I Was Left Speechless After Encounter With Portland, Maine, Parking Attendant

I left work in downtown Portland, Maine, to find a parking attendant at my car.

I knew I was pushing it when I fed the meter through the parking app Passport. It's been a great app to make parking in Portland, Maine, easier. It's not always easy to park in Portland. I've been working in Portland for over 30 years now, and love this city. But yes, I too complain about the parking.

As I approached the gentleman at my car, I knew I had screwed up, and told him that instead of putting it on my car, he could just hand me the ticket. He was in disbelief that I was the car owner. He asked me,

Do you work around here?

I pointed to One City Center and said, "Yes, right there." That's when he told me he'd change it to a warning.

He said I was getting a ticket, now a warning, because I was feeding the meter. I fessed up and said that yes, I'd been there for three hours, not the two-hour limit. He said I'd been there four hours. But it was only noon, and paying for parking starts at 9 am. Nine to noon is three hours.

That's when the Portland, Maine, parking attendant put the fear of God in me!

He said that metered parking starts at 8 am, and 7 am in some places! I just about lost my mind. I said, "You're kidding me!" I had no idea. I started thinking about all the free parking I'd stolen, thinking it started at 9 am. How could I have missed this VERY important change?

I ran home to look online to see when the change happened. But everything online pointed to a 9 am start time for meters. Obviously, it hadn't been updated.

Parking meters are in effect from 9 am to 6 pm, Monday through Saturday. Sundays and Major Holidays are free. Pre-payment is offered between 6 am and 9 am with the PassportParking® app or at multi space meters. If pre-paying, your time does not begin until 9 am.

So I called. When I asked what time metered parking started in Portland, he told me 9 am. I then told him I had just gotten a warning (I was still feeding the meter...I know I was wrong) because the parking attendant told me paid parking started at 8 am, and 7am in some places.

He told me,

Oh, that officer is new. We'll have to let him know it's 9 am.

We both chuckled, and I also told him to tell the nice officer that he scared the s#$% out of me. Keep on parking like you have, and don't feed the meter.