Valet parking experience in Manhattan

[ryunited]

Curious if folks have experimented at all with parking their Rivians in the city?

I have a couple of meetings coming up in the financial district and am wondering if the valets will know what to do with the thing (I just realized yesterday that based on using FOB and PAAK I'd never actually used the key card to activate the vehicle before!).

I'm generally just terrified of someone scuffing up the R1S, but I tend to see these valet dudes being really slick moving cars...

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[mrtk77]

you can park at 501 water street, its a self park garage

 

[Audiotek]

Curious if folks have experimented at all with parking their Rivians in the city?

I have a couple of meetings coming up in the financial district and am wondering if the valets will know what to do with the thing (I just realized yesterday that based on using FOB and PAAK I'd never actually used the key card to activate the vehicle before!).

I'm generally just terrified of someone scuffing up the R1S, but I tend to see these valet dudes being really slick moving cars...

I park in the city all the time and it's a non-issue since the valets are familiar with driving EVs, but I keep my key fob in my pant or coat pocket and, hack the system so they allow me to self-park by doing the following:

- show the Rivian App screen letting the valet know it's an EV and my phone is my key at which point they direct me to a "front of the garage spot" (normally reserved for EVs or pricey vehicles)

- Alternatively if in theater district at night (and don't want to miss the play's opening scene) I would present the key fob and the valet keep the Rivian on the ground level (because of it's weight) instead of sending it up the elevator.

 

[ryunited]

I park in the city all the time and it's a non-issue since the valets are familiar with driving EVs, but I keep my key fob in my pant or coat pocket and, hack the system so they allow me to self-park by doing the following:

- show the Rivian App screen letting the valet know it's an EV and my phone is my key at which point they direct me to a "front of the garage spot" (normally reserved for EVs or pricey vehicles)

- Alternatively if in theater district at night (and don't want to miss the play's opening scene) I would present the key fob and the valet keep the Rivian on the ground level (because of it's weight) instead of sending it up the elevator.

Oh man. I hadn't even contemplated the weight of the vehicle. Great point. Implies they can't put it up in racks and stuff too.

So you use the fob instead of card with then because it involves less learning for them. Yes?

 

[Audiotek]

Oh man. I hadn't even contemplated the weight of the vehicle. Great point. Implies they can't put it up in racks and stuff too.

So you use the fob instead of card with then because it involves less learning for them. Yes?

No extra learning because the Rivian is a very intuitive vehicle to learn.

If I don't want the valet driving my car that day I say my key is my phone and they allow me to self park. But I always have a key fob or key card on me in addition to the PAAK.

 

[KBabione]

I've done it once with our R1S in the theatre district...

• Left them my key card after showing one attendant exactly how to use it to both open the door AND start the vehicle (my wife took my phone and left so it wasn't in range)
• Tipped him an extra $20 to keep it in a good spot - but I also never thought about the extra 2,000 lbs of an R1S over say a Chevy Tahoe
• When I returned it was right in front and the attendant thanked me for showing how to use the key card (for which he was again tipped)

I'll admit that I was nervous leaving it there - I used to have a monthly parking spot in a garage near Columbus Circle and I knew everyone because I was there every day. It's very different now that I'm only in the City every other month or so (and haven't been since December) and park in different garages each time based on location and parking app prices. For peace of mind I'll always give them an extra $20 to keep it up front next to the Porches and Mercedes.

 

[ryunited]

I've done it once with our R1S in the theatre district...

• Left them my key card after showing one attendant exactly how to use it to both open the door AND start the vehicle (my wife took my phone and left so it wasn't in range)
• Tipped him an extra $20 to keep it in a good spot - but I also never thought about the extra 2,000 lbs of an R1S over say a Chevy Tahoe
• When I returned it was right in front and the attendant thanked me for showing how to use the key card (for which he was again tipped)

I'll admit that I was nervous leaving it there - I used to have a monthly parking spot in a garage near Columbus Circle and I knew everyone because I was there every day. It's very different now that I'm only in the City every other month or so (and haven't been since December) and park in different garages each time based on location and parking app prices. For peace of mind I'll always give them an extra $20 to keep it up front next to the Porches and Mercedes.

Did the guy look like he was familiar with the car or you were Prometheus educating him about fire?

 

[KBabione]

Did the guy look like he was familiar with the car or you were Prometheus educating him about fire?

He hadn't seen a Rivian before, but was familiar with Teslas so at least the key card concept wasn't completely foreign. My wife had the fob in her purse as a backup just in case. Because my car was right up front they also knew when we were there to pick it up because it unlocked and the lights turned on when my phone was in range - just an added benefit!

 

[Glembi2]

This collapse was one of them. I’m sure there have been others.

 

[ryunited]

This collapse was one of them. I’m sure there have been others.

Have you seen them attributed directly to our cars? Or is it just the high incidence of big SUVs these days in general.

I don't recall Rivian being mentioned.

 

[Glembi2]

It was EVs in general. I have yet to see any mention of Rivian’s being identified as THE vehicle which was too heavy and pointing at any particular vehicle is always suspect. It’s the combo of vehicles that is the issue , not a particular one.

 

[chryses]

TL;DR: use the fob, not a keycard with a valet.

My parking space at "home" is in a valet garage (it's two buildings down from where I live) and I visit lots of places where I have to use a valet (Chicago). The valets around here generally seem to be pretty familiar with Rivians. BUT, BUT, BUT ... I would always use the fob and not a keycard because some places have multiple valets and so even if you show the person you drop the car off with how the keycard works there is no guarantee that the person who picks up your car knows how it works. Learned that the hard way; ended up with scratches all over the driver's side door because the valet who picked up the car just slapped the card on the door and rubbed it all over the place until the car unlocked.

 

[ryunited]

TL;DR: use the fob, not a keycard with a valet.

My parking space at "home" is in a valet garage (it's two buildings down from where I live) and I visit lots of places where I have to use a valet (Chicago). The valets around here generally seem to be pretty familiar with Rivians. BUT, BUT, BUT ... I would always use the fob and not a keycard because some places have multiple valets and so even if you show the person you drop the car off with how the keycard works there is no guarantee that the person who picks up your car knows how it works. Learned that the hard way; ended up with scratches all over the driver's side door because the valet who picked up the car just slapped the card on the door and rubbed it all over the place until the car unlocked.

This is super helpful. Last question (promise)! Do you guys declare them as Oversize or Super size in the apps?

 

[KBabione]

This is super helpful. Last question (promise)! Do you guys declare them as Oversize or Super size in the apps?

I do - They're going to ding you anyway when you pull in and my fear is that they would ignore the app price (often about half the going street price) since the vehicle is different that what I paid for in the app.

 

[Robin]

I've done it once with our R1S in the theatre district...

• Left them my key card after showing one attendant exactly how to use it to both open the door AND start the vehicle (my wife took my phone and left so it wasn't in range)
• Tipped him an extra $20 to keep it in a good spot - but I also never thought about the extra 2,000 lbs of an R1S over say a Chevy Tahoe
• When I returned it was right in front and the attendant thanked me for showing how to use the key card (for which he was again tipped)

I'll admit that I was nervous leaving it there - I used to have a monthly parking spot in a garage near Columbus Circle and I knew everyone because I was there every day. It's very different now that I'm only in the City every other month or so (and haven't been since December) and park in different garages each time based on location and parking app prices. For peace of mind I'll always give them an extra $20 to keep it up front next to the Porches and Mercedes.

Seems like it pays to be generous when someone else is handling your “baby”.?

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