[Gansan]

Originally Posted by J2022

Any suggestions how to deal with such a situation?

We should insist we ourselves will park our car. Else we should either engage a trusted call driver, or simply take a cab whenever we go to such places. There is no other way.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by J2022

An issue with self parking is that many hotels, restaurants, etc. often force visitors in a soft way to let the valet park. While I can be petty and possessive with a clear conscience it does look bad when I have others with me.

Any suggestions how to deal with such a situation?

Respectful firmness. And absolute brazen full blooded confidence. You’re the Paying Customer. Take a hold of your Rights.

Drop all the ‘others’ at the door step. Don’t be bothered whether they are personal friends or family.

Ask them to wait in the lobby. Politely tell the parking folks that you always prefer to park your car.
Go and Park your car and walk back.

On the way out, excuse yourself 5 minutes early, ask the ‘others to wait in the lobby. Go get your car. Pick them up.

It is Your car and they ought to ‘be understanding of your caution’. I frankly wouldn’t lose any sleep if they aren’t.

If your worry stems from a fear of anyone having a doubt that you’re an ‘El Cheapo’ trying to wriggle out of ‘tipping’ , just keep a C note in hand and give it to the chap who opens the doors for your guests.

If entertaining Company visitors or official guests simply make sure you always have a car and a driver at your disposal. This way there is no need to worry about parking and all that jazz.

I do exactly as I please in these matters. Couldn’t care less what anyone else may choose to ‘perceive’.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by Gansan

We should insist we ourselves will park our car.

You have that right, and we can all, always, exercise it.

The hotels, etc, also have a right: they can insist that we may not drive our own cars on their premises.

So I agree entirely with shankar.balan, but the answer may well not be insisting on using the hotel's car parking, but parking outside. Dropping one's companions at the main door and driving off is no business of the lobby/forecourt staff: they don't even know that we will be coming back on foot. There will be no pressure; it is only required to indicate to the guy with a key label in his hand that we are only dropping off.

We then might, depending on our knowledge of the area, be faced with a problem finding space or not. And it might be better to allow ten minutes rather than five.

There is another side to the whole topic. We are probably in a minority: the majority are either neutral about valet parking, or consider it a great convenience. Maybe, to some, it is a part of visiting a luxury establishment.

[clevermax]

I had two bad experiences with valet parking.

During the first incident, the valet spent a significant amount of time inside my car with the air conditioning on, which I discovered upon receiving my car back with a very cold cabin and frigid AC vents.

In the second incident, the valet did not know how to engage the reverse gear in my Palio and ended up messing up the gear selector. The reverse gear wouldn't engage afterward.

After these two incidents, I completely avoided giving the car to a valet.

Those who avoid giving the car to a valet should also be cautious of home delivery and pickup services provided by authorized service centers or third-party service centers, as their drivers will not handle your car with care. They will drive your car flat-out.

[Jaguar]

Recently we had gone for lunch to a food court within a tech park (EcoWorld for Bangalore folks). There is some construction going on and half of the parking lot is closed off. This meant that the other half was full and the cars had to be double parked and the keys left with the valet.

Post lunch they couldn't locate the keys to my car as well as that of a few others. But I could see my car parked in the same location where I had left it. Went there with the security and find that the keys are left outside the car itself near the wiper blades The car was safe only because it was within a tech park and not some random public parking.

I generally don't like giving the car to the valet or even handing over the keys but this was an exceptional scenario where the parking lot was full and self-park was not an option. The only place where I avail valet is at hospitals when I have to accompany the patient (or I myself am the patient).

[airguitar]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Respectful firmness. And absolute brazen full blooded confidence. You’re the Paying Customer. Take a hold of your Rights.


If your worry stems from a fear of anyone having a doubt that you’re an ‘El Cheapo’ trying to wriggle out of ‘tipping’ , just keep a C note in hand and give it to the chap who opens the doors for your guests.

Loved the writeup. One has to practice to fight for what they think is right for them. Well-written.

