Valet Parking vs. Garages/Street

[kwilkinson]

For those of you who live in cities or frequent places that offer valet parking, would you rather park at the valet or on the street?
In Chicago, I could always find relatively cheap parking somewhere within a couple blocks of where I would be going, so I never thought valet would be a better deal. I figured the same would be true of San Francisco. However, I parked in a garage last night and it cost $30, which I can only assume was quite a bit more expensive than the valet would have been.
Granted, I don't know SF as well as I know Chicago, so I'm sure there's cheaper parking somewhere, but even when I paid parking yesterday morning at a meter, it was $3.00 an hour.

So what do you do, park on your own or valet whenever possible?

 

[binge]

Taxi.

 

[Rambo]

How many hours were you in the garage for? Unless it's an apartment building or a hotel, valet generally isn't for extended/overnight periods of time.

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by Rambo

How many hours were you in the garage for? Unless it's an apartment building or a hotel, valet generally isn't for extended/overnight periods of time.

7:30 until midnight, to grab drinks at a bar, walk two blocks to go to dinner, then go back to the garage.

 

[Piobaire]

Valet and have vehicle parked right at the front door vs. way out back in bumper bang land.

 

[DNW]

That's pretty stiff. I've never paid that much for parking in a garage, even overnight in NYC. The few times I've driven to NYC at night, I've never had trouble finding street parking close to where I need to be.

 

[DNW]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

Valet and have vehicle parked right at the front door vs. way out back in bumper bang land.

And when the front is filled up with highline cars, where do you think the valets bring the rest of the cars to?

 

[Xericx]

i prefer parking the car myself unless parking is scare (i.e. i need to look for parking).

 

[Piobaire]

Originally Posted by DarkNWorn

And when the front is filled up with highline cars, where do you think the valets bring the rest of the cars to?

I've never had my vehicle not be right in the spot I pointed to on the way in.

 

[Johnny_5]

You also need to consider the people you allow to drive your car. Sometimes if I can't find parking in the street at school I put my car in a garage. Let me tell you, they really beat on the cars in the garages. They make sure they floor the gas no matter how far they need to go. Whether they need to drive your car 15 or 40 feet they floor it and then throw the car in park before it even comes to a stop.

Now every time I change gears the transmission rattles. Thank god it's covered under warranty.

If you are parallel parking in the street your car is going to get damaged. It's inevitable. People who probably shouldnt have drivers licenses slamming into your car trying to park are and doors of taxis swinging into the side of your car when people get out. I remember when I first started working in Manhattan some lady in a Saab obviously had no idea how to parallel park. She backed into the front of my jeep so hard my tow hooks went right through her bumper. Afterwards, realizing she might have fucked up my jeep badly she tried to make a quick getaway but unfortunately for her my tow hooks ripped off her bumper and she called the police claiming it was my fault even though I was not even in my car when it occurred and myself and three of my employees witnessed it.

 

[Joffrey]

Street first if it's available and convenient. Then garage, then valet.

 

[ama]

Garage. I usually don't care for the hassle of street parking nor the expense/carelessness of valet.

 

[Get Smart]

valet only if that's the only avail option, otherwise always street or garage

 

[hossoso]

Street or garage. Probably a garage in unfamiliar cities but I know most west coast quite well.

 

[JayJay]

I use valet only when I have no other option (e.g., hotels), otherwise I self-park.