I have a friend that used to be a valet and he told me all the things they've done with nice cars - no thank you. I didn't know he was a valet until I saw him doing massive burnouts and cookies in a brand new Mercedes. He later told me it had 18 miles on it and needed breaking in, so he helped out the owner. Using a valet is like getting married in 2018. If you are dumb enough to do it, you've earned the consequences.

 

I decided I needed to replenish my grease level, so I ducked into a McDonalds T.O. for fish sandwich on the go(windows down to keep smell to a minimum). As I am getting the order, the young lady suddenly starts asking "what, how much, how fast,etc.?" Soon the T.O. window is filled with all the McDonald employees asking about the F-Type. I was able to get in a plug for staying in school, getting an education, and being able to someday get a car like this also, as I had also once worked at a McDonalds. I may have impressed the kids, but not the other customers in the store waiting for their food, or the 6 cars behind me waiting for their T.O. orders. Oh Well........

 

Got in my car to leave the parking lot after my workout at the gym. Just as I’m ready to start the car, a little girl (around 8 years old) is walking past the front of my car followed by her mother as I pressed the start button.

Well, you know how aggressive the start up is on the F-type R. So, the car emits the accelerated growl and the little girl jumps back about a foot and the startled look of fear on her face was absolutely priceless!

Immediately, her mom puts her arm around her daughter and pulls her close as she hurriedly walks on past my car. Her mother gave me the nastiest look as they continued on their way - the second priceless look of the event.

I did not do this intentionally. Frankly, it didn’t even occur to me at that moment that the car was going to make all that noise when I started it up.

Regardless, I laughed a little and had a big smile on my face.

 

I just received a lovely card in the mail, from someone I don’t know (but remember, now, who this young man is), and this is what it said:

Jay,

One of the highlights, if not THE highlight for me last summer was the night you gave me a ride in your Jaguar around the Old Port. THANK YOU!

Someday I hope to have a Jaguar and will give you a ride.

I work at XXXXXX on Franklin Street and a couple of weeks ago picked up something at Whole Foods for lunch and was crossing Franklin Street (walking) when I heard the distinctive sound of a Jaguar and sure enough, it was.

I walked in front of it again in awe and gave the driver a “thumbs up” gesture of admiration. He smiled back and once I crossed the street I wondered if it may have been you but the car was gone. Forgot to check the license plate!

I just read that the key to a long life is to experience adrenaline twice a day and they said the best way to do that is to buy a sports car - guess you had that figured out!

Thanks again SO MUCH for the ride.

Barry

A wonderful letter and a great reminder to share the joy!

 

I've actually had good luck with Valet but with a caveat that it has to be an upscale place and you have to tip well. I tip on both ends twenty up front and twenty when it comes back without scratches. In that case they know you're watching and I've found are really good about putting it in spot where its safe. For instance I had my SVR at valeted this weekend at the Hilton in Philly and it was returned pristine!

 

NJ - you can't expect your average valet - even one with good intentions - to know things about the car like how low the front splitter is off the ground. One day when you get home and see the damage you will regret your decision to valet.

 

Not completely to derail the thread, but I always valet and have never had a problem. I, also tip well on the front end and tell them to leave it in the front. So far, so good. I have had problems when I've self-parked with jerks leaving stuff on my car. Nothing is fool-proof.

 

I got chewed out by an older lady in the grocery store parking lot 15 minutes ago for 'revving' while she was walking behind the car. I told her sorry but it always starts up like that - she told me FU.

Ever since I was a little kid, hearing someone in their 80s+ swearing always cracks me up so I took her abuse in stride.

 

Good attitude on your part. When someone annoys me with an inane comment, I usually say, "thank you for sharing." That typically sends them over the edge.

 

You should have offered her a ride. On second thought...

When I first got my car - 3 1/2 years ago - I too got chewed out by someone upon starting the car. That was my wife. Thankfully she is too classy to ever tell me FU.

 

Luckily, your friends don't suffer from that limitation.

 

lol

 

Great! Now all I'll need is MBourne chiming in to make it a trifecta.

 

Who little ole me?

 

You're neither "ole" nor little.

 

Passive aggression causes cancer. At least that is the high horse I am on nowadays.... but when I ran bars, and I was a saltier, jaded bar manager, there's something sort of fun to do to people, and you can use this everywhere. It started because I work in hotels, and when you have someone upset that isn't actually trying to resolve anything, and screaming for attention, you would say "please lower your voice". Then, that would set them off, and you say "Please, I need you to calm down".

Well, marry that to a drunk person at a bar, and then just badger them with "Please lower your voice" and "Please calm down" back and forth. Say it calmly, silently, and get more quiet the louder they get.

This will drive the person into apoplectic hysteria. It's amusing if you need to be that kind of person. I graduated to just moving on from those sort of people, rather than messing with them. Life's too short, and they're going to be miserable as long as you are in front of them. I just go my own way now, so they can be miserable by themselves or in front of a different person.

But man, that would enrage people. "Please lower your voice" "Please calm down". LOL

 

If she did, then hold her to it.

 

At Pep Boys: “I’ve never seen one before. I only saw them on TV. Is that an XF?"

 

This is primarily true, BUT I've found that while a nice car won't help you snag a hot woman, it does help if you want to seal the deal.

Sadly, I've had the car for a week and after the first day, it's been raining pretty steadily here is Dallas/Ft. Worth all week. Hoping for some sunshine on Sunday!

 

The Jag, like most signs of wealth help with young women. I learned some time ago, I'm much more attractive when standing next to my wallet.