Encounter With Portland, Maine, Parking Attendant Left Me Speechless

When you work in Downtown Portland, Maine, the last thing you want to see is a parking attendant.

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 I 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 looked 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.

READ MORE: Are You Willing to Pay $750,000 for a Prime Parking Spot in Boston?

I called Portland to speak to someone in the parking division about when exactly did 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 7 am 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 that meter.