However, a C note for opening doors? Hmm. I'm sensing that we need a thread on "General Tipping" in India for people like me to move off the "El Cheapo" list. Citywise ( and perhaps outside India for some countries we frequently visit). Activitywise ( at the bar counter, at the restaurant table, a valet parking facility, a room usher's tips, at the barber's/salon, cabbie ) and gradewise ( 5 start vs 3 star vs unstarred ). Mods/anyone that is qualified, can we have a "Tips for a good tipping experience" thread ?

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by airguitar

However, a C note for opening doors? can we have a "Tips for a good tipping experience" thread ?

25 bucks per door in a 4 door car with a normal load.
Considering the establishments, the services and the actual value of a C Note in the real world.
And from my side it’s a big loud Yea for some good soul to start a Tipping thread.

I notice this often. In restaurants like MTR and A2B and all, very very few people tip. And in salons after having a nice haircut and pedicure and all I have observed a singular disinclination to leave a basic appreciation for the person(s) who perform the services.

Tipping therefore is a courtesy more often ignored than followed here in India, as per my observation.
Hence the ’El Cheapo’ jibe.

[J2022]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Respectful firmness. And absolute brazen full blooded confidence. You’re the Paying Customer. Take a hold of your Rights.

Drop all the ‘others’ at the door step. Don’t be bothered whether they are personal friends or family.

Ask them to wait in the lobby. Politely tell the parking folks that you always prefer to park your car.
Go and Park your car and walk back.

On the way out, excuse yourself 5 minutes early, ask the ‘others to wait in the lobby. Go get your car. Pick them up.

It is Your car and they ought to ‘be understanding of your caution’. I frankly wouldn’t lose any sleep if they aren’t.

If your worry stems from a fear of anyone having a doubt that you’re an ‘El Cheapo’ trying to wriggle out of ‘tipping’ , just keep a C note in hand and give it to the chap who opens the doors for your guests.

If entertaining Company visitors or official guests simply make sure you always have a car and a driver at your disposal. This way there is no need to worry about parking and all that jazz.

I do exactly as I please in these matters. Couldn’t care less what anyone else may choose to ‘perceive’.

Fortunately my days of entertaining official guests (or COs in my case) are over. Now it's usually a social lunch / dinner invitation, sometimes with another couple.

Retrieving the car myself is not a problem but I do get uncomfortable when the doorman/valet get forceful. I have won a number of such "encounters" but my spouse argues (perhaps rightly) that it makes me look petty (if not cheap). I will try to see if something different can be attempted by your comment but my courage deserts me in these critical moments!

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by J2022

of such "encounters" but my spouse argues (perhaps rightly) that it makes me look petty (if not cheap). I will try to see if something different can be attempted by your comment but my courage deserts me in these critical moments!

Bon Courage Mon Ami!
It is Your car, bought with Your hard earned.
So You have every right to decide on whom you want to allow in the driving seat and indeed any other seat, as well as the right to insist on how it ought to be driven and handled.
In my case Ive made peace with the Spouse. Clearly stated that I will NOT go anywhere in the city or indeed anywhere at all, in ANY of my own cars, where safe self-parking is in question.
And I practise this by ‘digging my toes in and refusing to budge’ like the proverbial recalcitrant mule.
This stance also ties-in beautifully with my overall permanent cunning strategy of completely avoiding these god-blighted and tortuous evening functions, which require much skirmishing through acres of solid metal by way of traffic, on the non-existent surfaces of our pot-holed back-breaking city roads, amidst the vilest of horrid-tempered revolting creatures, in mostly adverse (to me) climatic conditions.

If some form of ‘Satyagraha’ movement is initiated by Spouse and it is decreed to be absolutely mandatory to go to that aforesaid function or get-together and the parking there is likely iffy and involves handing over my precious car keys to some drooling half-wit or untrustworthy critter, then in the first place, I submit with great reluctance, kicking and screaming and gnashing my teeth all the way, and as my secondary (cunning) defence, I roll over, paws in the air and play dead, actually succumbing to the inordinate pressure, by putting pressure of my own kind and demanding to only go all Tuxedo’ed and all, in a rent-a-chauffeured-cab. A sort of halfway house, if you will, engineered to preserve overall peace and decorum.

