Originally Posted by Frissen

most people don't get it and think valet is an upscale service, to these people i say, ok leave you car but also leave you shirt, let the valet wear it and when you come out you pick up you car and take the shirt off the valet and wear it back home, because in reality is about the same, the interior of the car is as intimate as your bathroom, is where you seat 100% of the time you drive, you are attached to the steering wheel 98% of the time and you let other greasy hand get all over it :/

Originally Posted by KonaKai

I drive a PDK. If my car were stick, I'd be much more hesitant to valet. That said, fact of life in Manhattan is parking in a garage where the attendants valet your car (unless you pay an exhorbitant self-park fee). Which is not to say the regular fee isn't exhorbitant in itself

My feeling is these cars are generally too loud for the attendants to rev for fun (certainly indoors). Anyway if the car is warm it's no harm. Joyrides -- the roads here are dodgy enough that I doubt they'd brave them and risk their paychecks. Dings -- a small but real risk. Best I can do is thoroughly and obviously walk around the car every time I drop it off or pick it up. I feel like half the battle is letting them know you're wary.

Once in a while, if I'm at a valet I'm not comfortable with, before I hand the keys I plug in my cheap OBDII reader and pretend I'm running diagnostics. A bit juvenile no doubt, but I like I said showing them you're wary is half the battle.