I was in URTH CAFE in melrose in west hollywood last tuesday and it was pretty packed for a tues. So after driving for 15 minutes trying to look for parking i gave up and just decided to VALET it. After getting out of my car i realized that i left my smokes in the car so i went back to my car to get it. Just when i was about to get to my car, i see the valet driver backing up into an alley(which must have led to their parking lot). There was a slight dip from the street to the alley so when he was backing up(which was kinda fast) i heard the front bumper scrapeI must have turned 3 shades of red because when the valet driver saw me all he said was sorry sorry sorry(he must have said sorry more than 10 times)I didn't say anything to him. I just checked the damage.Lucky for him it was only the black thing under the front part of the car and not the bumper...so i just let him go and told him to be more careful...funny thing was when i got out of the cafe to pick up my car it was already parked up front and the valet driver who 'scraped' my car was nowhere to be found....never again will i have a valet driver park my car....NEVER....NEVER....

 

As I said before, that black deflector is the early warning system of anti-scratch and super protection for the 04TL...

Good to know that Fxxking lizard didn't hurt your car badly.

 

ya only used valet once and it was at Ontario Mills in the afternoon. didn't have to use valet since it was hardly anyone there but wanted since my car was a day old. as i was getting my car after i watched a movie, car was pulled up and all the valet attendants had their jaws open. they were like "that's that new TL" and they looked at me and my friend.

probably won't valet it no more though after your story. maybe in vegas if i decide to drive there and hit those miles

 

i know...he was really lucky he didn't do anymore damage...coz if he did i would've socked him in the face...another bad thing was i even had to pay for the freaking valet charge ... i know things like this will eventually happen but F&^K...i still get irritated everytime i remember it....

 

I don't know.. something tells me you're being a little too.. uhh.. arrogant. You gotta KNOW what you're getting into when you give a minimum wage worker your 35K car. On top of that, they are humans just like the rest of us, trying to EARN an honest dollar, so it's not very fair to them if you look down on them as scum.

 

I feel your pain. In NYC, I recently parked in a garage and told the guy to be very careful as the car needed a wide turning radius. Even threw $10 at him in the hopes he'd actually listen to me.

Well, next morning I get the car and look at all the rims figuring there'd be a scratch, but there wasn't, so I drove off. That's the good news. The bad news is I failed to notice 2 small chips on the bumper....they must have backed the car into something.

 

well i would've reacted the same way coz i too am earning an honest dollar. took me 7 months straight just to save up for a down payment and this car is not just a car. this is my first car and it's all me. no one co-signed anything. this is my gift to myself for all those years i worked my a$$ off, studied hard, didn't go out while everyone else did, people stepped all over me and took advantage, etc. most of the people here have multiple cars, i'm barely starting and to start with a 35k car hell ya i'd be very upset if it were to happen to me. i know i can't keep scratches off the car but i would rather have me be the one to put the scratches on it than someone else. i mean this car is not only an expensive car but it has symbolized meaning - to me anyway it does. besides no matter what job you have you should take pride in what you do or else you won't be good at it. seems that way w/ the valet guy - he didn't care

just my 2 cents

 

i never said anything bad to him...i did not degrade him in any way....all i said was that he should be more careful....true i was really mad at him and i was already thinking of what i was going to do to him if the damage was major...but like what i said, he said sorry and the damage was minimal....so don't call me arrogant....put yourself in my shoes...valet drivers should be more careful because they handle cars which are more expensive than mine...it's part of their job to drive...and to drive with care.... :thefinger

 

i couldn't have said it any better....

 

A couple years ago, there was a 3-day conference in town that I was attending. The first day, I drive in and valet my 2000 TL Nav at the hotel. No biggie. The second day, I repeat the same procedure. This time, the guy and another valet hop in. Not unusual, there were people waiting to pick up cars. Well, as they were waiting for traffic to clear, I had to grab something out of my car. As I knocked on the window, they were playing with the Nav system. I smiled, as it was always a point of interest when people got in the car.

