How Does a Meter Maid Spend a Workday?
Arriving to work A meter maid, or parking enforcement officer, starts the day by checking in with the dispatch officer at the police station she is based out of. Most parking enforcement officers will then proceed to a vehicle to drive to their point of operation in the city, but in smaller towns or precincts they may operate on foot all day. They will also have a mobile communications device to stay in touch with the dispatch officer. Doing the work A parking enforcement officer will monitor his street grid by walking or driving the grid. When there is an expired parking meter, the officer will write a ticket for the vehicle and place it underneath the wiper blades on the front window. If there is an automobile parked outside a metered slot, blocking the flow of traffic, he will contact the dispatch officer to have the vehicle impounded. Dealing with the public A large part of a meter maid’s job involves person-to-person interaction, especially with parking violators and occasionally
