Lewisburg's "Nazi" Meter Maid

Several years ago, my home town of Lewisburg, Pennsylvania received the distinction of making it onto a list of America's Top Ten Small Towns.  Let me say right here and right now that it did not receive that honor because of its friendly Meter Maid.

I will warn you that I am about to go on a rant about her, and I apologize to you ahead of time.

Friendly, she is not.

Smiley, she is not.

She is mean.

She lurks.

She will take your money.

She will (try to) ruin your day.

Now I know that:

She is a "servant of the public," and she is "just doing her job."  But could she at least be pleasant about it?  Could she at least smile once every 4 or 5 years?  Could she bend the rules just once in a while (for me and my family, hmm?)

Three recent encounters we have had with HER have certainly raised my levels of annoyance:

1.  My son Caleb was walking his cutest-and-happiest-and-most-adorable-and-well-behaved-usually-puppy up on Market Street, the main business section of town.  Sheila was walking by his leg, off-leash, as she has been trained through many, many hours to do.  She sits down by his leg at each intersection and waits for his command to proceed.  They have been taking walks like this for months, many times walking right by this same meter maid.

      The other day, said meter maid confronted them, in her typically nasty way, informing Caleb that Sheila must be on a leash because there is an ordinance.  When Caleb mentioned to her that he has always walked her without the leash, she responded nastily and meanly.  How can you be mean to this cute face?

"I love the meter maid!"

2.  Recently my gym friend, Joan, and I were having lunch together at Keeley's Cafe, a wonderful establishment right on Market Street in downtown Lewisburg.  We had had good food and pleasant conversation.  Both of us were about to leave on vacation, and we were in good spirits as we talked about our preparations.  As we walked out the door, lo and behold, there SHE is, ticketing my friend's car!  According to our calculations, the meter must have expired within the last several seconds.  I tell you - she LURKS and she SWOOPS.  Way to put a damper on a good time!

It happened right here, folks.

3.  So, three strikes and you're out (in my book anyway), and here's her inexcusable third strike.  There is a preschool that operates in one of the local churches, Kinderfolk Preschool.  It has been there as long  as I can remember, and I've been living in Lewisburg since 1974 when I came to Bucknell University as a student.

This is the entrance to the church where the preschool meets.

     Every day at 11:30 AM and again at 3:00 PM, parents park out front of the church with their blinkers on, picking up their tots at the end of preschool.  Many of these young mothers have younger toddlers and babies in the car that they must juggle while they go in to pick up their preschoolers, so they all park as close to the church as they can, and sometimes all the way to the end of the block, with their flashers on, until the pickups are complete.
     THIS HAS BEEN LIKE THIS FOR YEARS AND ANY LEWISBURG RESIDENT KNOWS WHAT IS HAPPENING ON THIS STREET AT THESE TIMES.  Well, so does the meter maid.  I saw her there the other day, taking advantage of the situation and ticketing numerous of those struggling young mothers.  A baby in one arm, a toddler in the other arm, and struggling to carry all while picking up a third young child.  Add a purse, a diaper bag, and the papers and lunch sacks of the preschooler picked up, and it's no wonder these young parents try to park as close as possible.
     Geez, this makes me mad.  This is not how to make Lewisburg a friendly place to live and raise a family.

The pickup cars always park beyond the sign, with flashers flashing.

Like I said, three strikes.  I.  DO. NOT. LIKE. HER.

Just not the Lewisburg "Nazi" meter maid

May she step in dog poo and be run over by a child trike.

There, I feel better.