At one point or another, we all receive worrying phone calls that can cause our heart beats to race. For rare Ferrari 250GT California Spider owner, Neil Petch, the phone call sounded like: “Neil, what happened to your car?”
There are a few moments in life that are hard to describe in words, such as seeing your 1962 classic severely damaged in the parking lot of Dubai International Financial Centre.
All Petch could say was that he was “in shock”.
Although we all may have heard news about valets causing damage to cars, we rarely ever think twice about handing our keys to a valet. Who doesn't want to save themselves the hassle of going around in circles to find a parking spot? Especially if you’re dining at a classy restaurant, like La Petite Maison, where Petch was heading for a lunch meeting.
He told 7DAYS : “The friend I was meeting called me from the parking lot,” Petch said. “He said, ‘Neil, what happened to your car?’ I thought he was playing a prank. But he told me I better get down there. And then I saw it…”
But how much did that beauty cost? Petch wouldn’t disclose the exact price of his damaged priceless possession, but a similar vehicle was auctioned in Monterey, California last year, and its new owner took it home for $15.18 million.
The valet and other attendants confirmed that, “It was the driver’s fault. He admitted it. He pressed the accelerator by mistake.”
Secure Parking Corporation (not so secure, after all!), employers of the valet wouldn’t comment, but promised Petch that the car repair costs will be deducted from the valet’s salary.
“I think it will be a lot and his salary is only around $680,” another colleague of the driver told 7DAYS.
Petch agreed that it sounds rather farfetched that the valet will be able to cover the expenses, saying: “But I think it will be impossible for him [the driver] to pay it. I think as a business, companies need to take responsibility for their employees.”
Even when the car is fully fixed, “The problem is any damage becomes part of the history of the car – so when you sell it, it matters.”
And today’s learned lesson is, park your own precious cars.