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Valet Wrecks Car of Local Radio Personality

November 13, 2006 Downtown, Valet Parking 7 Comments

It seems a valet company working at a restaurant downtown managed to wreck the car of K-Hits morning show personality Jennifer Sparks. Sparks described the incident on air this morning, indicating she usually does not valet but was in a hurry. She indicated neither the valet nor the restaurant were apologetic.

It is my belief that if the valet companies were not taking away entire city blocks of parking people like Sparks could simply park their own car and walk a short distance to their destination, even if they are in a hurry. Essentially, these companies are forcing their patrons to use valet parking and taking away public space that should be available to patrons of other businesses that chose not to strong arm their customers into using the valet.

Sparks did not name any names but I do know of one downtown restaurant where the owner isn’t the most friendly. Several aldermen have confirmed they are cooperating on legislation to bring the valets under some sort of uniform guidelines. I just called Ald. Lyda Krewson who indicated they are making progress on the research and hope to schedule a meeting to solicit feedback. I’ll keep you posted. I wish Jen Sparks the best of luck getting the valet company’s insurance to cover the damage done to her car.

 

Currently there are "7 comments" on this Article:

  1. anonymous says:

    As I heard it…
    The valet was driving Ms. Sparks car when the accident occurred, but it was not the valet’s fault. It was the fault of the driver of the other vehicle, who was apparently driving like a maniac in the garage. Ms. Sparks will be working with the other driver and her insurance company, not the restaurant. Ms. Sparks was peeved that the restaurant and garage were not more apologetic for her inconvenience, not because they were at fault.

    I should have been listening to NPR instead.

     
  2. john says:

    Gee Steve, seems like we can’t get enough of this parking subject. Do you really expect these guys to care? Can we get back to urban design?

    Given your experience you should recognize by now that these arrangements are unholy alliances. Mix an unwise use of rights-of-way with bad attitudes and voila (or is that valet?)!

    I cringe whenever I must use valet parking and will go out of my way to avoid such. My worst experience was when a valet parked my car in a no parking zone. After waiting over 30 minutes, the valet couldn’t locate my car.

    The problem was made worse and embarrassing as I was entertaining other executives and we were all to use my vehicle after dinner. I spent the next three hours locating and getting my car from the towing company. The valet service finally paid for the tow fee but not for the other damages.

     
  3. DeBaliviere says:

    I’d like to “wreck her car,” if you know what I mean. Wait, that doesn’t really make any sense.

     
  4. John says:

    You know Steve, it seems as though you are waisting a lot of time on a subject in which you are clearly uninformed. First of all we know that the accient with Ms Sparks was not the valet’s fault. So if I were you I would be very careful that you don’t get yourself in trouble for slander(uniformed). Second, help me understand how people like Ms Sparks who are in a hurry are going to actually get one of those 6 parking spots in front of a restaurant. Maybe I am wrong but don’t the valets move at least 100 cars in and out of in front of a restaurant? How in God’s name would those same 100 people fit into those 6 spaces? It is just ligistics Steve. That is why I am more than happy to use the valet. Otherwise I woulds be paying twice the price to walk 4 blocks to get to the restaurant.

    [UrbanReviewSTL — I have not been “waisting” a lot of time.  If someone can verify the accident was the fault of another driver, something that was previously mentioned after my post, then I’d be happy to post a correction.  You seem to indicate that you are better informed than me yet you offer nothing to substantiate as much.  

    Well, the block containing Copia actually has 10 spaces, not six.  Clearly you are not very informed!  Anyway, these spaces are often empty because the restaurant has them blocked off.  If they did not block them, people could park there.  Granted, on a busy weekend the volume increases but it continues to baffle me that at 8pm on a Friday or Saturday evening we have empty spaces on Washington Ave. 

    And this is not an either or situation.  I’m not advocating banning valet service from St. Louis — I’m saying allow only a reasonable amount of space and leave the rest of the public parking for — guess who?  The public!] 

     
  5. richard musick says:

    my vehicle was involved in an accident that caused by Midwest valets according to two witnesses that saw it occur. But what I can say for certain Midwest Valet will not return any phone calls regarding this accident. They have not shown any proof of insurance to me or the other two vehicle owners. Three vehicles were involved in this accident. I wonder can you operate a valet service without insurance is that legal.

     
  6. Mongo says:

    Is this the same restaurant that got Sparks removed recently from Khits?

     
  7. Star says:

    shuttup, quit complaining, and go eat some krispy kreams u fat fuck

     

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