Admittedly, being shadowed by a member of the Press can do wonders for a person's charm quotient. Equally, it can be an irritant, but since there was no forewarning of our joint operation, it is hard to believe that the unfailing pleasantness the wardens exhibit is anything other than genuine. Granted, some are less gregarious than others, but one thing is certain: they all have eagle eyes that don't miss a trick.

In fact, it is amazing what they do see - apart from expired vouchers and parking violations, that is.

In the course of the day, the wardens also spot tarmac material illegally spilling from a truck's unsecured load; a beggar accosting people in a car park; students seemingly on the precipice of mischief; flat tyres, and more.

By lunchtime, one warden had dispensed 26 tickets. An average collective day could net 60-70 miscreants.

When it comes to parking vouchers, the rules are very clear: scratch all of the relevant squares and clearly display the voucher face-up on the passenger side of the dashboard. Yet a significant segment of the public treats them like lottery tickets, pitting their luck against a warden's visit. Given that vouchers costs just 75 cents each, and parking violations incur a $50 fine, it is amazing how many people take the gamble.

Today's haul of violators includes a handicapped person who not only recycles a voucher first scratched in January but also is well over the time limit; others who display voucher books opened, but face down; vouchers carefully folded so that only the month and day are visible; false commencement times; and even some which have been cleaned and reused. The wardens have seen all of these ruses, and more, many times before, so every player "wins" a ticket.

Nor does public "gambling" end with voucher roulette. Abuse of parking bays for the handicapped is an on-going problem, not only by able-bodied strangers but also family members of the permit holders. Sitting in illegally parked vehicles is also popular, apparently in the belief that a physical presence negates the rules.

While due consideration is given to the handicapped they, like the wardens, are subject to the same regulations as everyone else.

"We give them some grace as far as making it back to their vehicles on time goes, but they must fill out the vouchers correctly just like everyone else," one says.

Similarly, someone who has gone to buy vouchers and left a timed note to say so is treated with understanding, provided they're only gone very briefly. And yes, there is a secret system for recording how long cars and bikes are parked in areas not requiring vouchers.

Utility vehicles needing to park in restricted areas must display a special permit. Warden Michelle Matias tickets one which doesn't and quickly receives a call from senior warden Ms Annberry Ramirez back at headquarters. The man, working down a manhole, has called in to protest. Having reminded him of the need for a permit, she then radios the warden to "please give him a little leniency" in the meantime.

Not everyone flouts the law by stealth, however. A helmeted cycle rider seeks Ms Matias' permission to park his cycle outside a marked bay "just long enough to nip into the Government Administration Building". Denied permission because he would then block a parked car from leaving, he boldly squeezes his bike in between two others.

Warden 1, cyclist 1.

Dimpled and soft-spoken, Mrs. Matias ("Sweet 16" is how she refers to her official number) has been a warden since 2000, a job for which she says having people skills is very important because "they can definitely bring something ugly out in you if you let them".

Being fit is also important because the constant walking exerts a physical toll.

"That's why they call it `pounding the pavement'," she notes.

When it comes to the handicapped, Mrs. Matias tries to "show a little leniency", but the vehicle with the recycled voucher and long-expired time limit cannot be ignored. Having made an effort to find the driver and failed she issues a ticket.

"Even if you are handicapped, there are still rules," she says.

As the senior warden, Ms Ramirez likes to "see and be seen" to let the public know she's there for them, so today she joins me for a while. Her nickname, `Book `em Danno', defines her track record before promotion, yet her approach is always reasonable.

Did you know that a broken yellow line at the base of a sidewalk means there's a traffic sign nearby? Lots of people don't, apparently.

"Excuse me, sir, you can't stay here," Ms Ramirez tells a motorist. He obeys immediately.

Do you think he'll ride around the block and come back? I ask.

"Oh, most definitely," she responds. "Sometimes when they leave they watch to see if you're moving off too."

"Good morning to you sir, how are you?" she calls to another.

"Not as good as you," he responds.

"I know so many people from this job," she notes.

Warden Sandra Mitchell likes keeping law and order. She has been a traffic warden for almost three years, a Reserve Police officer for eight, and also done similar work elsewhere for 14 years, so she brings a lot of training and experience to her job.

She experiences verbal abuse occasionally, but believes that the correct approach wins the day.

"I use professionalism at all times, and try to be pleasant to everyone," she says. "Ours is a job that must be done, and no-one is above the law, not even us. Hundreds of people ask us not to give them tickets, but if they break the law and we don't ticket them, what are we here for? The place would be in turmoil."

Sarcasm is something else the wardens experience.

