Incompetent Valet Parkers

A couple of weeks ago I decided to spend the day at the W hotel pool here in LA. I parked my Lamborghini at the valet myself without taking a ticket, and left the key thinking I was going to be back a few hours later. I assumed as a Starwood platinum member it wouldn't be a big deal to hang out without being a guest at the hotel, but that wasn't the case. I either had to rent a cabana @ $200 or get a room for $300. So I got spontaneous and turned the trip into an overnight in-town vacation.

I checked out the next day, then went to the valet to ask for the key and drive home. The booth attendant mentioned I had to wait for a manager which I thought was weird, but perhaps related to the fact that I was asking for the key to a $200k car with no proof it was mine (the guys on shift now weren't there when I got in the day before). I said I could pull it out myself, and show someone the registration so the manager thing wouldn't be necessary, to which he replied "there's been an incident." What a dreaded response that was! My heart dropped - assuming the worst. There's been a what!? No sooner had the red vested kid said the words than I had walked down to the car to find a nice swipe across the front left bumper and fender. It wasn't as bad as I had thought, but then again it was...

I have never worked as a valet, but as I have come to understand the job it involves primarily one task: PARK CARS. I parked the car myself. So what more could I have possibly done to help these people avoid this!? Put my car in an inflatable sumo suit? Cover it in tennis balls? WTF?

The manager arrived and explained that the night before one of their employees was backing a car into the space next to mine and lightly swiped my car. He was then fired on the spot. They would've notified me sooner but didn't know how to get a hold of me. The guy was very polite and apologetic throughout our discussion but it didn't really matter. He said the company would pay for all damages (duh), and would comp my parking charges of $31 [eye roll]. The hotel also gave me 10,000 starpoints (enough for a free night anywhere anytime - again eye roll). None of this mattered either, as the incovenience and aggravation weren't worth it.

The repair will cost about $2k, the reapplication of the clear bra will cost $1k, and the diminished value of the car will come to about $5k. But the real hurt will come from them putting me in another Lambo while mine is in the shop. $2500/day at 10 days = $25,000. OUCH! Oh well, I guess in the future the parking company will be a little more stringent in their hiring practices, or practice better supevision!

Bastards.