bags_RENAMED

i was at a hotel in NY city the other day and i gave my car to the valet guy to park. I gave him the "valet" key and locked the glove box with my key (after disabling the trunk switch). When he brought the car back the next day the radio was off (i never turn it off). When i tried to turn the radio on it asked for the set-up code #.

Luckily i had the number, so i put it in and all was fine. No other problem with the car. This is the only time the radio has ever requested the code since i got the car (8 months ago). Anyone know why this happened. it has me wondering about what the valet might have done while i was sleeping...

... has me seeing flashbacks of the Ferrari valet scene in Ferris Bueller's Day Off !!!


OUCH!!!! (Ferris: "Do you speak English?"... Valet: "What country do you think this is man?")

RJANACONDA

iTrader: (1)

Well I have no idea about the radio but at least he didnt damage anything.

Brewmaster

Not sure what he could have done except maybe leave a light on and run the battery down ... I'm assuming all else was okay (mileage, door panels, etc.)

bags_RENAMED

yea... i was thinking that he might have left a light on (interior) and killed the battery. then jumped it himself and that was why the radio was reset. either way... i checked all over and all is fine... i especially looked up front where he would have drug the jumper cables over the paint while jumping it. nothing... luckily!

i am still having nightmares of the Ferris Bueller scene

NFLblitze1

lol well the difference between this and the ferris beuller scene....your car is fine....his car...well....id rather not say :-(

Acuraluvr

iTrader: (2)

lol. haha i no this is a repost but where do u find the # again??? srry

Yoda117

dude, the Ferrari in FBDO was sweet... what are you smoking?

SouthernBoy

Never let a valet park your car. If you know you will be going to some place that has valet parking only, rent a car and use it.

Of course, this depends upon how far you're willing to go to protect your TL.

tlram

I'm very wary of valet drivers who dont know how to drive a stick and therefore can potentially damage the clutch/transmission. A few days ago I saw the valet guy struggling to bring around my MT car. Unfortunately this place had no other parking so had to use it.

Glad to know your car is ok though. Always check the mileage to avoid the FBDO fear

SouthernBoy

Whenever I am to attend some affair at a nice restaurant or hotel reception room (like earlier this month), I always check ahead and do a little research. My car is FAR more important than the convenience of myself or a guest to use close-up or valet parking. I'll take my truck (like I did earlier this month) or rent a car for the occasion. No way I will subject my car to that.. I would refuse to attend if I couldn't do as I please.

SouthernBoy

A matter of priorities.

Brewmaster

Ummm did you see the whole movie .. the valet jocks went cruising in the Ferrari racked up hundreds of miles and then after getting it home it ended up going over a cliff (in reverse).

BstonBruin

The number should be on a little card that you get when you purchase the car

producrdel

I have never valet parked my TL and I don't plan on it, I went to a place where they have valet parking only and I told the guy that I would pay the price of valet and still do it myself, he had no problem with that.

terse

i went to a restaurant...valet guy wanted to park my car...i told him i didn't want him touching my car...so i did it myself....but then I ended up stalling..and he laughed at me...

producrdel

Better off you stall it than him, those guys don't care about the cars they drive at all, some of my friends used to valet for fun on the weekends back in high school, they would redline the cars around the block.

tlram

terse, you still stalling your car man ?

anyways, parking yourself at the valet seems like a great idea. will do that next time.

terse

hahah..yeah...i was parking my car against a wall without those cement wheel bump things to stop me..so i was getting kinda scared and ended up stalling...i'd rather stall than get a scratch from the wall...plus I don't drive my car daily...only on the weekends for right now...so i'm not 100% used to driving it yet..i'm about...75% there..

Nodoze2004

I am not knocking you here, but cmon we drive ACURA's and NOT Ferraris. I understand and share the fear of the unknown, but to be honest you are more apt to incur damage at your local Acura service center than through Valet parking!!

If I had a Ferrari I would NOT valet park it!

clintrob

I learned the Valet parking lesson the hard way... The valet at a nice hotel in downtown, curbed my right front rim when parking it.. They did not notify me of the damage, and I didn't see it until I got home. Long story short, I got them to pay for it, but it was a HUGE hassel (file claim, pictures, car in the shop for 2 days, reimbursment, etc)..

