Pet Peeve: Part IV: Valet Parking

I don't know if anyone else is peeved by being forced to use valet parking, but here in Los Angeles, it seems as though there are as many valet parking attendants as there are illegal immigrants.

Now I know that valet parking is useful in some instances, but in L.A. almost every restaurant has valet parking, and here's what riles me in no particular order.

First, the valets take up parking spaces where I would normally park myself, for example, in the street. Sometimes the valets even get permission to park your car in parking lots in strip malls where the restaurant you are going to is located. What's worse, however, is that you are prevented from parking in those lots yourself. Is that legal? If so, who's getting the kickback from that arrangement?

Second, valets charge an arm and a leg and then expect a tip. Well, here's a tip: let me park my car myself and don't take up parking spots that I want to use. While recently in San Francisco, we paid $10 for the valet to park our car directly across the street from the restaurant, where, if there weren't any valets, we could have parked it ourselves. Of course, we didn't notice that until we came out of the restaurant and watched in utter disbelief as the valet walked across the street, got in our car, and made a U-turn to deliver our car to us. Needless to say, we didn't tip him.

Third, have you ever seen how valets drive your car when you're not looking? Believe me, you don't want to.

Lastly, perhaps there wouldn't be as many valets if people weren't so willing to pay someone exorbitant fees to park their cars. But many people seem to have the disposable income to afford such luxuries.

So I say, unless you're old or infirmed or are out for a very special occasion, why not park your own car and walk the short distance to the restaurant? Many people I see these days could use the exercise. And at least then we'd be competing with each other instead of valet attendants for parking spaces.

Obviously parking is in short supply in L.A and other cities, but that doesn't mean that every restaurant needs to have valet parking.

Give us our parking spaces back and the choice to park our own cars.