offered at any rate. Rain was coming down like bullets. When we arrived, we pulled under


the overhang and jumped out. But when we returned to the valet stand on our way home, a hundred other people also were trying to leave. Our car was brought around to the exit side of the driveway, which was not covered, rain still ricocheting off the pavement. That’s when a very adorable and chivalrous valet whipped out a giant silver lamé umbrella, gave me his arm


to hold on to, and escorted me to the passenger side of the vehicle. I was thoroughly impressed and


smiled like a teenager at prom. He even closed my door for me. Sigh. It was a small price to pay to be treated like a VIP for just a few moments. I could learn to like it.My friend paid the tip.


Melissa Bean Sterzick is PT’s amateur parker and proofreader. She can be reached at Melissa@parkingtoday.com


PT


heart politicians, but only occasionally required when traffic is heavy or the parking spot is tiny. I can park crooked, straight, paral-


lel, diagonally, legally, illegally, near, far and any other old way you can dream up. I can park on grass, asphalt, concrete, dirt, rocks or hills, and in garages, carports, car parks and drive- ways. I’man excellent parker. My husband and I recently attend-


ed a function at the hospital where our children were born. The invitation said “free valet” and when we arrived, the valet repeated the offer.We would have liked to park our car ourselves, in part because it was filthy on the outside and amess of carseats, toys,magazines and other things on the inside. It doesn’t matter how nicely you are dressed; the valet still knows you’re a disaster area, and that’s just plain embarrassing. But therewas no self-parking to be


had – all taken by people visiting the hospital formore important reasons, so we gave the valet our car and its keys and went inside, where we enjoyed free food, a tour of the new wing, and good conversation with some old friends. When the evening was over, we


returned to the valet podium, and the nice youngman brought us our car and we gave him a tip. And while he absolutely deserved a tip for the lick- ety-split service and sweet smile, that’s the instant when the cheap little elf on my shoulder said, “I thought it was free valet?” I did have a terrific valet experi-


ence recently, which makes me think there might be reason to hope that I willmove beyondmy valet issues. I drove with a friend to a very


swank LosAngeles hotel for a promo- tional event involving free food and drink – my favorite. The valet parking also was free and also the only parking


OCTOBER 2009 • PARKING TODAY • www.parkingtoday.com 33


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56