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.
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."
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It's nice to hear that we can be appreciated! We are paid a salary. The number of tickets we write does not affect the wage we are paid, and we are definitely not given commission. No matter how long you have been on the job, every Parking Enforcement Officer is paid the same salary. Those in supervisory positions get a slightly higher salary.
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You cannot receive a parking ticket without a license plate in Toronto. In other cities I have heard that you can be ticketed directly from your VIN, but not here. However, if you are parked illegally without plates on, you can be towed from your VIN which is a much heftier fine than a parking ticket.
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I think a similar question has been asked before. I haven't dealt with anyone physically violent before, but I deal with a lot of verbally abusive people. I can deal with sly remarks and swearing, but when people say things like "you should be shot" that really sticks with me. It's especially chilling when someone I haven't even ticketed feels the need to tell me that I don't deserve to live, or that something should happen to my family. I don't know if they are saying it for a reaction, but some people just take it too far.
There's not much you can really do afterward. If I felt like I was in danger I would call for a police officer to attend, but I've luckily never been in that type of situation. It's hard for it not to stick with you, at least at first. I guess you just get used to it.
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Everyone gets a parking ticket somewhere down the line, I've been there myself. The real question you should be asking is "is it worth it to fight this ticket?" You have to consider whether or not this ticket was justified, the amount of the fine itself, and if its worth it to take a day off work or send someone on your behalf to fight it for you. If the ticket was unjustified by all means fight it - it's about the principle of it. Just know that parking fines are absolute liability fines - this means if your car was there you are essentially guilty. Not guilty only means you weren't there at all or there was a mistake. If you were 5 minutes late, the signs were confusing, you only parked there for a minute, or you were getting your sick grandmother from the hospital you are still guilty. You just state that you are guilty with an explanation and hope that by pleading guilty you will get a reduced fine. If the ticket is less than 40 bucks, and it was justified it may not be worth it. Even if you were to plead guilty and get a lesser fine your looking at paying half of the set fine, missing wages from work and paying for more parking. If it's more than 60 bucks it may be worth the time, especially when you are looking at offences for fire hydrants and fines for parking in disabled spaces. It's hard to for me to give specific tips for you to fight a ticket without knowing the actual circumstances of it. My suggestion is that you can afford to take the time of work or send someone on your behalf to fight the ticket, do it. If not, it might just be easier to pay the fine. If someone does go on your behalf, make sure you understand that you can only send someone to plead guilty on your behalf or to get an adjournment so you can appear at a later date. If your ticket was due to a broken meter or machine, or the fact that you paid and had the receipt flip over you can always use the online dispute process I mentioned in an earlier post and deal with it by following the directions in this link: http://www.toronto.ca/pay-toronto-tickets/pdf/dispute_application.pdf
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There are areas I visit more than others. I wouldn't call them "favourite spots" but they are definitely frequented by more people on a daily basis. Places near shopping centers, hospitals and attractions are always good to check just to ensure they don't get overly congested and unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists.
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We do ticket for the the three hour bylaw. Signs are posted at the city limits and state that everywhere in Toronto has a three hour parking maximum. The bylaw itself is only enforced by complaint and can only be enforced if someone that lives on the street calls in. I realize there are no signs on these streets but the bylaw is city wide and is stated at the entrances to the city, and therefore signs are not required. If you find yourself getting a lot of these tickets maybe it's a good idea to meet up with your neighbours and maybe see what can we done in the future.
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