Now, realize that I get paid for my mileage, so I ALWAYS know what my odo says, +/- 5 miles. Well, I came out after my conference, got my car back, and there were 35 more miles than when I dropped it off. I was pissed. I checked the Nav, and the morons had input all of their destinations for the places they went. As you nav owners know, it saves this along with the date and time. Well, ya shoulda seen the look on the face on the hotel manager - it was something to the effect of . When he looked at the nav and the valet slips, it became

I got a weekend comped at any Hyatt, all of my valet money back for that day and the previous, and he fired the 2 valets on the spot. :rocketwho:

 

Hmm... So just because the job doesn't pay well means it's OK for these people to treat a $35K car with less than reasonable care?

If they want to earn an honest dollar, then they should treat the customer's $35K car with as much care as they would if they had paid $35K for it out of their own pocket (or, perhaps more correctly, they should treat it as if they would have to pay $35K out of their own pocket to replace it if they fuck it up).

The same goes for auto mechanics. Just the other day I took my TL in for its very first service (A1: oil change and tire rotation). When I got the car back, my climate control settings had been changed (64 degrees and the fan at full blast), the radio was turned on (I'd left it off), and there were black smudges on the passenger seat (as if one of the other grease monkeys had been riding there). It's obvious that the car was not simply driven into the closest service bay from the parking lot, but the mechanic and one of his buddies decided to have a little fun in a brand new Acura TL first.

I suppose because auto mechanics aren't paid very well that it's OK for them to take joyrides in customers' cars?

Here's my response to that idea: :thefinger

 

All I'm saying is that when you want something done RIGHT, do it yourself. Otherwise, no complaining unless it's in contract!

 

Huh? Cum agin? What universe do you live in? I know they don't get the whole $85 per hour the shop charges but they get a pretty good hunk of it. Look in the employee parking lot. There's a lot of nice iron in there.

It's the car jockeys :toothless who get in the cars, change all the presets to Rapp and Reggae stations, crank the bass up to the max, ditto with volume... and then we wonder why the package shelf is rattling where the subwoofer mounts. It's a wonder the rear window is still there.

One time (not with this car) I found a roach in the ashtray when I picked my car up. (Anyone got a light?) :tflamer::clown: Thanks. <singed eyebrows>

 

HAL HAL HAL...dude pass the joint...coz the way i see it, it's either you're too stoned or too DUMB to understand what i said and what happened...i'm praying to God it's the former and not the latter...dude you make me want to :banghead: ... your just sooo :lol2: ...i'm not even going to try to explain anything anymore...... :toothless :lol2:

 

ahhhh F&^K IT I'm bored so..... :toothless :lol2 :lol2
2. Parking
2.1.1 The Company's liability for the Customer vehicle is for the period commencing when the keys to the vehicle are handed to the Company and terminating at the time when the keys to the vehicle are handed back to the Customer. At all times whilst the vehicle is in the Company's compound the vehicle shall be at the risk of the Customer.
2.2 The Company will accept liability in respect of:
2.2.1 Any damage to the paintwork or bodywork of the Customer's vehicle only when the same is proved and to the extent that it is proved to be caused by the negligence, wilful act or default or breach of statutory duty of the Company its servants or agents or the dishonesty of its servants or agents. Save that the Customer shall not be required to prove liability of the Company for such damage where the Customer has requested a Vehicle Inspection Report (as defined below) and the damage in question is not recorded upon the Vehicle Inspection Report. The Customer expressly acknowledges the provisions of this Condition.
2.2.2 The Company at the request of the Customer undertake a joint visual inspection of the Customer's vehicle and record any damage to the paintwork and/or bodywork prior to acceptance of the Customer's vehicle(Vehicle Inspection Report). The Customer expressly acknowledges that the provision of this Condition 2.2. satisfy the requirements of the unreasonableness specified in the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 and that the Customer shall be stopped from claiming the contrary at any furture date in the event of any dispute with the Company concerning liability hereunder.
2.3 During the Parking Period the Company shall keep the vehicle at it's premises, or one of its authorised secure parking sites. The Customer authorises the Company to drive the vehicle between its premises at and it's other authorised secure parking sites.
2.4 Any Customer wishing to reclaim his/her vehicle prior to expiry of the agreed parking period will be liable to pay the parking fee for the whole of the agreed parking period.
2.4.1 The Company requires not less than 2 hours notice to make a vehicle available for collection prior to the day of expiry of the agreed parking period. The Company can accept no liability for any delay in making a Customer's vehicle available prior to expiry of the agreed parking period.
2.5 Neither the Customer nor any other person shall have the right to remove the vehicle or any other personal items left therein prior to payment in full of the parking fee.
2.6 It is the duty of the Customer to ensure that the vehicle is in a proper roadworthy condition prior to the Company removing the vehicle on the public highway.
2.7 A Customer must produce the receipt provided by the Company when reclaiming the vehicle. In the event that a receipt is lost the Company shall be entitled to require proof of the Customer's identity.
2.8 The Company shall not be obliged to release the vehicle to a third party without the written authority of the Customer.

