Can someone explain what the mechanical key is for? And how do you let a valet park the car without giving him (her) access to the glove box and trunk?

 

Good question. All you need to do is the mechanical key out and push the button for your trunk in the glove box out then lock the glove box give the valet the transponder and they are locked out of the trunk and your valuables are safe.

 

DUH! Why didn't I realize that! Thanks for whacking my stupidity!

 

Or better still, never let a testosterone loaded valet park your car...

 

There used to be a separate valet key for the LS 430 and past models but they have since simplified it greatly with the multi-unit key fobs.

 

Now here's a smart man. Don't be a lazy SOB and instead, park it yourself.

I'm 17, and I know I sure as hell would "take the long way" to your parking spot if I was your valet.

 

Problem is, many places, you dont have a choice. Except not to go there in the first place.

 

park further away and take a little walk?

or just give the valet 20 bucks and ask to park your car out front

 

I told this story before but I will tell it again since it pertains. When I graduated from college I lived in an apartment in Pittsburgh that had a very fine restaurant in it (daryll40, you will know it; Monterey Bay on Mt. Washington). From my apartment I had a birds eye view of the valet parking and I was shocked by what I saw on a daily basis.

Basically, they slowly pull your car out of the lot and then hammer the throttle down the street, slam on the brakes and yank it into a spot. Sometimes they would take joy rides, sit in the cars and play with the buttons, back into fences and I even saw them put the noses of two SUV's together and push against each other. It was consistent and crazy.

I NEVER again allowed a valet to park my car (with the exception of the RX which is my beater). I would strongly encourage you not to allow the valets park your car but if you have to do what Rominl said and tip heavy to have it left out front.

 

Yup, I know Mount Washington. And your story is a good one. I've never had a problem with a valet THAT I KNOW OF, but in the future I'll try harder to avoid valets. Then again, once you are parked at the restaurant, you don't know what they put in your food in the kitchen...now THAT is a REAL risk!

 

Exotic owners talk about this all the time. Valet parking conditions are the deal-killers for many restaurants. If you've got the toy out, you won't go to certain places.

The running joke is, now that you bought the Ferrari, you get to shell out $20, and you park your own car.

No one touches the car but me. I park it, and tip heavily. I prefer it up front. I've had jerks who made things difficult. I wonder if the owners of the restaurants realize how much business they lose by never having those customers come back.

 

doc, do they usually go pretty easy when you ask to park your car up front? usually how much you tip them?

 

Some do, some don't. Some have VIP areas. Some are just jerks.

Basically, it depends on the restaurant, and more importantly how nice the valet is. If he appears to be a jerk wanting to do a Ferris Bueller, or doesn't lift a finger and snickers as I back the sucker in, I'll drop $5. A nice, helpful kid (helping direct me to back up, for example, moving other cars around) will get up to $20.

Pretty standard for exotics around here, per conversations. Probably doesn't buy you the time of day in SoCal, or Miami.

For the Lexus, usually $2. That's normal to nice around here.

 

lol, i guess i need to get the ratio between FL and CA here just to normally valet the car people pay like 5 bucks already. crap it's not cheap living in CA!

 

Yeah, I figured about that. NY's not cheap either.