Over the weekend, I went out to a crazy nice restaurant that required all guests to use valet for my friend's birthday. I felt kind of weird about going, and was kind of thinking about wigging out, but she's my very best friend, and one of my oldest too, so I knew I had to go.
Do you guys ever get those weird feelings like something bad might happen?
Anyways.
So, I decide to go. It's on a Friday night, and I get home from work, and I'm super stressed out over her gift because it just doesn't feel right. She may be my oldest friend, but it's also been a minute since we've spoken, and I feel nervous that somehow if she doesn't like my gift, then she's going to be upset, or that this will somehow effect our friendship. So, after I try on tons of outfits (because I've never met like any of her friends either), I go and leave a little early to get my additional gift.
I end up five minutes late which never happens and I'm horrified with myself.
But I get there, and she's not there either. And I'm only the second out of seventeen to arrive.
But, whatever. I'm used to being the first one to show up at most events, so it doesn't phase me. What does phase me, is when we're all leaving and waiting for the valet to get 10-15 cars, and there's only one guy.
I'm naturally the last one standing even after there have been several couples and families who came out after us and have now already left. But whatevs.
So the guy comes up to me while my best friend is waiting (without my car), and asks me how I unlock my car with the key. I take a look at the key, and IT'S NOT MINE.
It's hard to explain the horror when someone hands you a key that's not yours telling you that it's yours. It's even harder to explain the additional dread that follows when the valet shows you all of the keys he has left, and you see a whole lot of...nothing. I've literally already imagined the worst situations by the time I look back at him.
Is my car even in the parking lot still? Did someone steal it? Has it been broken into? Did it get towed? Has my key been broken?
And he tells us that it's up on the hill. I go to my car, and the valet repeatedly tells me that the key he has is my key. Okay, cool. Then unlock my car, please. But, guess what genius? It's not my key.
So after it's pretty obvious, we end up calling the cops, the valet manager, and my dad (who lives an hour away and isn't going to be happy since it's 11:30). I'm literally feeling weak in my knees and the food in my stomach feels like lead. I honestly can barely breathe let alone talk, as my friend and her friends continue to yell at the manager and the valet.
The cop gets there first.
And after shining his light into my car, confirms what has been confirmed countless times: the key is not in the car. He also informs us that there's nothing he can do.
Okay, cool.
Next the manager arrives, and asks me if I have my key in my purse. Okay doofus, if I had my key in my purse I wouldn't be standing in a dark parking lot at 12:00 AM in high heels in a bad part of town.
So once we get that out of the way, he proceeds to break in my car. Which scares the living daylights out of me, because there's a kit, and it takes less than five minutes. And then I'm reassured when my alarm goes off as soon as he opens the door.
And my key isn't in there.
The manager sticks "my key" into the car, and even though it fits, it does absolutely nothing. "Are you sure this isn't part of your key, or you don't have the real key in your purse?" No, I don't have it. I gave it to you guys....
My dad arrives next, and he comes flying up to the top of the hill where we're all standing.
And the manager wants to see my spare key to prove to himself that I wasn't lying. He then uses it to turn off the car alarm, which obviously works because this time it actually is my key. Wow. Amazing. Isn't it crazy how when you have the correct key, then the car works correctly.
Long story short, the valet lost my key. And never once bothered to ask if they could call Triple A for me, or a taxi, or literally anything.
Let me know in the comments below if you've ever had any negative experiences with using valet.
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