As an aside, I would much rather hang out with my much loved 4-legged pe(s)t, than go to these god-blighted afore-mentioned ‘functions’ which purport to promote forced bonhomie but thus actually create increased blood pressure.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

... As an aside, I would much rather hang out with my much loved 4-legged pe(s)t, than go to these god-blighted afore-mentioned ‘functions’ which purport to promote forced bonhomie but thus actually create increased blood pressure.

Wonderful post!

My spouse could never understand why I would not have pick-up-and-deliver for car servicing. It is not just a case of trusting my car to an unknown driver... it's like sending my body to the doctor and not going with it! How can I get my car serviced without talking to the SA, both before and after?

She also does not understand that it can, for me, be more stressful to be driven by a cabbie than to drive myself. But where parking is going to be valet or difficult, it is the answer.

[KrisTvpm]

Ditto here!

Never felt comfortable handing over my car to the vale(t) {restaurant/mall/other places with valet facility insist "saar our valeT will park the car", with emphasis on the "T"!}

No terrible experiences/accidents so far, but once a restaurant misplaced my car keys, searched for it in vain for nearly 30min, finally found it dumped somewhere in that dungeon they call parking lot.

Another instance, the chap obviously misused my car, maybe even went out to buy grocery or entertain his missus, AC vents were misaligned, seats pushed too far back, mats soiled, my last played music folder changed etc.!

I had it enough, since then NEVER handover keys to the valeT, I park my car or else I checkout of the premises, thank you!

Biggest problem is when extended family is in tow - my spouse gives me dagger-looks, don't play this here! But I don't mind, as shankar.balan told, it's my car + also my money that I'm going to spend at their establishment - if they can't entertain my small whim of parking my vehicle myself - they don't get my money!

[SiddharthR]

I do everything possible to avoid handing over the keys of my car to a valet but restaurants in Mumbai have absolutely no options and the valet ends up parking on some road. You can't park the car in the same spot yourself as it is often illegal roadside parking. This leaves you with no options but to use the valet services

Had to reluctantly hand over my keys at a restaurant recently. Not sure what happened but when I got the car back the front windshield was cracked. There were no other signs of damage on the car. What should you do in this scenario?

[DCEite]

Valet drivers notwithstanding, I have seen Mechanics in a TATA authorized service center revving the under service cars all the way to the redline (In neutral gear) for reasons only they know of. Ever since I saw that, I fear to give even my cars to the authorized service centres.

By the way, no pick and drop service for me to the service center. Ever.

[mohitm29]

Wanted to share an extremely disturbing incident that happened with my cousin brother had narrated to me a few weeks back. We were invited to attend an evening function- Mata Ki Chowki (payers for Godess Durga) at a Banquet in Delhi (name not disclosing deliberately). The valet drivers were taking keys from the guests and were parking somewhere (assumingly) nearby the banquet premises. Myself included, many guests started leaving after dinner, however my cousin was amongst the very few guests who were leaving late with our relative's family of organizers of the event.
When he went to ask his car key from valet stall, the people took time in finding his car's key. After a long wait my cousin brother asked to call manager of banquet. The Manager came out after some time. The valet people took this manager slightly away from the valet stall and were discussing something. The manager met my cousin brother and told my cousin brother to take a cab back home as staff is unable to find out the key at that moment and that they would search in morning and would arrange to get the car dropped at his residence in the morning. This triggered suspicion and my cousin brother started demanding CCTV footage. The manager informed that CCTV is not working. My brother kept demanding them to search car key but the manager kept saying the same statement - that he would get the car delivered in morning. In the meanwhile, many other staff (mostly drunk) people of banquet started to surround my cousin brother and his family. Fearing any mishap my cousin called up police, but did not get much help in first call. He received a second call from police but that also not helped, my cousin and his family had to go through this traumatic incident for almost 2 hours standing in between crowd of drunk men untill a third call was received from police. In the third call, the officer discussed with manager of banquet hall and asked to return car key to my cousin. The manager instructed one of the valet staff who hesitantly returned the car key. The valet people did not bother to bring the car back to the banquet premises and only guided my cousin as where the car would be parked. When my cousin found his car and opened it, he was shocked to see empty liquor bottles lying inside the car and some snacks like nuts lying on the seats which was proof enough that the valet staff had drunk inside his car. The family remained traumatised for many days after this incident. This incident had shockingly exposed other side of valet facilties at banquets. it was also a lesson that unless it is a 5 star reputed property, we should try to park our vehicles instead of giving keys and relying on valets.

