tuscl

Mandatory Valet

CTQWERTY
Seeing this arise again recently makes me wonder whether valets are in fact legally immune even if it says on the ticket stub "Not responsible for vehicle damage or theft", etc. Can they get away with such a clause even if they're at fault? Or is there a higher order at play in a responsibility to use due care and though try as they may to absolve themselves, they can in fact be held responsible? Maybe the ultimate arbiter would be a jury presumably if a judge doesn't throw it out up front. And the jury may see things differently than what the valet purports. What say ye?

16 comments

  • samsung1
    •
    14 years ago
    I doubt a lot of people would go through the hassle of a jury and court to try to get the valets to pay for their car damages (assuming it was just a scratch or small dent). Especially the married men or men with careers - they don't want to risk it by letting it be known they were out at a strip club
  • shadowcat
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    14 years ago
    I will never find out because I will never let some loser have my car keys.
  • georgmicrodong
    •
    14 years ago
    At least in the US, those clauses mean nothing in the event of negligence or malicious actions by the service provider. However, the burden of proof for such a claim is on the injured party.
  • samsung1
    •
    14 years ago
    I have only been to the Penthouse Detroit club twice, but both times I went I saw zero thugs or shady characters. Maybe the mandatory valet is like the dress codes, it helps weed out the undesirable customers.
  • CTQWERTY
    •
    14 years ago
    Thanks for the feedback folks!
  • farmerart
    •
    14 years ago
    A scratch on my car door at a charitable function here in France wangled me a pleasant hook up with the valet's sister. Mind you, the valet was a community volunteer donating his time for the benefit of the charity and the "parking lot" was driveways and yards of nearby neighbours.

    As for SC valets and valet fees:

    I avoid them at all costs because I HATE FUCKING VALET FEES!!!!
  • snowtime
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    14 years ago
    I have never been to a club with a mandatory valet. My vehicle is usually my work van with valuables inside. I will not let a valet kid have access to the contents. If I have to have someone park my car to enter a club, I will find another club.
  • Clubber
    •
    14 years ago
    i am with sc and snow on this one. I am in the same boat as snow.
  • vincemichaels
    •
    14 years ago
    samsung1, that is one factor. Profits are king in any business, that's Penthouse's business model. As I've pointed out elsewhere, it also contributes to personal safety. Some out of towner got killed a few years ago in the neighborhood. I don't recall the results of the police investigation. Maybe he parked in the neighborhood, maybe he was doing a drug buy. Personally, if I choose to go to Penthouse, I'll either park on the street or pay. samsung1 knows the dances are exceptionally high mileage. I can name several dancers that do it all, but I won't name names of the good ones. I'll name Destiny, from Bogarts to warn you guys of the ROB scrawny bitch she is. I'm no chicken, I'm no fool, I grew up here and lived 20 years in the Big D. I am street-smart. I am alive writing this post even though I spent many, many years of my life living in the fine city of Detroit that is coming back, despite it's many problems. Let's not lose sight of the fact ALL cities have problems. Cleveland is pretty skanky in certain neighborhoods, I didn't let that stop me from going to Amber's Miami has some very choice neighborhoods. Pompano Beach where I went to Cheetahs last Friday afternoon had a very nasty neighborhood just across the street. The parking lot fee collector told me how the SWAT teams use their parking lot as a staging area for their arrest sequences.
    Come on, live a little guys, dont' be chicken. What's the worst thing that will happen to you? You die. You come back in the next life. I'd rather not pay valet fees, I don't drive my Corvette to those clubs, but if I truly want to visit a "Valet Parking Only" club, I'll pay. It's a cost of doing business.
  • Clubber
    •
    14 years ago
    vm,

    If you visit a valet club, do you let them drive your car, or will they just take the cash and allow yo to do the driving? That would be my concern, not the cost.
  • vincemichaels
    •
    14 years ago
    Clubber, when I drive Corvette back in Detroit, there is one club I'll let them drive it. Otherwise, if I do go to a club where I know I will pay Valet, I'll drive my old bomb, they can drive it. I don't care.
  • CTQWERTY
    •
    14 years ago
    I think your scrawny ROB is Dynasty, not Destiny.

    The mileage at Penthouse for day shift does seem to be worth the mandatory valet charge.
  • tttclub
    •
    14 years ago
    Isn't valet a necessary evil here? Personally, I trust a kid to drive my car 50 feet and not crash it. I've never had anything stolen out of my car, and I would bet that if I put a $10 bill in the cup holder, 99 times out of 100 it would be there when I got my car back. And complaining about a $5 fee when you go inside, pay $20 for a booth, a cover charge, $8 a drink, and a few hundred bucks to have a girl sit on my lap and pretend she likes me, seems a little odd. In this shitty economy, I'm glad keep some kid employed by giving him a few bucks to park my car.

    Just my opinion. Just find it annoying that someone actually has posted 2 or 3 reviews to state in 3 paragraphs that he didn't actually go into the club because he was so appalled that there is a mandatory valet. If that's all it takes to keep my membership going, I'm going to start posting reviews that I didn't stop in a club because the landscaping wasn't up to my standards, or there was a light burnt out on the sign out front.
  • minnow
    •
    14 years ago
    Like a couple of posters, I view valet, or parking fees as a cost of doing business.ttt took the words right out of my mouth.

    clubber- I've been to both types of clubs as for letting you park it yourself, but pay the fee. Cheetahs-Pompano, and Solid Gold-Oakland Park would let you exercise that option. Ditto one of lopaws fave SoCal clubs.

    I'm with snowtime on his main issue of having someone rummage through the belongings in the vehicle. Think a moment- a stranger has access to your personal info (registration), and your car/house keys. Are you really going to remove housekey from keychain, and registration/insurance from glove compartment prior to entry? ( I do pocket my car rental contract prior to handing keys over to valet on out of town business trips) Ditto on key belongings you may have?
  • vincemichaels
    •
    14 years ago
    CT, I am not going to argue the name of that scrawny blonde ROB at Bogarts. samsung1 concurred with me when I messaged him. Whatever, you could be right, we could be right. As for the subject of this discussion, I've never been thrilled to pay a Valet charge, but if it becomes necessary, oh well. I'm glad we have the freedom of choice here in the USA.
  • gk
    •
    14 years ago
    If there's a valet, so be it. It's part of the cost of fun. If I know a neighborhood, I might try to park down the street, but most times I don't so the valet is a service with benefits--someone is supposed to be looking out for your car. Cars are important, but we have insurance for when something bad happens to them. As to covering up if it happpens in a SC valet lot, call a cab and say it happened somewhere else. How many wives or SO's are going to read the details of a police report?

    Passing on a club because of mandatory valet is being a little too cheap. If you have problem with turning your keys over, that's an obcession (no offense intended to any who feel that way) but you have the right to feel that way right. To each his own. It's just not that big a deal for me.
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