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Morning News

Thoughtful Valet Gets Car as Tip

Aired December 26, 2000 - 11:20 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: And we go from that to a story about the spirit of giving after too much spirits. Dennis Bechtold and his girlfriend were a little tipsy -- and they'll tell you that -- to drive home from an Atlanta restaurant, so parking valet Eric Dennis drove them home in Bechtold's Mercedes. And during the drive, Dennis happened to mention that he didn't have his own car. So when it came time for the tip, instead of cash, he was given the keys to a 1989 Volvo station wagon.

Not a bad tip as the car has a book value of $6,000.

And joining us now on the phone from here in Atlanta is the new proud owner of that Volvo, valet Eric Dennis.

Eric, good morning.

ERIC DENNIS, VALET: Good morning. How are you doing?

KAGAN: That's a true story, that some guy gave you a tip for driving him home?

DENNIS: It's an excellent story. It's a merry Christmas story.

KAGAN: It absolutely is. Now, take us back to the beginning.

You're a valet, so you're just going to get some customer's car.

DENNIS: Yes. I'm a valet, and our rule is that if anyone's tipsy, wherever the location that we're working, we offer our customers a cab.

KAGAN: And so why didn't you do that?

DENNIS: And they had -- they had the dogs in the car, because they rescue animals, too. And they didn't want to leave the animals at the restaurant in the car.

KAGAN: So somebody had to drive them home?

DENNIS: So I had to drive them home.

KAGAN: And so the restaurant said, go ahead?

DENNIS: Yes. The restaurant was closed. KAGAN: Oh, they were closed. End of the night?

DENNIS: Yes, it was the end of the night and they were closed, and then it was like right on time for me to give a ride home. And I took them home and did a good...

KAGAN: Yes. You're doing this good deed. And so how does this -- how does this guy get around to the idea that he's going to give you a free car?

DENNIS: Well, first, we were -- I mean, we were riding around (UNINTELLIGIBLE). And the next morning, he started telling me about the stock market and how he was losing out in a lot of things that was going on in the stock market. So I told him I wanted to get a little more familiar about stocks, and so head said, hey, but you don't have no car. He said, as soon as we have breakfast, we'll go get you a car. He said, honey, come on -- and he got his fiancee, and we got together, and he just went out and he bought me a car.

KAGAN: Just like that.

DENNIS: And he just made my day.

KAGAN: I bet he did. What did you think when you got the keys to that car?

DENNIS: I was so happy. I didn't know what to do.

KAGAN: So just a good deed. You did a good deed and a good deed came around as well.

DENNIS: Yes, ma'am.

KAGAN: Well, merry Christmas. And it's a nice story and we thank you for sharing.

DENNIS: Merry Christmas, and thank you for giving me a call.

KAGAN: Oh, no problem. You have a good holiday, although I already found that you definitely are having one. That is Eric Dennis, the new owner of a new car since he did a nice thing and drove some folks home.

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