What Would You Have Done if You Were The Parking Enforcement Officer [POLL]

I was walking down a street in Portland today when and approaching a parking enforcement officer writing a ticket for an expired meter and placing it under the windshield when the driver came running out of the store. 

I kept walking, but as I passed by the owner said to the officer "Wait! We're leaving now. We were just picking something up."

The officer had that look of "I've heard this before" and turned to her asking "How much did you put in the meter when you parked, because your expired now?"

At this point I was out of earshot, but as I crossed the street and looked over my shoulder, I could see the two were still talking for several more minutes since I passed.

It made me wondering what happened. Did she get the ticket anyway or did the officer let her off the hook. I don't think I would have been nice enough to tear up the ticket. It seems like she never put money in the meter in the first place which would be a violation. Even if you're just picking something up, drop a dime in the meter and avoid the mess. If you only have a card, walk across the street to parking kiosk, swipe your card for a dollar, put the receipt on your dash you've got an hour to take your time.

I guess we'll never know how it all turned out for this driver, but what would you have done if you were the parking enforcement officer. Take our poll below and tell us more in the comments on Facebook.