Hal try to read this more than once before you say anything ok?...again it happened right in front of me....Just curious hal, what car do you drive?

 

Reference for ^ can be seen here ...https://www1.securesiteserver.co.uk/...king_terms.htm

 

Same here... after the Acura service, the A-pilar of the driver side has a black 5-finger print. Someone seemed to grab it to get in/out...

I'm still thinking how to clean it... any idea? Thanks.

:chainsaw:

 

save your strength. according to hal's profile he has an 02 accord. he's still waiting for his 04 TL so he doesn't have a tad bit idea on how it feels to own a TL let alone a 35K car (i maybe wrong ) but last i check accords are not even close to 30K. :toothless :tflamer:

 

*I* work hard for every penny I earn too and you don't think an Accord means any bit as much to me as a TL means to you? Wow. Some would go so far as to call that arrogance. I'm about to join your ranks as a TL owner, buddy, suck up the pride.

 

dude who are you talking to? use the 'QUOTE' feature of these forums....you didn't even acknowledge what i wrote...scroll up...you were viewing the thread close to 10 mins and all you answered was w1n78s reply.... ..scroll up and again read it more than once so that it will sink in...

 

lexol works really well...buy the matching conditioner and you will also get rid of the wrinkles...it's like a fountain of youth to our leather....

 

dude, from what you're saying if this were to happen to you, you wouldn't react the way most of us would. now that's fine you know whatever. now for the rest of us who would react this way you call arrogant is where i'm a lil trippy on. so i'm just showing my so called arrogance

 

rynpamn21, I don't think my response is required to every assault that is thrown my way. I just try to RESPECT my fellow man. So, you have a difference of opinion. Why don't you stop for once and consider it instead of launching 'dumb' and 'stoned' my way - last I checked, you don't know a damn thing about me. I may have jumped the gun with my original response, but I wasn't insulting anyone's intelligence. Your first instinct was to PROVE ME WRONG... wow.

 

what part is that A-pillar? is that the black part outside between the driver and back doors or inside right below the seat belt where if you un buckle your seatbelt and let it go it would scratch the sh!t out of that piece?

lexol is great. after i used it no one will be able to identify through my butt prints

 

well i hope no one is taking any of this personally. i'm not. i like reading other peeps thoughts. this may be the last unregulated way to voice opinions

damnit i wish my signiture would automatically appear after every post

 

Thanks, rynpamn21 & w1n78, Lexol, sounds good... the print is right below the corner of the A-pillar and the roof... lots of ppl are holding there while getting in/out the car...

 

NP, there's 2 kinds the cleaner and the conditioner. picked both up at pep boys for $18. make sure you use an applicator.

dammit i still don't know where the A-pillar is lol. can someone post a pic and circle it? is it inside or outside the car. and i still gotta find out how to get rid of those scratches left by the seat belt buckle

 

It's good that you don't grab there...

 

ok thx rets now i can put that image in my head everytime someone says A-pillar

 

Armorall Oxi-Magic (K-Mart/Wal-Mart) is pretty good on fabric, plastic, rubber, carpet. I wouldn't use on leather. What is the material where the prints are?

That's the only Armor-all product I use.

