Go Dancing...Lose Car!!

GTO · 14th July 2004, 16:22

For all of us who use the valet parking at hotels, restaurants etc. - Scary incident. I am for sure using the Esteem from now on, whenever its valet parking time at the JW!

Click on this Mid-day Link to read the complete article.

GTO

normally_crazy · 14th July 2004, 16:38

Hey GTO,

yes it is very sad for the owner of the car but this kind of cheating has been going on for a long time.

in a 5 star its hotel not responsible for theft or damage and in any public parking lot too, the receipt will say not responsible for theft,loss or damage. i mean if parking lots earn money then y not give security or atleast watch over the cars parked there. the guys there collect money sometimes without rcpt to enjoy playing cards while the cars get scratched , damaged and stolen.

its time someone took responsibility for this. i mean whats the meaning of paying money at a parking lot if the car there lies as if parked on the open road ?

i had a few arguments earlier at hotels / resturants / parking lots but no one knows what to do. all the valets do is park the car where they see open spaces and come back.

its disgusting and it happens only in india.

cheers

ps- there's a solution to this. pay the valet xtra on handing over car keys or tip the parking lot guy xtra when u park and voila , ur car will be untouched.

Rehaan · 14th July 2004, 19:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (normally_crazy @ July 14 2004,15:08)]ps- there's a solution to this. pay the valet xtra on handing over car keys or tip the parking lot guy xtra when u park and voila , ur car will be untouched.

Or your car will be stolen and you will feel like a fool for tipping the guy to steal your car!! lol

Personally, i NEVER give my car to valets.
People with me complain that i insist on parking the car myself, but i cant bear to hand it over to some idiot valet guy.
If your ever standing around behind the taj, near indigo you will realise just how badly even the taj valets drive, and will think twice before handing over your keys if you value your car.

R

ps - midday title "Gone In 600 Seconds" lol !!

F50 · 14th July 2004, 19:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Rehaan @ July 14 2004,18:01)]If your ever standing around behind the taj, near indigo you will realise just how badly even the taj valets drive, and will think twice before handing over your keys if you value your car.

Yes Rehaan I agree with you I have seen them drive they are real jerks

Rtech · 14th July 2004, 20:11

Yup Rehaan,

I'm with you on that. I never give my car to a valet either. My budds moan about it too, but one experience reinforced my stubborness.

We were heading to the bar at Marine Plaza. I was at the signal opposite the hotel waiting to turn into the CCI lane to park. I see a valet run across the road to get a car which was parked at Marine Drive. He jumps in, starts it up and begins to move out onto the road when BANG !! A motorcyclist rammed into his front right fender! The damn valet didn't bother to look or signal before he pulled out into traffic. There was a big dent on the poor dude's Accent, but the bikers were OK.

I was really interested to see how the hotel would react to this. So the valet pulls the car upto the main entrance, gets out and whispers something to the head valet standing there. I then see them signal to each other to keep this quiet.

The owner of the accent comes around, hands the valet 50 bucks - which he accepts happily, and procedes to sit in his car. Still no response from the nervous looking valet.

I was pissed. I knew if it was my car, I would want someone to tell me about it, so I went up to the owner and simply pointed to the front of the car. He got out, took a look and was stunned!

What agreement was reached between the Hotel and the owner, I don't know, but the simple fact is that they tried to cover up the incident. Probably by the time the owner realises the damage and comes back, they will claim that it happened somewhere else.

Anyways, my friends don't bug me anymore when I make it a point to park my own car, infact they too have stopped giving it valets after seeing this!

You have been warned!

Rtech

Shan2nu · 14th July 2004, 21:42

What's shocking is that, someone actually stole a Hyundai!!!! Man, he must have been desperate.

Jokes apart, it's really scary. I don't let any stranger touch my car without me sitting in it.

Regards...
Shan2nu

Rehaan · 15th July 2004, 00:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (rtech @ July 14 2004,18:41)]so I went up to the owner and simply pointed to the front of the car. He got out, took a look and was stunned!

