Sharolyn Reed is a bubbly 65 years old woman (don't worry, she is not afraid to let people know her age), who works as the parking enforcement officer in Sault Ste. Marie.
She started the job back in 2017 after working at Hiawatha Behavioral Health for 26 years.
"I got a pension, but no social security yet, so I still needed income because I own and show horses and had a mortgage. I hated every single minute of not working after leaving HBH," Reed said.
"I gained 25 pounds; I was up all night on the internet, buying things I should not have been buying just because of boredom. I am too much of a people person," she added.
Reed then saw an opening for the parking enforcement position, so she applied.
"I thought I would be the perfect meter maid!" Reed exclaimed.
"I told the people interviewing me not to let my age scare them because I am not your typical senior citizen. I will make new friends; It's the perfect job for my personality," she said.
She got the job on March 30, 2017.
While she is under the supervision of Chief Wesly Bierling of the Sault Ste. Marie City Police, she tells people she really works for the people and business owners of the Soo.
"A lot of people don't understand that I work for the businesses downtown. Many people think downtown is dying due to parking issues, but if shoppers park longer than posted time limits or expired meters, and there is no enforcement, then downtown businesses lose out," Reed stressed.
And it's just not shoppers or visitors that break the law.
"Some business owners park in public parking spots right in front of their stores. I have had to give some of them tickets. They should know better that if they park in front of their own stores for hours on end, it takes away business from their store and others," Reed said.
Reed is very strict on the two-hour parking time limit in the downtown area. However, she will go into a business and see if she can locate the owner of the car to notify them about the expired time. If that is not successful, she will write the ticket.
While Reed is always smiling and making conversation with business owners and shoppers, not everyone appreciates her responsibilities as a parking enforcement officer.
"One lady was so angry at me for giving her a ticket she asked me how could I sleep at night. I told her that I knew she was so angry at the situation, but yes, that is what I do. I write tickets. So she crumpled it up and threw it at me. So I took a step back," Reed added.
Another time at a big box store, a guy would not move his illegally parked car. She asked him politely to move it. He said he was not "parked" there. She asked if the car was in park, and he said yes. He still would not move it, so she wrote him a ticket with him sitting in the car.
Reed does carry around a two-way radio if she does need assistance from law enforcement.
"People never thank me for giving them a ticket, but most of them do respect me for doing my job. I even had a few people say that I was the nicest Parking Enforcement Officer despite giving them a ticket," Reed chuckled.
"I will never retire from this job because I love the walking, socializing with the public, and interacting with business owners. They know I am working for them," said Reed.
