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Mary (Ticketing) – PPD

What do you like about the job?
I loved being a crossing guard because I have a lot of kids and when they were off from school, I was off from work. Now I work year round, but I like the job. I like being outside walking around, having that freedom. I don't care for the office kind of atmosphere. I don't care for computers — the little one that we use is not that complicated. I'd rather do this than be in an office.

What traits do you need to do this job well?
You have to tolerate the weather. The heat in the summer can be tough, and the winter it's tough trying to climb over snow banks and not slip on the ice because a lot of places don't shovel and clean up their sidewalks. You have to be able to walk around for hours at a time and get along with people.

Bonnie (Ticketing) – PPD

What do you like about the job?
I love it. I love it. Being outside you meet a lot of nice people. You have a lot of freedom. No one’s breathing down your neck all the time. I love it. But I can’t say that too loud because some people hate it. My post is Thayer Street, which is booming —restaurants and retail. Fridays are just unbelievable. I have a lot of friends up there. It's like a little family. It's nice.

What traits do you need to do this job well?
I have to hold my tongue a lot more. I have to stop and think before I speak. If I'm in a confrontation I just have to smile and say "Have a nice day." I was a crossing guard for 22 years and everybody loves a crossing guard. Then I came here and I went from being loved to hated overnight. The first couple of weeks, I was in tears. I'm like "They can't talk to me like that!" But they do. Then you get used to it. It's just amazing how people treat other people... I don't know you at all, so why are you calling me those names?

Johnny (Ticketing) – PPD

What do you like about the job?
I enjoy being outside, I like to be around people. I couldn't do a desk job. I couldn't do my sergeant's job because he gets a lot more aggravation than I can even think of. Once people get to know me, they understand that what I do is unpopular, but it's a necessary. I think all the people that I know, I've also given tickets to.

What traits do you need to do this job well?
We're kind of like ambassadors for the city. We can never be mean to people, you can't yell at people, you can't swear back when people swear at you — which happens pretty much everyday. You have to have thick skin. You can't be somebody that has a short fuse because you're never going to last. You won't make it a week because people goad you. People want to get some kind of reaction out of you. They want to get their money's worth from the ticket. I'll stand there, explain why they got the ticket, but you have to take like a deep breath first. Because the last thing you want to be doing is wrestling with somebody in the street. People have actually had physical confrontations!