Long story short, I met a friend for lunch in Houston a little while back at a place that was valet only parking. Not familiar with midtown, didn't think twice about it.

Got home and realized that they had curbed my passenger side rear wheel BAD. When I told a couple of my buddies, they said I was crazy for valeting in the first place.

Obviously I'll think twice about it now...but is this a thing?

I do often. The only place I've had a problem is Lost Pines resort, and the only issue there is how slow they and the bell boys are.

After working a part time job in college during the holidays at formerly Club Che in Dallas near Red River....HELL NO!!

The valets stole, damaged vehicles, hell a guy totaled a CTS taking it on a joy ride.

I try to avoid it at all costs. Most valets in Dallas don't know how to drive stick. I once had a guy wave me down from across the parking lot because he didn't know how and I had to retrieve my own car from the valet spot.

If I drive myself I generally circle to find self parking. More often than not, I just Uber these days when going out.

Had the same thing happen with a stick a few years ago. Two guys working the valet stand... one guy was off on a smoke break or something and I could tell the other guy was taking his sweet time on purpose. He eventually fessed up that he couldn't drive a stick and had to wait for the other guy to get back. Asked for my keys and left (vehicle was sitting 30 feet away).

A good friend is the US COO for a parking lot and valet company, and based on what I know from him, hell no. They bend over backwards to try to get good people and enforce compliance, but reality is that it's an industry where low paid, unskilled young males are driving cars they don't own. So it's battling the law of nature

Yes as much as possible.

hatchback said:

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I try to avoid it at all costs. Most valets in Dallas don't know how to drive stick. I once had a guy wave me down from across the parking lot because he didn't know how and I had to retrieve my own car from the valet spot.

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Happened to me at laserwash on greenville

Never. I don't trust people I don't know with tens of thousands of dollars of my stuff.

Only when there is no other choice.

big ben said:

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After working a part time job in college during the holidays at formerly Club Che in Dallas near Red River....HELL NO!!

The valets stole, damaged vehicles, hell a guy totaled a CTS taking it on a joy ride.

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I avoid it if possible. Mainly because I can park myself and walk faster than waiting on valet. And I don't have to pay.

However, I find this hard to believe, at least with modern technology, liabilities, etc. Sure, maybe some who go through glove boxes and steal ****, but doubt they're taking joy rides, etc. More likely someone in a hurry will back into something than that.

My truck, sometimes, but not very often and not if there is a reasonable alternative. None of my other cars, ever.

Not if I can help it.

There seems to be a growing trend of "free valet/valet only" places in DFW, and that's a quick way for us to go somewhere else.

Not much valet parking in my area, but I would avoid it at all costs.

If I go to the major metro areas, I won't go somewhere that must valet park.

Only if there's no other choice, and it's mainly because I'm paranoid with my vehicles. Even get nervous with my wife driving them. One of my aunts friends owns a valet company and I worked a few events for her during college (mainly Christmas parties for wealthy folks while I was home) and I don't recall any of us doing anything crazy in the cars. I do remember the rear window of a SUV getting busted out, but I wouldn't put all of that on the valet driver. He got in the vehicle and went to park it and didn't know it had a bike rack sticking out on it, so he backed it into the spot as we were to do, and it went through the window of the parked vehicle. The company was insured and took care of it for them. For the most part, it was car people who did the job while they were in school, so they tended to respect the cars.

Also, the 2 best tips I ever made was some old lady in a POS Honda Accord 5-speed who was leaving the Houston Museum's $5k (something crazy like that) per plate dinner/fundraiser ($50), and then a couple of drunk attorneys later that night. When the night was almost over, we drew straws to see who got to stay for the last remaining cars, and I drew the short straw. Since I rode up there with my cousin, he stayed. The very last vehicle was a Navigator and 2 stumbling people (the attorneys) came walking out. HPD stopped them and asked that they get a cab, but the guy was certain he was OK to drive (dude was plowed and so was his wife). I went up to the cop and had her ask if they wanted me to drive them home in their car and my cousin just follows me there, and they were OK with that. Dropped them off at their River Oaks mansion and they gave me $100 tip. When I got into my cousin's car, he asked if they tipped, and I said "yeah, they gave me $40, here's your $20."

In my 6 year old F150, sure. In my Corvette? No ****ing way.

A free service that replaces one of the most annoying parts of going out to eat/drink, you'd think it would be an easy answer....yet often times I street part two blocks away so I don't have to valet.

Cromagnum said:

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In my 6 year old F150, sure. In my Corvette? No ****ing way.

