# Valet parking **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 16, 2019, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valet-parking/841851 "2019-10-16T16:29:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2019, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valet-parking/841851/21 "2019-10-16T20:40:52Z")
Right now I’m the only "Only if (some other circumstances). While I have used it in the past mostly when it was the only option. The time I used it most was when I was getting radiation treatment for my cancer. I had to go every weekday. There were something like 4 people who could be treated at once and each treatment took about 15 minutes so we cycled through pretty quickly. They’d take your car at the entrance to the hospital and move it to a small area. They knew how long you’d be so they could get teh cars ordered right for an easy exit. and IT WAS FREE while regular hospital parking cost something like $5 minimum. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2019, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valet-parking/841851/22 "2019-10-16T20:46:01Z")
I’ve used valet parking once, maybe twice in my life. And that was only because at the place I was going that was the only option. So I picked “only if I have no other choice.” ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2019, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valet-parking/841851/23 "2019-10-16T21:24:19Z")
I’ve said for years: You’ll never valet your car if you get to know a few valets. Still true. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2019, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valet-parking/841851/24 "2019-10-16T21:44:09Z")
I would have picked “not that I recall” if it had been an option, because I seriously don’t remember it happening. It honestly seems quite probable that I have never driven to any location where it was offered. I don’t run in fancy circles. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2019, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valet-parking/841851/25 "2019-10-16T21:54:22Z")
My answer: Only if (other) where ‘other’ is “it’s the best choice”. Some hotels require valet-ing unless you want to park five blocks downhill. We paid-to-valet once at a restaurant but we shouldn’t have been driving in North Beach, San Francisco. I whip out my issued free-valet-parking tag a LOT for my too-often trips to major medical centers. But that’s about all I’m in big cities for now so valets are mostly irrelevant. Will autonomous taxis drive valet parking extinct? Where will those poor mooks find work? ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2019, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valet-parking/841851/26 "2019-10-16T21:55:22Z")
Being in a big city, and traveling in “those” circles, I end up using valet parking frequently. My biggest gripe is that in the past I had a flashy car, so in some situations it would be parked right out front by the valet. So when it can time to leave I would walk up to the valet station, give them my ticket and money, and watch them drive my car 8 feet over to me, and hand the guy a tip. :rolleyes: Stooo-ooo-ooo-pid. ---
**Author:** ![FastDan1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fastdan1/32/427_2.png) [@FastDan1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FastDan1)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2019, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valet-parking/841851/27 "2019-10-16T22:18:20Z")
I used to avoid it at all costs. Now I’ll valet unless self parking is obvious and free. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2019, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valet-parking/841851/28 "2019-10-16T23:49:23Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > I’ve said for years: You’ll never valet your car if you get to know a few valets. Still true. You would say the same thing about mechanics if you had ever known anyone in my family. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2019, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valet-parking/841851/29 "2019-10-17T00:32:13Z")
When I had a car, sure, I used it, a couple of times. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2019, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valet-parking/841851/30 "2019-10-17T00:33:38Z")
Generally only if there’s no choice, which happens a lot at a music venue I frequent. Amusing valet story: [Yep, That’s My Ferrari – Lowering the Bar](http://loweringthebar.net/2018/01/yep-thats-my-ferrari.html) ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2019, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valet-parking/841851/31 "2019-10-17T13:49:39Z")
> [@robardin](#): > > There are three reasons to avoid valet parking services, if possible: > > **1 - The additional cost**. Often there is a surcharge for the service, or at least an expected customary gratuity to the valet. > > **2 - The additional time.** Sure it’s easy and convenient to drop the car off in front of where you’re going, hand it off to someone else, and pop in to do what you came to do, but what about when you leave? If it’s the kind of place with a lot of people going in and out all the time, or worse, a scenario where there will be a mass exodus all at about the same time (like at the end of a show performance), get ready to wait 20-30 minutes after you give them your ticket to see your car appear. > > \*\*3 - The “stranger danger” of having some one else driving your car & adjusting it for themselves. I don’t have a fancy car; which means I don’t have seat (& mirror) memory. I hate having to dial it back in for me because you drove it \< ¼ mile. I also keep minor ‘valuables’ like parking meter money or sometimes more valuable items, like my camera bag in the car; I don’t trust them to not avail themselves to some of it. We’re literally talking a _few_ bucks for the currency but it’s the principle of it. If I park & come back to no broken windows then I _know_ anything I left in my car is still there. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2019, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valet-parking/841851/32 "2019-10-17T14:53:34Z")
I use it if handicap parking is not available nearby. I also use it at my local Indian casino. It’s free and they give you 1000 points on your loyalty card. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2019, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valet-parking/841851/33 "2019-10-17T15:01:39Z")
> [@robardin](#): > > Oh no, you should not be so sure. > > Sometimes there’s just “the one guy” in a set of valets who knows how to drive a stick shift, and his expertise in that area is only a relative maximum, so to speak… > > And while your car is in their custody, if they are not round-the-clock busy, guess what, some of the other valets may ask him to teach them the basics. In your car. > > This has been known to happen, believe me. As in, I personally know someone who worked a summer as a parking valet, and openly admits this is how he first learned to drive a stick shift. A bit of on-the-job training, I could see that happening. Even more reason to avoid valet parking! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2019, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valet-parking/841851/34 "2019-10-17T15:38:46Z")
Only if I have no other choice. My Jeep Wrangler is a stick, and it is embarrassingly filthy because I do not care if it’s a mess and I haul our dogs around. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2019, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valet-parking/841851/35 "2019-10-17T17:35:07Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > NEVER if there is ANY alternative. ANY alternative seems pretty open-ended. For instance, an alternative could be to park at your house and then walk to the venue 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2019, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valet-parking/841851/36 "2019-10-17T17:58:00Z")
> [@robardin](#): > > Sometimes there’s just “the one guy” in a set of valets who knows how to drive a stick shift, and his expertise in that area is only a relative maximum, so to speak… Slight hijack: When I test drove my Miata I had to wait around for them to find the one salesman who could drive a stick (because apparently they’re not allowed to let customers back the car out of the space – the salesperson’s supposed to get the the car and drive it around front to the customer) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2019, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valet-parking/841851/37 "2019-10-17T18:59:59Z")
Nope. I avoid it as much as possible. I drive a stick, and one out of every three or four valets who bring the car back have it smelling like nothing but burning clutch. Plus I often don’t have walking around cash with me, so I feel awkward having a valet get my car and not have a couple of bucks for a tip. Plus I occasionally want to access my car to get something from it while it’s parked, and if a valet parks it, I have no idea where it is. So, yeah, I avoid as much as possible, but I still end up valeting about four or five times a year when there is little other good choice. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valet-parking/841851/38 "2019-10-22T13:59:46Z")
I recuse myself. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valet-parking/841851.md?page=1)