Put me down as one of the "anal" ones about my car. I will walk a half mile to park in a "safe place" rather than turn the keys over to a valet parker. Here in tinsel town, every teenaged runaway gets a job as a valet parker and sells bags on the side. Their other side job is making copies of your house keys while they have your ring and ransacking your glove box and under the front seat looking for guns/drugs.

It always amazes me to see Lambo and Ferrari guys just handing the keys over to them.

 

True - my inlaws won't go anywhere with us when we drive cause my wife and I both park soooooooo far out from civilization, they start complaining - but you know, her '02 has no dings from other cars etc. Sucks in winter or rain tho - specially now lugging a 20 month old who sometimes decides that he does not want to walk any further.

 

Gee, that's a gosh-darned shame!

 

That's exactly what the f**k those assholes do in the garages here in NYC! :thefinger

You should see what the 2½ year old paint job on my very soon to be ex Accord's rear bumper looks like. ZIT CITY + Scrapes and Dings galore! ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING!! Mostly little circles from them backing into the license plate bolts of car behind. Doesn't even matter that I take care of those guys very well at X-Mas time. This issue theee reason I've held off for years getting a new car.

That's why I'm taking no chances with the new TL. Double coating of 3M Clearmask, bra, or whatever the hell the name is for it this week with 16 mil thick coverage. And thanks to my having been able to see a new SSM TL parked on the street with its fair share of circles in the rear bumper, I know exactly where to tell the moulding man (same guy that does the 3M) to put his 5/8" thick moulding all the way around the back. As for the backup sensors, I'm not sure I want them having seen pics of them up here. They're literally OPEN HOLES compared with those I've seen on all other cars, Caddys, Lincolns, Beamers, Benzs, etc., ALL are 'filled in' circles, which I'd find acceptable. And even if I did have them, you think those same assholes would actually pay attention to the beep alerts?

 

Thanks. The print was over the A-pillar as the picture showed above.

BTW, at the city I live, it's bad to park the new car too far, someone would steal or break it while no one is around...

Also, it's terrible story about those kids. I should pay attention to them if going to there next time...

 

Big fu(king deal! It's just the black plastic peice underneith the car! You cannot drive this car with out scraping it at some point. Next time don't get such a hard-on over the valet scraping a cheap, non-visible piece of plastic underneith your car. My .02 :thefinger

 

dude you called me arrogant for doing what? again i did not bash the guy in any way. i may have bashed him mentally but i did not say it to his face. i was just concerned by the way he drove my baby. i was even nice to him...all i said was for him to be more careful...thats it...and how arrogant is that? again put yourself in my shoes...lets say after you get your new TL and you valet it and the same thing happens to you...what would you do? how would you react? all i'm saying is that these valet drivers should be MORE careful in handling other peoples cars because it's part of their job...and how many times do you think that valet driver has backed into that alley? more than a hundred and he should know that there is a dip there. other cars are even lower than mine. mine is already bone stock. what if he was driving a expensive sports car and he scrapes the front bumper like how he scraped mine and tears part of the bumper off?(good thjing i didn't have the A-spec package yet. For sure more damage would have been done) WHy did i call you dumb. i didn't call you dumb. WHy did i say you were stoned? I did not say that you were stoned. I said that it SEEMED like it because based on your answers, you came across to me as either STONED or DUMB....dude lets just close this thread. I just wanted to vent my anger....and then you came along :banghead:...You talk about RESPECT? Calling someone arrogant just because he's frustrated at a Valet driver who scratched the front bumper of his ride because the valet driver wasn't careful? How can you even talk about respect? .....

 

been there before, in the city i hooked up a guy with like 10 bills. He jumped in the car and chipped my back bumper.

 

lol are you and hal related? :lol2:
That's why i said it was no biggie...sheesh...people here :banghead: ....

But then again, it would've been easier to accept if i scraped it myself....but like what i said it was ok...so :thefinger :lol2:

 

Paying and tipping someone to fxxk with my hard-earned car just don't make any sense at all. The logic just doesn't work out in this formula.

 

That's the point. As rynpamn21 said above, "it would've been easier to accept if i scraped it myself...." but if it does happen, we prefer no one to scrape it but ourselves...