Encyclopedia Dubuque
"Encyclopedia Dubuque is the online authority for all things Dubuque, written by the people who know the city best.”
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Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
METER MAIDS
METER MAIDS. Dubuque's first three meter maids were selected in 1962 and began training at police headquarters until the arrival of their uniforms. The three women were Ruth Peed, Susan Yaeger, and Judy Niday.
At police headquarters, the women studied aspects of traffic work and performed clerical duties in the office of the traffic court and the police records room. Once assigned to duty, meter maids covered the downtown area and other business districts tagging cars parked overtime at meters.
Hiring the three women freed two patrolmen for work at heavily traveled areas during rush hours. (1)
Meter maids often found their work to be disagreeable. In 1998 one local meter maid gave out between 60-90 parking tickets and walked between 8-10 miles daily. She found harassment caused her to begin using stress pills within a year of starting the job. She claimed about 75% of the verbal attacks had quit once the police department took a strong line on those who abuse their traffic officers. (2)
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Source:
1. "Meter Maids In Training," Telegraph Herald, February 15, 1962, p. 1
2. Henson, Sharon, "'A Thankless Job,'" Telegraph Herald, Nov. 8, 1998, p. 24