Valet Attendant Bent my Key - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Graplr · #1 10-05-2009, 01:45 PM

So I went with the wife to a dinner for her work Friday evening. It was at one of her coworkers (nice) house, a few blocks away from the Governor's Mansion in St. Paul. I drive my 94 Suburban there. I pull up and drop off the car. Have our dinner and such and then go outside to the attendant and hand him my ticket. We were pretty much the last people leaving.

I wait...and wait. 5 minutes goes by. Nothing. Then around 10 minutes later I see the two guys walking back to me with no vehicle.

The one says to me, I accidently put the ignition key into the door and bent the key. Now the ignition key won't work. I look at the key and the stem is bent from the base about 20-30 degrees and the tip is twisted even more.

I was pretty sure I had a spare ignition key in the console. So I calmy walked with him to the vehicle. He told me he looked through the set of about 5 keys and found one that said GM so he put it in and turned it gently. Then he saw the other one, used it and got in but couldn't start it because the key was bent.

Man was it lucky I had a spare ignition key buried in the console. It started right up and I drove away.

I would have been really ticked if I would have been stuck.

I don't think I'm going to be doing valet for awhile.

Fulcrum525 · #2 10-05-2009, 01:55 PM

This is why I very rarely let anyone valet my car. Only at one Manhattan parking garage do I let them park my car....mostly because there isn't much of a choice and also because they've always taken care to not hurt my car in any way or form.

The Clk Man · #3 10-05-2009, 02:13 PM

I took the wife to a nice restaurant in the next town, when I arrived this guy came over to our car and took my keys and gave me a little piece of paper then drove away in my Benz. I was scared so I called the police. The police said can you give us a discription of the thief. I said yes, the thief was wearing black pants and a white shirt with a red vest. The officer laughed and said that he was a valet parker, thats why he gave you that piece of paper. I said well i'll be.. Man what will they think of next.

Jim B. · #4 10-05-2009, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Clk Man

I took the wife to a nice restaurant in the next town, when I arrived this guy came over to our car and took my keys and gave me a little piece of paper then drove away in my Benz. I was scared so I called the police. The police said can you give us a discription of the thief. I said yes, the thief was wearing black pants and a white shirt with a red vest. The officer laughed and said that he was a valet parker, thats why he gave you that piece of paper. I said well i'll be.. Man what will they think of next.

What were you driving, this???!!

Hatterasguy · #5 10-05-2009, 02:49 PM

I hate valet parking.

Jim B. · #6 10-05-2009, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

I hate valet parking.

Me too, PLUS you are suppose to tip them!!!!,

So when I use one of them, first I always lock the trunk, glovebox and console box, *JUST* to keep temptation out of their way.

Sometimes there is no choice, in clubs, crowded big cities, and so on when you are on a date. Gotta suck it up and hope they don't ding up the car and take it for a joyride, they would never tell if you they did.

Fulcrum525 · #7 10-05-2009, 03:18 PM

Drive a diesel....that takes care of 95% of all potential joyriders right there

However you might end up with a valet who doesn't know how to properly start a diesel.

iwrock · #8 10-05-2009, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim B.

Me too, PLUS you are suppose to tip them!!!!,

So when I use one of them, first I always lock the trunk, glovebox and console box, *JUST* to keep temptation out of their way.

Sometimes there is no choice, in clubs, crowded big cities, and so on when you are on a date. Gotta suck it up and hope they don't ding up the car and take it for a joyride, they would never tell if you they did.

Its not those valets that you need to worry about joyriding in your car...

It all the people you let drive it....

(I may be one of them) (Pretty sure that you may count as one of those people taking it for a joyride!)

The Clk Man · #9 10-05-2009, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim B.

What were you driving, this???!!

Uh yes!!! how do you think I carry my Dinosaur ribs home. I love me some ribs.

E150GT · #10 10-05-2009, 05:36 PM

The one time I valet parked my benz, they took forever and then they said they couldnt get it started. I was like WTF? Anyway they figured it out. The goober who parked my car didn't put it in park, so the next goober couldnt start it in drive.

tonkovich · #11 10-05-2009, 05:58 PM

well, since few people can even drive standard (let alone column mounted) my 108 was always parked right in front (by me

) whenever i went out.

865sp300e · #12 10-05-2009, 06:05 PM

When I worked in center city Philadelphia I parked in a self serve lot. I would walk through a multi-level parking garage next to the Four Seasons Hotel to my office. The valets would drive customer cars (Porsche, Ferrari, etc) like they were in a autocross or a drifting race.

One time I parked in a valet manned garage and the valet brought my car (an old Chevy) down and left the driver door open for me. A woman decided to back up after entering the garage and bent the door almost to the fender. It took three of us to bend the door close enough for me to bungee it to the window jam to make it home.

Only other issue with valets was when in Manhatten. I left a Tag Heuer watch in the passenger door pocket of a friend's car and it was gone the next day. Of course none of the valets knew anything. They must really snoop around for valuables. We got the "not responsible for missing items" excuse.

tankdriver · #13 10-05-2009, 06:30 PM

Why did you not report the problem to the restaurant so they can buy you a new key?

PaulC · #14 10-05-2009, 06:35 PM

This was GM's idea of a valet key system during that era. The rectangular ignition key performed only that function, leaving the second oval-headed key to handle all other locks. Given that the average valet is about 20 years-old and weaned on one-key-does-all systems, I can understand what happened.

Fulcrum525 · #15 10-05-2009, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 865sp300e

Only other issue with valets was when in Manhatten. I left a Tag Heuer watch in the passenger door pocket of a friend's car and it was gone the next day. Of course none of the valets knew anything. They must really snoop around for valuables. We got the "not responsible for missing items" excuse.

I hate that clause with a passion. Whenever I go into the city I make sure I completely empty the trunk before I go.