Lol,

good job there!!

Did the valet still manage to pocket the 50bucks?

Shan2nu, lol, i could see that wisecrack comming up about a hyundai getting stolen, but think about it, an accent is probably one of the easiest cars for the theives to get away with and get rid of (due to the number of accents around).

Once i was parked in the oberoi driveway (while my friends had gone in to take a leak, lol) so i was talking to one of the valets, an elderly guy, i forget his name now, but we were discussing cars and their proper treatment, and he told me that he had been trained by the WIAA etc, and sometimes gets to park the ferraris and porsches that come by ever so rarely!

Ahh.to move to monaco and be a valet.....my summer dream.....

cya
R

navin · 15th July 2004, 14:41

well JW banged up my wife's SAIL last sunday (we had gone there for brunch). They refused to acknowledge the damage was caused by them.

I usually do not give my car to a valet but some hotels have made parking near them quite impossible and that includes Taj (that blockades a long strech of Arthur Bunder Road) and JW.

Arthur Bunder Road in particular is a difficult place to get parking between Taj, Radio Club, the smaller hotels, and Athena all usurping public property for their private use.

Bombay Gym too has usurped a large section of the footpath for their private use. If one has to tablulate all the hotels and clubs that are guilty of this it will be one long list.

Also the valet at Athena refused to let me park my car near it claiming that this was "their" parking. It was only after I threathed "alternate" action that the manager (who had by that time also arrrived on the scene) let me do so.

Dippy · 15th July 2004, 16:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]Personally, i NEVER give my car to valets

Ditto Rehaan. I never trust these valet guys. Secondly, I dont trust them with auto transmission either . I've seen most of these guys using left for brake and right for accelarator.

A car getting stolen in 5 min from a reputed hotel like JW is a very serious matter and I hope the owner has done something about it.

I really never knew Accents were the new targets of car thieves, I always thought it was the 800s Zens and Sumos.

Looks like the Accent is the new getaway car for the crooks.

Dippy

Rtech · 15th July 2004, 16:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (navin @ July 15 2004,13:11)]Also the valet at Athena refused to let me park my car near it claiming that this was "their" parking. It was only after I threathed "alternate" action that the manager (who had by that time also arrrived on the scene) let me do so.

the only problem with doing this, although you are in the right, is that they may scratch your car when you leave. So not worth the tension.

what i do is make my point known, get them to allow you to park, but then move off and find a safer spot. atleast this way you get ur point across.

rt

navin · 16th July 2004, 17:58

maybe i got lucky. maybe it was my grey hair. maybe they we re in a good mood. remember to be firm and polite not rude.

on valentines day a friend of mine and myself went with our wives to Jewel of India for dinner. my friend insisted on driving.

there were a bunch of cabbies parked outside. so we asked them to move so we could park our car. after my friend parked his car one cabbie parked his car behid ours.

my friend asked him to move. the cabbie replied that he was gonna be in the car so when we return he'd move so we can leave. tothis my friend told him rather rudely that he doesn;t wanna be blocked and if the cabbie is not there then he will be stuck etc... and included a few hindi expletives (that i will leave to your imagination).

the 3 of us (2 wives and me) calmed him and we took of for dinner. when we returned we noticed that they had deflated all 4 of his tyres. i was 10 min past midnight.

we sent the women off in a cab we got from the IBP petrol pump on the main road. then we requested another cab to help us change the tyers. we needed 2 cabs to do this as we needed 4 jacks. then with 4 deflated tyres (in 2 cabs) we roamed gas stations till we found one at bombay central that was still open for air.

it cost my friend rs. 500 (250 per cabbie) plus our time (more than an hour) plus whatever it cost the wives to get home.

You need to be firm but polite.

sbfx · 17th July 2004, 16:59

I got a different incident about parking actually it was very funny

, my friend had just got his new merc S-class, and we went to the taj for a bite after clubbing.