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My buddy who has the scratch to have nice cars. Not long after he got his Turbo S, he decided to go out to a nice dinner in Dallas, and planned on valeting it and having them park it up front where the nice cars are. He arrived and saw a couple of Aventadors, a McLaren, and a RR Ghost all parked there. He texted me that even in a Turbo S, he still feels like he owns the POS on the lot.

I hear ya on that. I've definitely been to places with half a million dollar cars parked out front. I however dont trust a 20 something who has no appreciation for 500 horsepower and low ground clearance in Houston streets.

I use a valet when we are in my wife's Mercedes SLK. They can't be a worse driver than my wife!

Every time I valet:

Here's my ticket. But before you go
*valet runs away*
the remote is in the cup holder in the center console.

15 mins later

"Sir. You truck wont start"

Did you use the remote?

"Remote?"

Yeah the remote I tried to tell you about when you ran away.

Duncan Idaho said:

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Every time I valet:

Here's my ticket. But before you go
*valet runs away*
the remote is in the cup holder in the center console.

15 mins later

"Sir. You truck wont start"

Did you use the remote?

"Remote?"

Yeah the remote I tried to tell you about when you ran away.

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So how did they lock your car after parking and what did they attach the valet ticket stub to to hang in the box?

NO.

HELL NO!

HELL NO, MAN!

I have a 6, 14, and 17 year old trucks and every one of them look nearly as good as they did when I brought them home brand f-ing new. I will be DAMNED if some jerk at an event is going to be parking it. He can ride in the passenger seat while I drive it to where it is going and I will take my keys with me, and I have absolutely done that with my 17 year old F150 at Christmas, but otherwise, nah...I'm gonna pass.

Does anyone who won't valet live in a big city? I can't imagine restricting my restaurant options in Dallas proper to only places without Valet.

Not when there's no other choice and at DFW when traveling for work. The airport valet is worth the risk.

FTAco07 said:

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Does anyone who won't valet live in a big city? I can't imagine restricting my restaurant options in Dallas proper to only places without Valet.

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Yeah I had the same question. Lived in LA for years and can't imagine being this afraid to valet...I would have rarely been able to eat out.

FTAco07 said:

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Does anyone who won't valet live in a big city? I can't imagine restricting my restaurant options in Dallas proper to only places without Valet.

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I live in Houston.

FTAco07 said:

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Does anyone who won't valet live in a big city? I can't imagine restricting my restaurant options in Dallas proper to only places without Valet.

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Park on the street. Only place I ever valeted was the grape, and that problems been solved

drumboy said:

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Duncan Idaho said:

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Every time I valet:

Here's my ticket. But before you go
*valet runs away*
the remote is in the cup holder in the center console.

15 mins later

"Sir. You truck wont start"

Did you use the remote?

"Remote?"

Yeah the remote I tried to tell you about when you ran away.

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So how did they lock your car after parking and what did they attach the valet ticket stub to to hang in the box?

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the key ring with the key for the truck

FTAco07 said:

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Does anyone who won't valet live in a big city? I can't imagine restricting my restaurant options in Dallas proper to only places without Valet.

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Dallas here. I don't like valet parking, but I accept it as a fact of life in this town sometimes. I do always take a quick drive through any nearby self-parking first though, to see if I can luck into an easy spot. Every once in a while I get lucky.

Ogre09 said:

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I do often. The only place I've had a problem is Lost Pines resort, and the only issue there is how slow they and the bell boys are.

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Hah. I was thinking lost pines resort is the only place worth doing it

I do when I go to Avondale because that's about the only way you're going to get a parking spot. It's no big deal, Charleston is full of people who know how to drive stick. It kind of surprised me at first, but whatever.

Duncan Idaho said:

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drumboy said:

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Duncan Idaho said:

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Every time I valet:

Here's my ticket. But before you go
*valet runs away*
the remote is in the cup holder in the center console.

15 mins later

"Sir. You truck wont start"

Did you use the remote?

"Remote?"

Yeah the remote I tried to tell you about when you ran away.

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So how did they lock your car after parking and what did they attach the valet ticket stub to to hang in the box?

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the key ring with the key for the truck

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You give them a separate key and leave the fob in the cup holder? No wonder they're confused. My key stays in the fob and I hand them the whole key chain right when they open the door and ask. They're used to keyless starts round here.

The loop on the plastic fob is broke

If the idiots would let me finish my sentence instead of running off half cocked, they wouldn't have a problem

As it is, it gives me a reason to forego the tip.