[rayjaycleoful]

Very sorry to hear this and kudos to your cousin for being brave. Most of the banquet/ shaadi type valets are hired just for the night and have nothing to lose with any car damage or even human damage

I forgot about this thread but as someone who goes out often in Delhi and Gurgaon maybe my experiences which I can remember / suggestions below would help BHPians reading this

TLDR - Park your car yourself to save the car and time / don't give keys to anyone / pay a small tip and you will have a parking slot open up at the porch. If anything happens to your car, no one will take ownership. I think I read this on TBHP only but basically Valet in India means we don't have enough space for comfortable parking so will stick cars to each other

Personally, I like to keep my cars for very long - in shiny and clean condition. As much as possible (almost always actually now) I refuse to hand over the keys at any hotel/ restaurant/ market/ marriage, etc because of misuse and how much time it takes to get the car back. Some places where self-parking is absolutely not possible, I think it's better to take a trusted driver/ BluSmart.

Hotels

• Leela Delhi, Taj Palace, Grand Hyatt Gurgaon, Pullman Gurgaon - You can go down to the basement, park your car, and take the lift up which comes out right at the lobby (where they take your car). No one can stop you from doing this. I usually ask the guy who comes to take the car where I can park, if they guide me well (they usually will), the guy gets 100rs. Unnecessary, I know, but I'm happy to pay a small amount for this security of my car and convenience of getting it in ~2min. Sometimes while leaving at a peak time - there are too many cars for you to get it back within 5min; sometimes at the middle of the night there is no one awake to get your car..
  If they guys don't guide you, simply ask for the manager
  
• Radisson Gurgaon/ Delhi, Trident Gurgaon, ITC Maurya - Surface parking available; or tip the guy to make a spot available for you

Why do I do this at "5-star" hotels? Because things aren't like they used to be - no elderly/ experienced drivers. Accidents can happen anywhere but now these are all young guys contracted via some vendor and handed a white cap to park cars. You will see your own car wheelspinning on the lobby floor, automatic cars with gears being changed in motion, etc. The valet slip also says they are not responsible for anything! Go figure

Restaurants/ Marketplaces

• 32 Avenue - Disastrous situation. Car is taken to the road/ some dusty lot outside with the same entry/ exit gate
• Dhan mill - Again cars are entering/ exiting from the same place and no idea where they go
• Mehrauli restaurants - Very congested place overall. Some places have parking right in front, some do it on the footpath, and some take it far away

Some stories I have to share

• Olive Mehrauli -
  (1) Told the dude I'm either parking at the porch or parking myself. They resisted and I asked the restaurant person at the door - They said I can go park myself
  (2) On a different occasion I gave the car, got it back with a puncture at 1AM . Punctures can happen anywhere but considering I saw their unkempt yard, I believe it happened because of them
• One of the many Mehrauli restaurants who share parking at OneStyleMile -
  Valet gave us the key to fetch the car (parked on a footpath if you may). As soon as we got in the car, another valet hit a car (dented their door) into our stationary car (broke our bumper) Vendor and drivers tried to dismiss it/shoo us away but we were a couple of guys - finally it came down to driver is poor, please let him go, etc.
• Different Mehrauli restaurant - Gave a valet card for a 2008 SX4 and got a brand new 2023 Safari presented to us! Valet cards getting swapped are very very common
• Leela Gurgaon - Gave my car and later wondered where it went because of the very long time it took to get it back. It was parked in Ambience mall - I could have done it myself
• Taj Huda - Gave a valet card for my Creta and got a Honda City in return...Guys were super overworked. One of them sat in a guest's car, gassed it as soon he got in but the wheels very fully turned so he almost hit another car
• 32 Avenue - Was waiting at the main gate for a friend to leave (parked on the road, best alternative) and saw 7 valets get into a Figo to get lunch haha
• Grant Hyatt Gurgaon - Friend and I both leave at the same time; I go to fetch my car myself and parking guy gets his new Hector, except the guy does a nice burnout-brake-burnout type thing in the basement in front of me