After getting in *the hotel and everyone getting out of the car my friend insists parking it himself and tells the valet guy no he’s not comfortable letting him park, the valet guy (A Sardarji) gives him a smile and tells him "Saab Yeh Pachas Lakh Ki Gadi Ko Mujse Park Karane Sa Dar rahe hai, Hum Ne To 5 crore Ki tank boder pe chalahi hai " after this the look on my friends face was priceless, man it was a KODAC/K(sp??) MOMENT.

Satyam.

lamborghini · 18th July 2004, 01:05

unfortunately my dad always lets teh valet park unless the driver is there.
one incident that happened to mybrother when he was visitin athena in he refurbished esteem - cost him some 50000 bucks - the valet guy just went and banged the front end into a tree.
in JW , the valets drive like maniacs.
u should see the way some of them com,e up the ramp.

shravan316 · 18th July 2004, 13:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (sbfx @ July 17 2004,15:29)]"Saab Yeh Pachas Lakh Ki Gadi Ko Mujse Park Karane Sa Dar rahe hai, Hum Ne To 5 crore Ki tank boder pe chalahi hai " after this the look on my friends face was priceless, man it was a KODAC/K(sp??) MOMENT.

Satyam.

Well thats a good comeback....but i would never give my car to valet guys!

navin · 19th July 2004, 17:38

how many places can you park if you dont use valet parking. there are many hotels that usurp public roads making self parking increasingly diffcult.

14th July 2004, 16:22	#1
GTO Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 70,546 Thanked: 300,788 Times View My Garage	For all of us who use the valet parking at hotels, restaurants etc. - Scary incident. I am for sure using the Esteem from now on, whenever its valet parking time at the JW! Click on this Mid-day Link to read the complete article. GTO
	() Thanks

14th July 2004, 16:38	#2
normally_crazy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 4,369 Thanked: 528 Times View My Garage	Hey GTO, yes it is very sad for the owner of the car but this kind of cheating has been going on for a long time. in a 5 star its hotel not responsible for theft or damage and in any public parking lot too, the receipt will say not responsible for theft,loss or damage. i mean if parking lots earn money then y not give security or atleast watch over the cars parked there. the guys there collect money sometimes without rcpt to enjoy playing cards while the cars get scratched , damaged and stolen. its time someone took responsibility for this. i mean whats the meaning of paying money at a parking lot if the car there lies as if parked on the open road ? i had a few arguments earlier at hotels / resturants / parking lots but no one knows what to do. all the valets do is park the car where they see open spaces and come back. its disgusting and it happens only in india. cheers ps- there's a solution to this. pay the valet xtra on handing over car keys or tip the parking lot guy xtra when u park and voila , ur car will be untouched.
	() Thanks

14th July 2004, 20:11	#5
Rtech Team-BHP Support Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 5,770 Thanked: 359 Times View My Garage	Yup Rehaan, I'm with you on that. I never give my car to a valet either. My budds moan about it too, but one experience reinforced my stubborness. We were heading to the bar at Marine Plaza. I was at the signal opposite the hotel waiting to turn into the CCI lane to park. I see a valet run across the road to get a car which was parked at Marine Drive. He jumps in, starts it up and begins to move out onto the road when BANG !! A motorcyclist rammed into his front right fender! The damn valet didn't bother to look or signal before he pulled out into traffic. There was a big dent on the poor dude's Accent, but the bikers were OK. I was really interested to see how the hotel would react to this. So the valet pulls the car upto the main entrance, gets out and whispers something to the head valet standing there. I then see them signal to each other to keep this quiet. The owner of the accent comes around, hands the valet 50 bucks - which he accepts happily, and procedes to sit in his car. Still no response from the nervous looking valet. I was pissed. I knew if it was my car, I would want someone to tell me about it, so I went up to the owner and simply pointed to the front of the car. He got out, took a look and was stunned! What agreement was reached between the Hotel and the owner, I don't know, but the simple fact is that they tried to cover up the incident. Probably by the time the owner realises the damage and comes back, they will claim that it happened somewhere else. Anyways, my friends don't bug me anymore when I make it a point to park my own car, infact they too have stopped giving it valets after seeing this! You have been warned! Rtech
	() Thanks

