Does valet make you nervous too?

[Blitzeclips]

I just got back from dinner with the family. I had to find a parking spot. The valet said theres no self-parking lot, only valet. If you needed to park yourself you had to find a spot up town and walk. So I go what Marylanders call 'uptown' I guess, or general street with some buildings IMO, and EVERY parking lot is full, along with the road. My front bumper crunched atleast 4 or 5 times on the beat ass road. So I go back to the restaurant to ask the guy how much. $3. $3? I said. I said you should pay ME to drive my car. . Anyways, so my buddy works there and he's actualy a valet. He claims he's the only one who can drive manual, thus his $200 in tips every night. So I'm already apprehensive, not to mention I've NEVER seen anyone else drive my car without me in it. So I tell him the front will bite the road, drive slow and be careful. Not in a strict tone, didn't want to come off as an asshole so I was just bustin his balls I guess. Anyways, he gets in the car and starts bouncing on the belts before the first turn. You know that constant bounce you might get at the last few RPMs when you dropped the clutch too quick, with minimal acceleration? Yeah, that's what he did. So then, I see their lot is UP A GRAVEL ROAD. UPHILL. With shittons of potholes. I just smiled and said damn thats my luck. So the best isn't over yet. My buddy calls me while I'm eating and I tell him the deal. He asked who drove it. I described the teenage dude who jumped in my car. He sreplies, uhm, he can't drive manual. GREAT. . EVEN BETTER. So, most the time at dinner I was worried about the whip. Not too much but curious to see and drive it.

We go to leave. The valet takes my ticcket and walks off. I hear my car, it's chugging, but moving. He rounds the corner and parks in front of me. CLUNK Stalled it out in first. Right at my feet. Then tries to tell me my gearbox is out of wack. .

So I drove off and everything seemed fine, little dusty but nothin big. Can you do any damage by stalling the car out?

Anyways, who else despises valets? Any other stories? I know some of you guys are as anal about your car as I am. Fess up.

 

[DGajre777]

No valet driver has ever driven or will ever drive my car, it is that simple.

I'd walk a mile than have a valet driver drive my car. I'd also have someone stall out my car than go street race in it and have it wrapped around a pole.

Can you do any damage by stalling the car out?

Not that I know of, I've stalled it a times when I got a new clutch and when I was trying to teach a friend how to drive a manual.

 

[bling5tatus]

that's crappy... I liked the tmo chips that had the valet mode where the thing wouldn't rev past like 2500 rpms.

 

[RedTurboEclipse]

it would be funny to see him drive a dsm with rev limit set really low and have a really light flywheel and heavy pressure plate with 6puck disk.

 

[sag1441]

im excited to valet if i ever go somewhere worth it, but for now i get entertainment from the carwash people stalling out and switching multiple drivers on the 2600 w/light flywheel.

 

[Elvenhome21]

yeah I think that would be funny as hell with a 2900 PP or a dual disk clutch and a aluminum flywheel and have the valet mode set to 2500rpm. Sure make a intresting facial expresion on the valets face.

But no stalling out doesn't do any real harm. Its a lot less harsh than push starting or dropping the clutch.

 

[Shaggy_357]

Here in po-dunk Lawton, OK we only have a valet at the hospital, but it's for the gimpy old folks

If I WAS presented with a "valet or park elsewhere" ultimatum, I would drive somewhere else. Hell, my best friend has only driven my car once, and that was for helping me with my motor swap LoL

 

[snowborder714]

and have the valet mode set to 2500rpm

What would you need to control (or create) a valet mode? Would DSMLink do that or is it something else?


And once again, stalling it out won't hurt anything.

 

[chicagoavenger]

I would of just rode with the valet guy just to watch if you can't park it youself.

 

[Blitzeclips]

I would of just rode with the valet guy just to watch if you can't park it youself.

I tried that but they wouldn't let me.

 

[RipperXX]

then I wouldn't have eaten there.


BTW Shaggy give me a holla, were both in Lawton and I have never seen another DSMer here!

 

[Elvenhome21]

What would you need to control (or create) a valet mode? Would DSMLink do that or is it something else?


And once again, stalling it out won't hurt anything.

yes, its a dsmlink option.

 

[DSMinduction]

i know a bunch of people who valet cars, and i think everyone of them floors it . i just think it would be funny to see thier reaction when they go to floor a 4-500whp dsm . i would never give them the chance though haha.

 

[talonalex92]

i dont give anyone a chance to drive my car. hell, when i got it aligned they were trying to pull this "we need to testdrive thing" and i said, no an alignment is all numbers, your on or your not. your not driving my car and if you do im not paying. he kindly gave me my keys and i proceeded to enjoy my newly aligned vehicle =]

 

[Dream On]

yes, its a dsmlink option.

Where's this at? I've never seen it so far.

 

[DGajre777]

Where's this at? I've never seen it so far.

