Valet’s So Much Easier Now With More Prius’s On The Road

[Brian]

I really love being able to treat the Prius like any other car when I go to Valet it anymore. There are so many restaurants in Newport Beach and most of the areas around me that have Valet and it’s really great to just leave it there now. I totally trust all the places I go to regularly now. They have gotten to know the Prius so well, they even know if it’s SKS or not. They just say leave it in the dash or I'll hold the key.
Anyone else like the experience now that most places know how to drive them? I haven't had a question from a Valet guy since June of '04!!

[JeffHart]

Have just started driving the Prius and so far am 1 for 1 on valets. Stopped at the Hyatt Grand for breakfast and the valet was familiar with Prii, spent the night on a reward stay (no electricity at home) at a Hilton Garden Inn and was glad for the valet instruction card.

Cheers,
Jeff

[will]

So far the worst place for me is the car washes, when the attendant drives your car to the auto wash. I have tried to fix some of there problems by inserting FOB into the dash and not have it just laying around the car when they get in. I still see them fumbling and looking confused as how to get the FOB out or put it back in, or put the car in park.

[Somechic]

BUMP.

I was forced to take my car to a valet in Philadelphia, PA.

It took me 15 mintues to explain how to start/turn off the car. That card did NOT help at all. He didn't even realize it was running when he first got in.

I was never a fan of valets and now with a Prius, it's much worse.

Anyone having any better experiences dealing with a valet?

[Liam]

I had the tires replaced on my car 2 months ago at a Goodyear tire store. Spent 10 minutes explaining how to drive the car. The man said it would be done in two hours so I left to have lunch. I came back 3 hours later and the car hadn't been moved and still had the old tires. They had been trying to start the car by putting a foot on the brake and pushing the power button just like I told them, but they were pushing the radio power button. Sitting in the car I can see that the POWER button is sort of hidden behind the steering wheel.

[onerpm]

brian, you have more courage than I. I went downtown last night for dinner and pulled into the parking garage that is free if eating in that restaurant, and it turns out the garage was valet-only, not self-park. I chickened out and paid $5 to park up the block, giving me a mighty cold and windy walk. And I'm a tightwad!

I had my snow tires/wheels thrown on Monday, and made them let me drive my car onto and off of the lift.

My concern with valets is that even if the one you give the car to professes to understand Prii, the one who brings it back later on might be clueless. I suppose you could tape the valet instruction thingie to the dash, but there's no guarantee it would or could be read.

rpm

[Maytrix]

I think it's best to leave the valet card out, just in case someone isn't familiar with it. Assuming they can read english, they should be able to figure out just from the card.

I really don't see what's so difficult about it though. The Prius is not the only car with a push button start. And while the gear shifter is a bit unusual, it's also not all that hard to understand. I think it was easier to figure out than my Dad's BMW. That shifter is a bit akward and isn't all that intuitive.

[Rae Vynn]

We didn't get a valet card with our Prius, that we've been able to locate.

[bgdrewsif]

Wow, my prius came with a whole stack of those valet cards when I got it in April 2006 and I still have every one of those cards in my center console because valet parking does not exist for anything here... (and if it did I almost certainly could not afford it). Must be nice to live in ritzy-glitzy places where it is at least an option!

[hobbit]

If you feel the need to print one,
http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/pix/udh2/800/valet.gif
.
_H*