According to a City-wide survey, they say the worst job to have in New York City is a subway ratcatcher – I disagree. I think the worst job to have is a meter maid – because at least subway ratcatchers try their best to eliminate a City problem instead of trying their best to cause one.

My distaste for meter maids dates back to the first time I got behind a wheel – but today – it just became a lot stronger. When I left my office today to go to lunch and passed the spot where I parked my car, I found that it was no longer there. When I called 911 to report it stolen – they told me it was towed.

The reason it was towed is because I have outstanding parking tickets – because after all – it’s perfectly ok that the City has the right to take your personal property when you have outstanding parking tickets. If the tickets were my fault, I would have no problem with my car being towed – but they’re not. They are the fault of our ever useful and warm-hearted meter maids whose main goal is to empty their ticket books regardless of any badges, permits or passes in the window of the unsuspecting cars they ticket.

As part of my job at the DOB, I have a City badge. When I use my vehicle to come to work, I put that badge in the window of my car which enables me to park at a meter or delivery zone without having to pay. This fact has been proved to me by encounters with the DOT, token both clerks – and even the Police who have never questioned me regarding my badge. I have used it countless times to park near my job and take the bus or subway without incident – I was even pulled over once and was given professional courtesy by the officer that pulled me over – but when our ever useful and warm-hearted meter maids with their orange ticket books swarm around your car like the locusts they are – you can be the President of the United States – and they don’t care. All they care about is emptying their books and ruining your day.

So now my car has been towed and I have to go through a day of hassle, traveling and major annoyance to get it back – simply because our ever useful and warm-hearted meter maids chose my car as a scapegoat to fulfill their quota – thanks a lot.

If anyone out there knows a subway ratcatcher – tell them they are looking in the wrong place – the City’s vermin are not in the subways – they’re above ground. Tell them they’ll find the real rats of New York City near any parked car – writing a ticket.