Planet 9

***Ryan Michaels*** · #1 02-06-2009, 10:18 PM

Just something to think about if you have a GPS and you valet park your car.
Thieves Nab 2 Cars in Ultimate Showcase Showdown Moment - Gothamist: New York City News, Food, Arts & Events
Before i read that article i never even thought about someone using my GPS to find my house and take another car.

wwjd · #2 02-06-2009, 10:47 PM

thanks for the article...
i should change all my navs

cheerIO · #3 02-06-2009, 11:38 PM

I have never had my real home programmed into the "Home" button on any of my Navs.

Currently, if you steal my Nav and decide to visit my "home" you will find yourself at the end of a deserted road that can easily be blocked in by one well placed truck.

**Slatfatf** · #4 02-06-2009, 11:40 PM

Why would you ever let a stranger drive your car???

Tesla · #5 02-07-2009, 01:10 AM

Anyone ever meet an ex-valet that said using that service was a good idea?

***DaveN007*** · #6 02-07-2009, 02:37 AM

One more tip. Never leave your parking ticket in your car while parked at an airport. It is a ticket out of the lot for someone stealing your car. Without it, they will be forced to show ID, etc. and get nailed.

I have twice seen idiots in the middle of being arrested for trying to leave without a ticket...attempting to steal the car they were in.

**shakeypics** · #7 02-07-2009, 03:23 AM

Isn't the world filled with lovelies....

Gator Bite · #8 02-07-2009, 06:50 AM

So simple, yet I had never thought of it. Probably because I don't have a criminal mind.

It's common knowledge that many valet parking attendants leave the keys on the left front tire of cars when parked. That makes it easy for someone to enter a lot and drive off.

Even if you don't have your home programmed into your NAV, chances are your registration is in your glove box with your address on it. Leaving a Porsche key in your car, and an address to it's location is not a good idea (unfortunately).

Another risk is the fact that the Mercedes probably had Homelink which provided the perp access to the garage.

**Oxiourus** · #9 02-07-2009, 08:27 AM

there is so much information out there, and especially in your car that can be used to locate a person. I was doing an estimate on a car once, and the customer had the vin tag blocked, because she said that thieves could use that information to track her address! She had read that in the internet or someone had forward her an email. I am not sure if that is possible or not, but I suppose you could run a car fax and then a registration search (public record)

Sometimes we received cars in the shop overnight, and people often fail to leave us contact information, they just toss the keys inside. It doesn't take us too long to find out whose car it is, address and phone numbers. There is registration, insurance card, pay stubs, bills, invoices, and sometimes even cash!

I hate valet parking, especially if I am driving my older cars!

JimSouCal · #10 02-07-2009, 11:21 AM

Originally Posted by Tesla

Anyone ever meet an ex-valet that said using that service was a good idea?

Here's an illustration (warning).

Decades ago, when I was in High School, me and a bunch of buddies worked as valets at a restaurant: Charthouse in Malibu on Pacific Coast Highway.

Never my doing, but sometimes once the patron went inside, performance cars were taken off the lot and driven, even so far as to go about a mile to the Jack in the Box for the drive thru. True, and nobody every got caught nor was there any incident. Still, amazing when I look back.

If you HAVE to valet, do a walk around with the valet telling them there isn't a scratch on the car, NOT ONE SCRATCH, and do it in the presence of others. Inspect with care BEFORE leaving. Despite the limitation of liability on the card, at least in California, the insurance of the valet will cover any damage, IF YOU POINT IT OUT BEFORE LEAVING, and DID YOUR INSPECTION ON ARRIVAL AND GOT AGREEMENT all was pristine.

If you do this, the valets usually keep a close eye on the car. Sometimes it's the best and only way in some areas, and if handled right, most valets appreciate your concern (and hope it's matched with renumeration).

**Ed Merry** · #11 02-07-2009, 01:08 PM

Interesting thread but a sad story of our wayward everything goes society. Ed

ezmoney · #12 02-07-2009, 05:05 PM

Originally Posted by DaveN007

One more tip. Never leave your parking ticket in your car while parked at an airport. It is a ticket out of the lot for someone stealing your car. Without it, they will be forced to show ID, etc. and get nailed.

I have twice seen idiots in the middle of being arrested for trying to leave without a ticket...attempting to steal the car they were in.

Do the tickets identify the car or just the date and time it entered the lot? If that's so then any enterprising thief can get a ticket from another car and be on their way with your car.

BTW if you see me with a coat hanger by the window of a car it's because I just washed the car and I'm hanging it up to dry!

**HassaanAbdeen** · #13 09-20-2009, 12:43 AM

I was doing a search on "Valet" as today I could be valeting my Porsche for the first time at Amman's Four Seasons Hotel since I'm celebrating my sister's birthday with my family there... and now after coming across this very interesting thread, I am not sure if I would hand over the keys to the valet man!

Nevertheless, thank you all very much for such valuable info.

Capercat · #14 09-20-2009, 02:18 AM

Originally Posted by Slatfatf

Why would you ever let a stranger drive your car???

Exactly, I can write an essay on the things that happen to cars after surrendering the keys to strangers.
I simply won't allow anyone drive my car except the service tech I nominate, the dealer is happy with that arrangement, similar to having a haircut by your favorite stylist.

**blueone** · #15 09-20-2009, 04:23 AM

We never valet park our cars. Never. Sometimes my spouse wants to make an exception with her SUV, but I never relent.

I have surrendered my keys to a dealer or trusted shop for service, but even then I'm leery. Once, a long time ago, I dropped a car off at the dealer for service, and when I went to lunch that day with some friends I saw my car in a restaurant parking lot. (Most here would have been amused to witness my temper tantrum at the time. Certainly some patrons of the restaurant were, who cheered me on. I confiscated the car on the spot.)

The NAV problem strikes me as a minor issue; you do have to steal the car. If you don't valet it seems a minor risk. I think the registration documents risk is a larger one; smashing a window gets it. I hide my registration in an inobvious place, but one police officer was definitely not amused when I asked his permission to search for it a bit, as I got mixed-up about hiding places between cars. I never have found a satisfying solution to the registration problem, and I'm afraid to carry it with me lest I forget it.

Interestingly, Sunset Porsche, my local dealer, actively advertises free valet parking for Porsches at one of the local shopping malls. It truly surprises me that enough people regularly surrender the keys to their Porsches to make the offer seem like a benefit.

**HassaanAbdeen** · #16 09-20-2009, 08:22 AM

I have to admit I was very reluctant to surrender my car keys to the Valet man for lunch but when I saw that they park the car just few minutes away inside the parking lot of the hotel and the gate has a security guard... I felt more confident about handing over the keys to him... he was so excited to drive it of course!

It all went well... thank God!

extanker · #17 09-20-2009, 09:09 AM

i just went outside to let my dog get the paper and as usual the window is down and the new po is unlocked...if i have any fears its that some furry critter might spend the night in it [that would not be a first for me] its just a car and now days its a VW

Capercat · #18 09-20-2009, 04:06 PM

It all depends on your capital outlay. If you can afford not to worry about a lump of metal sitting on four rubber wheels then yes why be concerned.

Von Hanstein · #19 09-23-2009, 08:22 AM

Originally Posted by Capercat

Exactly, I can write an essay on the things that happen to cars after surrendering the keys to strangers.
I simply won't allow anyone drive my car except the service tech I nominate, the dealer is happy with that arrangement, similar to having a haircut by your favorite stylist.

Good advise and words to live by IMO. You can get yourself into enough trouble trying to always do the right thing, without looking for it.