Under ECU > RPMs, it's called REV Limit - Page 21 and 22 of the DSMLink Manual http://www.dsmlink.com/downloads.html

 

[RedTurboEclipse]

Yea that rev limit thing is useful, for situations like these. they prob get scared the first time they try to floor it and it wont go above 2500rpm.

Useful also if you decide to bring your car somewhere for some work. Like alignments or other situations where they will test drive your car.

 

[VPrime]

the AMG Mercedes also have a rev limit option for valets.. theres a video on the internets of some valets trying to rev the car to hell, but it doesn't go past 2krpm..
Apparently these valets were also fired shortly after posting the video

 

[diablos991]

Yea that rev limit thing is useful, for situations like these. they prob get scared the first time they try to floor it and it wont go above 2500rpm.

Useful also if you decide to bring your car somewhere for some work. Like alignments or other situations where they will test drive your car.

I have gotten many free alignments and oil changes due to people test driving my car. I just lower the boost before i bring it in and I watch them like a hawk.

Though, a valet mode would come in extremely handy.

 

[twinturbo3k]

I waited to pick my buddy up where he works, I was talking with the valets there typically they said they do not mess with modded cars because one of the valets snapped an axle in a modded WRX during a wedding and was taken to small claims court and the whole shabang.
SRT4s and SRT8s seem to be the valet beat the crap out of favorites. I usually do not hear too many DSM stories other than someone telling me they were beating a GS and it was really slow- suprise surprise.

Personally, I wouldnt worry about valets too much, they usually just stink at driving- typically the worst people are mechanics as far as breaking stuff.

 

[SoonToBeDSM06]

I had the guys at the dodge dealer call me up after they did the ball joint recall telling me that I need a new ECU because the the engine will not rev further than 3k RPMs. I just asked them why they need to test drive my car when they were only replacing the ball joint. After the very awkward moment of silence on the phone I just told them that I will be in to pick it up. Got the laptop out and changed it back. And put the actuator arm back on the flapper lever and took off. I hate those kind of people.

 

[Locke]

On the Camaro, we set the 2 step to ~2800.

I always got good deals at Discount Tire or the alignment shop. As I hear the 383 fire up through its dual 3" pipes, and quickly start popping off of the soft touch, all it took was that special stare at the manager.

 

[bullettdsm]

When I was a young lad of 17 or 18. I parked cars for an airport valet service. They dropped their cars off and we took them to the airport and parked their cars. I was a young punk with a need for speed and beat the shit out of those cars. It wasn't right but it is what happened. I had the best speed on our little 1/4 run (DIRT 1/4 mile straight away that ended at a big hill), Took an old '68ish? Corvette over 80. Scary corner at the hill. Dick move all the way.

That's why nobody parks my good car, unless I can see them.

MB

 

[Hideki]

With my 2600 and lightweight flywheel everytime I've gone to a restaurant with a valet, they let me park it myself. I've actually never been told I can't... Then again I'll pay them the three bucks anyways... If I'm ever hassled, I'm sure I'd just let them try to park the darned thing just to find out its harder than hell to get this thing moving. <--- pretty sure they'll just throw the keys back at me and tell me to park it myself

 

[zatomz]

Yea I had to put my input on this thread because i work valet at a casino in some place im not saying for 2 years and Ive owned my dsm for four years. I have only had one respectable dsm ever come to valet and I parked him up front because we talked for almost an hour then he gave me 20 bucks. Dont bring your corvette to me because I love the feeling of a slow corvette especially the new ones. I like to know who I should watch for and who I should let pass. We have a 9 second corvette who valets and Im the one to park it because im the only one who can drive his clutch and I do get on it from time to time but never faster than 40mph or so which takes no time at all once the tires stop spinning. as far as other cars go ill say one thing....tip well or tip period and these valets will not do anything to hurt that tip. stiff me and ill get your car sideways after all I work for tips not for hourly wage which in two weeks is less than half of what i make in one weeks worth of tips. We do go kinda fast but I only do that to get to my next tip....the more cars i bring around the more money I make.
PLEASE TIP YOUR VALETS.....we drive your 5,000-100,000 cars and you cant give me a dollar......just like you dont mess with the cook......just remember Most places valet is an option for the lazy ass....IM DOING YOU THE FAVOR BY TAKING 5 MINUTES OF MY TIME TO PARK YOUR LAZY SELF. I agree with what people are saying because I do work with people who have no consideration but being I put time and money into my car I know how it is for other people to rag on my stuff which is why I generally dont do it especially if your nice and TIP.

By the way fastest car I've ever driven was a Rentech twin turbo (bi-turbo) v12 mercedes clk 500 (800 horsepower) I hit 80mph at a different casino with a LONGER STRETCH in a very short distance with traction control. If you can resist driving one of those and not putting your foot into it when your a teenager I will wash your feet and call you masa. (I'm now 21 I no longer drive fast