Valet in the Suburbs

As anyone who’s tried to eat at a restaurant along Moody Street in Waltham on a Saturday night can attest, finding a parking spot in the suburbs is not always easy. While city-dwellers can stroll to their favorite spots, suburbanites typically don’t want to walk five miles to their supper.

But we’re not sure valet parking is required.

Today’s Globe reports on the sudden boom of valet parking at suburban restaurants.

A dark blue Honda Odyssey minivan pulled up, shifted into park, and idled. A young man in a bright red jacket scurried over and opened the driver’s door for the stay-at-home mom. Once the minivan cleared out, he hopped in and drove away. Well, actually, he drove the vehicle a few feet, to the parking lot behind the mill.

Wouldn’t a stay-at-home mother relish the opportunity to walk unencumbered by strollers and diaper bags?

And then there’s this lady.

“I like to be pampered,” said Linda Gagne, a sales director from Bellingham, who had dinner at Incontro Saturday night. “It’s nice to have the Lexus drive up and know it’s mine.”

If we drove a Lexus, we’d be happy to walk up to it and know it’s ours.

These are probably the people who pride themselves on installing energy-efficient lightbulbs and using cloth shopping bags, but still cling to their SUVs. Here’s a thought: If there’s a spot right behind the restaurant, save the gas you use idling while waiting for the valet, and park the car yourself.