Passage II

Valet Parking

[1]

Eating out in Los Angeles is expensive, so food accounts for only a portion of the cost. Those who dine out are often required to utilize the valet parking services offered by many restaurants. In some instances, the price of parking can equal the price of a modest meal.

[2]

Valet parking is widespread in Los Angeles. Although not every restaurant in Los Angeles offers this service, somewhere in the city every type of restaurant do. While fast-food eateries and four-star establishments may serve wildly different cuisine, and the prices apart from their respective menus may also be wildly different, then each may require its patrons to pay for the privilege of having a total stranger park their cars. (21)

[3]

Restaurants typically cooperate with independently owned valet parking services. Valet parking costs can exceed five dollars, depending on the location, if not including a tip for the helpful valet.

[4]

[1] Valet parking services simply recognized this fact to cash to put themselves in position. [2] The answer is simple, the city contains a huge number of well-to-do residences which like to eat out often. [3] You may wonder why valet parking is such a big business in Los Angeles. [4] It's said that many people actually like the idea of valet parking; for them, having someone else park their car adds to the glamour of dining out. (26)

[5]

Many others, however, think that valet parking is an expensive nuisance. Unfortunately for them though; parking on Los Angeles's crowded streets is often a difficult proposition. In the trendier areas, where the hot restaurants are likely to be found and where large crowds are the norm, valet parking is more than a convenience—it's almost a necessity. You either pay up or walk too many blocks to the restaurant at which you hope to eat. Most people pay up.