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The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with English-speaking territories and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page. |
A parking enforcement officer or parking attendant and sometimes parking inspector [1] is a member of a traffic control department or agency who issues tickets for parking violations. Where parking meters are used, they may be known as a meter attendant [2], traffic warden (British English), or, derogatorily, a meter Nazi or meter maid for both female and male attendants.
Their use is controversial and they are often perceived as being overzealous, in the UK this is likely due to high pressure management focused around delivering a certain number of tickets per day leading to allegations of corruption and illegality [3]. This brings accusations that their real purpose is to raise revenue for the local authority rather than keep the traffic moving. Those who receive fines argue that the "punishment does not fit the crime", pointing to the size of fines levied for minor parking violations in comparison with fines generally issued for more serious motoring offenses or other offenses such as shoplifting. Public dislike of parking attendants in the UK is such that they have been issued cotton swabs to take DNA samples when members of the public spit on them, for later prosecution.
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Other duties
On December the 9th 2007 the mayor of Stockholm Mikael Söderlund announced that the tasks of the Parking enforcement officers will be broadened to include fining graffiti vandals and litterers. Trade union representatives say they are not prepared to take on new tasks, already stretched by metering cars, and that they fear the risk of violence. [4]
By country
Australia
The Surfers Paradise Meter Maids were introduced to the world in 1965 by local businessman Bernie Elsey to provide a positive spin on parking regulations. Instead of issuing tickets for expired parking, the Meter Maids dispensed coins into the meter and left a calling card under the windscreen wiper of the vehicle.
Initially introduced as a countermeasure against the unpopularity of parking meters installed the previous year, the Maids are known for their gold bikini outfits and (now defunct) tiaras.
Ticket-issuing parking inspectors continue to patrol streets to enforce parking regulations, and the Gold Coast City Council is installing voucher-dispensing parking machines in place of traditional parking meters, leaving 'meter maids' unable to top up the meter to protect vehicles from being fined by increasingly vigilant parking inspectors.
Canada
In Canada, parking enforcement duties are frequently handled under the umbrella of bylaw enforcement by Bylaw Enforcement Officers. No jurisdictions remain where persons employed for the purpose of enforcing traffic bylaws are referred to as "Meter Maids" and increasingly fewer offices of "Parking Enforcement Officer" exist. Most officials once employed as PEOs are now utilized to perform a variety of bylaw enforcement duties, often including Animal Control or the enforcement of other bylaws. The position is increasingly upgraded to that of the more professional position of Bylaw Enforcement Officer.
In some areas in Canada, the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires provides parking enforcement services [5].
The cities of Montreal and Toronto seem to be an exception however, with parking enforcement officers possessing unique uniforms and vehicles. These officers are a sub-division of their respective police force: the Montreal SPVM (where they are nicknamed "Green Onions" due to their formerly green uniforms) and the Toronto Police Service (where they have been nicknamed the 'Blue Hornet' because of the blue uniform stripe, which is red on police officers uniforms).
United Kingdom
There are two types of civilian parking enforcement officer in the United Kingdom.
Civil enforcement officers, previously known as parking attendants, are employed by local authorities. Since the advent of Decriminalised Parking Enforcement, they have largely replaced traffic wardens as the primary enforcers of parking regulations. They have the power to issue Penalty Charge Notices. In Northern Ireland, they enforce using powers under the Traffic Management (Northern Ireland) Order 2005 and are known as Traffic Attendants. Civil enforcement officers normally patrol on foot, however some use cars or mopeds, particularly in larger areas.
Traffic wardens are employees of police forces and have more powers with regards the circulation of traffic. Their usage is less common since the advent of Decriminalised Parking Enforcement.
In popular culture
The term 'meter maid' was popularised in The Beatles' song "Lovely Rita," in which the male singer, smitten with a traffic warden, recalls:
- Standing by a parking meter, when I caught a glimpse of Rita
- Filling in a ticket in her little white book.
- In a cap she looked much older,
- And the bag across her shoulder
- Made her look a little like a military man.
References
- ^ "Occupation Information - Parking Inspector". myfuture. http://www.myfuture.edu.au/services/default.asp?FunctionID=5050&ASCO=811917A. Retrieved 2009-11-21.
- ^ United States Department of Labor Dictionary of Occupational Titles, classification number 375.587-010
- ^ "UK | Magazine | Confessions of a parking attendant". BBC News. 2005-06-01. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4596907.stm. Retrieved 2009-11-21.
- ^ Anders Sundström (2007-12-09). "P-vakter blir klotterjägare" (in (Swedish)). DN.se. http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1298&a=722945. Retrieved 2009-11-21.
- ^ "Canadian Corps of Commissionaires "Enforcement Services"". Commissionaires.ca. http://www.commissionaires.ca/services/enforcement-overview.html. Retrieved 2009-11-21.
External links
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