14th July 2004, 21:42	#6
Shan2nu Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Hubli - Karnata Posts: 5,533 Thanked: 125 Times View My Garage	What's shocking is that, someone actually stole a Hyundai!!!! Man, he must have been desperate. Jokes apart, it's really scary. I don't let any stranger touch my car without me sitting in it. Regards... Shan2nu
	() Thanks

15th July 2004, 14:41	#8
navin Team-BHP Support Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 25,199 Thanked: 9,306 Times	well JW banged up my wife's SAIL last sunday (we had gone there for brunch). They refused to acknowledge the damage was caused by them. I usually do not give my car to a valet but some hotels have made parking near them quite impossible and that includes Taj (that blockades a long strech of Arthur Bunder Road) and JW. Arthur Bunder Road in particular is a difficult place to get parking between Taj, Radio Club, the smaller hotels, and Athena all usurping public property for their private use. Bombay Gym too has usurped a large section of the footpath for their private use. If one has to tablulate all the hotels and clubs that are guilty of this it will be one long list. Also the valet at Athena refused to let me park my car near it claiming that this was "their" parking. It was only after I threathed "alternate" action that the manager (who had by that time also arrrived on the scene) let me do so.
	() Thanks

16th July 2004, 17:58	#11
navin Team-BHP Support Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 25,199 Thanked: 9,306 Times	maybe i got lucky. maybe it was my grey hair. maybe they we re in a good mood. remember to be firm and polite not rude. on valentines day a friend of mine and myself went with our wives to Jewel of India for dinner. my friend insisted on driving. there were a bunch of cabbies parked outside. so we asked them to move so we could park our car. after my friend parked his car one cabbie parked his car behid ours. my friend asked him to move. the cabbie replied that he was gonna be in the car so when we return he'd move so we can leave. tothis my friend told him rather rudely that he doesn;t wanna be blocked and if the cabbie is not there then he will be stuck etc... and included a few hindi expletives (that i will leave to your imagination). the 3 of us (2 wives and me) calmed him and we took of for dinner. when we returned we noticed that they had deflated all 4 of his tyres. i was 10 min past midnight. we sent the women off in a cab we got from the IBP petrol pump on the main road. then we requested another cab to help us change the tyers. we needed 2 cabs to do this as we needed 4 jacks. then with 4 deflated tyres (in 2 cabs) we roamed gas stations till we found one at bombay central that was still open for air. it cost my friend rs. 500 (250 per cabbie) plus our time (more than an hour) plus whatever it cost the wives to get home. You need to be firm but polite.
	() Thanks

17th July 2004, 16:59	#12
sbfx BHPian Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 75 Thanked: 0 Times	I got a different incident about parking actually it was very funny , my friend had just got his new merc S-class, and we went to the taj for a bite after clubbing. After getting in *the hotel and everyone getting out of the car my friend insists parking it himself and tells the valet guy no he’s not comfortable letting him park, the valet guy (A Sardarji) gives him a smile and tells him "Saab Yeh Pachas Lakh Ki Gadi Ko Mujse Park Karane Sa Dar rahe hai, Hum Ne To 5 crore Ki tank boder pe chalahi hai " after this the look on my friends face was priceless, man it was a KODAC/K(sp??) MOMENT. Satyam.
	() Thanks

18th July 2004, 01:05	#13
lamborghini Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 6,114 Thanked: 5,763 Times View My Garage	unfortunately my dad always lets teh valet park unless the driver is there. one incident that happened to mybrother when he was visitin athena in he refurbished esteem - cost him some 50000 bucks - the valet guy just went and banged the front end into a tree. in JW , the valets drive like maniacs. u should see the way some of them com,e up the ramp.
	() Thanks

19th July 2004, 17:38	#15
navin Team-BHP Support Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 25,199 Thanked: 9,306 Times	how many places can you park if you dont use valet parking. there are many hotels that usurp public roads making self parking increasingly diffcult.
	() Thanks