavy tippers. It is quite competitive to even get a spot as a valet at a 4 or 5 star restaurant or hotel. They are screened thoroughly, very polite, respectful and extremely cautious with patron's cars. Like I said in my earlier post they are used to parking $100K and up cars regularly, so I'm comfortable with their professionalism, my car is safely under the business's care and control (and insurance policy) and I don't mind paying for that service/security. Sometimes the only alternative would be to park on a side street 2 or 3 blocks away. Now that would be taking a chance.
Of course I hadn't considered turning my car over to the valet at Semi-Honest Pedro's Taco Paradise.

OldCarBum

Napa Valley is also a resort community.
Within the City of Napa, which is really the armpit of the valley, the large resort hotels require that you use valet parking, the valet's are mostly college kids and you see them running several blocks with keys in hand to the parking structures where the valet parking is located.
Rain, wind, freezing cold or summer heat, these kids fly to get the customer their vehicle as fast as possible, because that equals $$$ to them.
Up Valley is a different story all together.
The luxury resorts, real luxury resorts, have valet as an option, the cars are parked on property and its safe to say that your vehicle would be well cared for.
Even still I prefer to pick my spot and park my own.

domenic tallarita

I worked downtown Chicago where you had to find parking structures each day. I had a new 65 SS and when I got my car the engine was warm, it was winter and it took about 5 min to get the heater to blow hot, I usually moved over and warmed up the oil for a min, but all was warm?

Dom

C3 Stroker

Totally out of the question........nobody parks my Vette but me.

74_stingray

However, I have never driven it where valet parking would be an issue and am not likely to do so in the future.

bashcraft

It's simple. If you don't want someone else driving it, take a different car.

fastimes

Vegas is a valet town, must places offer valet parking. I don't think I would be comfortable leaving my C3 with them. However, a lot of the hotels park the ultra high end and exotic cars right up front

midigike

Herbie53

SteveG75

Because shooting twice is silly. Also, .45 is like 9mm, but for grownups.

jeffwebley

Something I read about happening not too long ago, can't remember the details but: Guy let's hotel valet park his vehicle, hotel searches his vehicle and causes a stir when they find his firearm in the vehicle. Hotel says that, because he left it in their care, they have the right too search it. So, moral of story, if you don't want your personal property pawed thru, park it yourself, and keep the key.

694speed350

I agree

GS982

I made this terrible choice 1 and only 1 time. Got in my car after valet and engine/clutch started making a horrible noise. After engaging the clutch several times in different gears, the noise finally stopped. Don't know what the hell they did to it, but never again.

TimAT

They don't make a .46

OldCarBum

But there is the .50 cal.
And just imagine a sawed off 12 ga loaded with rifled slugs.

C6_Racer_X

If you really want to leave it with the valet, and come back to find it exactly where you left it, take something with shifters like this:


I had an Olds Cutlass set up like that back in the 1980's. I'd take it places where there was valet parking. I'd generally park it out of the traffic lanes, so it could stay where I put it. I often heard comments from the valet guy like "Awwww, hell no!" when he got in the thing and saw the 4 little baseball bats sticking up from the center console. And, yes, mine had a clutch pedal, too.

fastimes

Jay Leno's got his opinion . . . and LA is a tough place to avoid valet, as some places are "Valet Only"

Tonio

I would let the kid park it, no problem at all. It's just a car.

A lot of people complain that this hobby is full of people that are getting too old to carry the tradition. That there are very very few young people that care about these cars. That interest in these cars and their values will plummet. OK, so what are you all doing about it? Let's see: prohibiting a 19-year old kid the honor and the experience of driving an iconic American sports car? Fantastic. Ever think that maybe this would be the impetus for that kid to all of a sudden catch the fever? Think about how YOU got into this hobby.