I learned my lesson, don't valet your car - no matter what kind of car you drive. The fact of the matter is, 9 times out of 10, the valet doesn't care about your car, it's not theirs, and they are usually just in a hurry.. If something does happen to it, it will cost you alot more in time and hassel than to just park the car yourself.. As folks mentioned, park yourself, or research parking options prior to going out.. You'll save yourself alot of headache..

Yoda117

A little bit of bondo and some chickenwire... it'll be just fine

laserbeamtypeS

i bet they switched your battery with a pos. check under the hood !

terse

hahah...i don't think they would take out all that plastic cover...and put it back on...

6mtV6

Just to be safe, you should check under your hood. You never know what those valet people will do to your car.

J RIDE 81

It's weird how that happened to your radio though. Like stated above I would think they would notify you first if the car died and needed a jump before they did it themselves. Seems like a mystery to me.

willz822

I think he meant the car was not damaged not fine as in sweet or beautiful.

SouthernBoy

To Nodoze2004;

Wouldn't make any difference to me if it was a Ferrari or not.. or even a Ford Focus. It's just the way I am about my cars. And I do agonize about taking my car in to any dealer for any kind of service which is why I avoid this like the plague.

Besides, I would much rather own a Corvette in the new Z06 configuration than a Ferrari. Not only sounds much better, but is so much better in the wallet.

SouthernBoy

As a postscript, do you think it's possible the valet(s) did, in fact, take your car for a joy ride and thinking they could reset the odometer, removed a battery cable (I know it sounds dumb, some people.. you just don't know what happens between the ears).

Nodoze2004

I feel the same about my cars as well, but all it takes is one idiot to ruin it for you. Case in point some numb nutz dinged my baby recently. Not much I could do after the fact (except work to get paintless dent removal). I parked far, took extra care to align my car properly, and this bozo side parks in the space and WHAM dings my door.

The point is that no matter how well you take care of your car, some idiot can ruin it for you. Whether that idiot is a valet parking attendant, an Acura service tech, or some jagazz who can't park properly. Prepare for the worst, and all else is cake!

Have a GREAT New Years!!

Yoda117

this is why I park so far away from everyone else in the lots

and while I expect the occasional ding, I have gone to the point of having a "beater car" to use in those special occasions where I know that odds are good that my car will get messed up.

rets

This is the dilemma somtimes. When you park so far away, your car will have less chance to get hit and ding, as well as get less attention for its safety...

moeronn

It doesn't matter what you do, someone will ding it. I had my driver door dinged by a vallet, so the next time I self parked. Well, some inconsiderate a-hole in a rental car dinged the passeger door.

When parking at a shopping mall, I parked way out in the boonies and some one in a POS parks right next to me - just to tick me off. There were tons of open spots around.

Don't sweat the small stuff.

MR1

True That...and it's all small stuff.

But we do try to avoid it though.

1995hoo

I went to the Capital Grille in Tysons Corner the Thursday before Christmas and was stuck having to use the valet park on a rainy day. The valets did not use umbrellas and got my driver's seat wet with their jackets. I was NOT pleased and made it clear, but of course they copped an attitude that I was some spoiled white guy hassling them because they were black.

SouthernBoy

All good points, but I have owned several cars that never received a door ding. My 1988 Mustang LX 302CID was left unscathed for the entire 6 years I had it. And my former 2002 Altima SE was also pristine at trade in for the TL. It is possible to go through ownership without ever having a mark on your car, but you people are right.. don't plan on it. I try my best and so far witht the TL, it is unmarked. A lot of very cautious parking on my part and a good deal of luck, I suppose.


To 1995h00;

I hate Tyson's Corner! The place sucks royally. I worked there on two contracts plus for a while in another place as an employee. The place is a zoo. I don't know where the Capital Grille is but now I know never to go there.. unless it's in someone's car and they just don't care.

1995hoo

The Capital Grille is in the big mirror glass building at the corner of International Drive and Route 7 (the land where that church used to be before the land got too valuable). It is an excellent restaurant but the parking stinks. I would rather go to the one downtown at 6th & Pennsylvania NW (I can walk from the office) and would have wanted to do so last week, but Tysons was more convenient for my brother.

If it hadn't been pouring down rain I would have parked in the Bloomingdale's garage and walked over.