Meter Maid

Meter Maid

Meter-Made

Toronto, ON

Female, 30

I currently work as a Parking Enforcement Officer in the wonderful city of Toronto. I am feared, and loathed by all. I may not work in your particular city, but I'm positive that I can help give you a better understanding of what Meter Maids do. I am knowledgeable in all parking matters so ask me anything.

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103 Questions

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Last Answer on September 05, 2013

Best Rated

Is there a quota, or a minimum number of tickets that you are required to write during a specified period, such as monthly?

Asked by natred over 11 years ago

This question was asked on April 29, 2012. I answered the following: We do not have a quota. We do have a performance standard that we have to attain to show that we are actually out there working. The city has calculated the average ticket number in every area in the city, and officers assigned to these zones should be getting roughly the same amount as their counterparts on different shifts.

I parked right in front of a meter in dallas,tx and paid for over two hours but soon after that another car pulled up and said that's there meter and the one further down is mines because the first car didn't pull up enough so is this my metere or no

Asked by simone over 11 years ago

I really wouldn't be able to answer that question efficiently without seeing a photo or being familiar with the area. In most cases the meter you pay for is the one cloeset to your car. 

Do you give out more tickets when you're in a bad mood?

Asked by Elliott almost 12 years ago

My mood doesn't have anything to do with my productivity. If more people are parked illegally then I give out more tickets. If no one is out that day, the amount of tickets I give out decreases. I will admit that I'm less inclined to deal with peoples theatrics when i am in a bad mood, but it doesn't affect my work performance.

I got a $450 ticket for parking in a handicapped loading zone (legitimately didn't see the sign, it was dark and raining), but the officer put the wrong license plate number on the ticket (one digit off). Does this mean that it will be dismissed?

Asked by Ticketed over 11 years ago

If the license plate on the ticket was written incorrectly the ticket is not valid. In any case take this ticket to a first appearance facility listed on the back of the ticket to ensure it gets cancelled. It is also important to do this since the license plate listed on the ticket may belong to someone else and they will be getting a court notification of impending conviction. To save this poor person the trouble of proving they were never parked at that location I would make sure that you do this ASAP. It is also a good idea to take your ownership with you to prove that the license plate was indeed incorrect.

When there is no meter but there are signs that say "2-hour parking" how do you keep track of how long a car has been parked there? Is it OK to move your car at 2 hours to a nearby spot? Would you notice this?

Asked by Rita almost 12 years ago

We keep track of people parked in areas with specific time allowances by chalking the tires of the car. If we return after the allowed time and the tires of a car still have the chalk marks on it, we are able to ticket it. You are allowed to move to a nearby spot and start the process again. There is also another method that is used when chalking tires is not possible (bad weather etc.) which is called valve stemming. We take note of the position of the air valve on the tires of the car and if they are in the same position as when we first noted them, we are able to ticket them for parking in excess of the permitted time.

I hate to say it, but I have on many occasions, been able to drive away before the ticket was put on my window. Most recently the officer was printing the ticket and did not get it on my car before I drove away. I am assuming this ticket is invalid?

Asked by Park and Dash over 11 years ago

If the ticket was not served to your vehicle then you are home free. It doesn't mean that the ticket is invalid either as it was written justly. Contrary to popular belief, there is still a record of individuals who "get away" before the ticket is issued. If the officer has already printed the ticket and just hasn't served it to your vehicle, all of that information is still on record and is marked as "drove away" as opposed to "served."

If I move my car before a meter maid starts writing a ticket, is it legal for her to continue issuing a ticket?

Asked by Aria over 11 years ago

If you move your car and drive away before a parking enforcement officer is finished writing the ticket, then it has not yet been served to your vehicle and therefore not legally binding. If someone is writing you a ticket and you move your car up a few paces and your still in a prohibited area, then in that case they can still write you a ticket. It depends on what your definition of "move your car" is. 

Sometimes the ticket has already been created and the officer is only waiting for it to print, in that case the ticket must be printed and submitted for cancellation since it hasn't been served to a vehicle or driver.