I recently test-drove a Prius, and noticed the unconventional driving controls and the "smart-key" setup. A new owner would get used to these quickly, I'm sure.
But what about parking-lot attendants, car-wash employees, etc.? Any of you owners out there have experience (positive or negative) about unprepared folks driving their Prius?
You get a pad of cards that explain how to operate the Prius. each card has a hole in the corner, so you can attach it to the key ring on the fob. Or you can tape it over the slot.
Seriously, just about every attendant I've dropped the car off with had already handled one, so there wasn't any problem. But I have heard a (very) few horror stories, like the valet who drove the car with the parking brake on.
I've not had any problems to speak of. I have had a 2002 parked by parking-lot attendants and I have it washed at a place where no-one speaks english. They all handled it without problems.
Daniel
I tend to valet park a lot. Every attendant that given my Prius over to has said that they've driven one before and seemed to know what they were doing. The only story I heard was a friend of a friend, who valet parked, only to come back two hours later to an angry valet because he drove off and she walked off with the fob in her purse. :-)
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