"Do you get commission?" one offender asks.

"Would you say something to a foreigner?" another challenges.

Sometimes things aren't what they seem. If a motorist appears to be "getting away" with a parking offence, the answer could well be that it is because the vehicle an unmarked Police car. Emergency vehicles can park anywhere, and double yellow lines allow them quick access to parking.

In fact, traffic wardens work in conjunction with the Police. Similarly equipped with two-way radios, they can monitor Police wavelengths, report crimes, and summon assistance in a jiffy, besides communicating with each other and Ms Ramirez of course.

"We are eyes and ears for the Police," warden Marion Medeiros explains. "If we see something they need to deal with we call it in."

Information passed on includes vehicles displaying expired licences. Today, they report a problem in a car park, and are on the look-out for a wanted person.

Traffic wardens come under three umbrellas: the Corporation of Hamilton, the Police and Works and Engineering. Their areas of responsibility are divided into beats, and involve both foot and bike patrols, all of which are alternated daily. Beyond the City of Hamilton, their authority extends to the car parks on Reid Street extension and the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital. It can take up to 90 minutes to check the approximately 200 cars in City Hall car park alone. And yes, the beat goes on six days a week, unless the rain is torrential. Wardens work one of two shifts: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in winter, with an extra shift from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. added in summer.

Anyone tempted to question the accuracy of the wardens' watches should know that, like the Autocites and the office computer clocks, these are synchronised every morning with the BTC clock.

No-one likes getting a ticket, of course, so protests are frequent. At headquarters, Ms Annberry Martinez fields calls one after the other.

Typical is the woman who had been ticketed for parking on a City Street - something she admitted she had been doing "for some time", maintaining there was no sign to say she couldn't.

"You won't see a sign saying `One hour parking' because all of Hamilton is one hour parking," Ms Ramirez tells her. The woman rants on. "Ma'am, please listen to what I'm saying. The months that you have been parking without getting a ticket is because we have been very short of wardens, but now we're up to par and the fun is over. You should think yourself lucky that you got off without a ticket before. Believe me, you were blessed."

As Ms Ramirez goes on to explain the parking regulations in detail the caller calms down and backs off.

"You are most welcome. Have a wonderful day," is how she signs off.

Some turn up at her office with negotiation in mind.

"They come up here looking for a caution. Some try to sweeten me up, others are extremely rude, and I've even had them crying their eyes out," Ms Ramirez says.

Her modus operandi is consistent: defuse the situation, and restore reason. Her good graces aren't for sale at any price, but she will be fair and reasonable, always polite but firm. If a genuine mistake has been made she will see that it is corrected.

"I tell people to slow down, breathe, and back up. We then examine the circumstances together. If they come up here effing me off, calling me rude names, and my wardens `idiots' or `bitches' (the latter is very popular), well, they're not going to get anywhere. At the end of the day, I tell people they are responsible for their actions. The wardens are out there to do a job and they do it well. It's definitely tough love," Ms Ramirez says.

"I even have to discipline the girls sometimes and they don't like it. Not every day is a good day for everybody because we are only human after all. I don't expect miracles, but I do expect everybody to do their very best, and they do. They are very, very good."

Maintaining that "traffic wardens get more verbal abuse than Police officers", Ms Ramirez says it is "because people think we can't arrest them until they realise we can prosecute them for it". And woe betide anyone who carries that animosity into court. Magistrates have no tolerance for people who abuse the wardens.

On the bright side, Ms Ramirez says verbal abusers have also returned to her and other wardens to apologise for their behaviour.

And who are the worst offenders?

"Old ladies" is the unanimous vote.

Equally, traffic wardens don't get away with abusing the public either, but are "dealt with professionally", Ms Ramirez says.

Dedicated and efficient, the senior traffic warden, who first joined the service in 1988, makes it a point to get to her office by 6 a.m. - two hours before the other wardens arrive so she can not only organise their day and post an encouraging `Thought for the Day' on their noticeboard, but also occupy one of the few remaining, all-day free parking spots in Hamilton. If not, and contrary to popular belief, she and her colleagues have to "pay and display" like everyone else.

Like their uniforms and grooming, the wardens' office is immaculate, with each having her own desk area. The Autocites are also charged and downloaded here, with the daily discs being delivered to Magistrates' Court for entry into their computers. Any cancelled tickets have to be authorised by Ms Ramirez and then stamped by Police Chief Inspector Mouchette.

Do wardens have quotas? No comment. Do they really give each other tickets? No comment.

Do they like their jobs? Without exception.

"You have to because, believe me, you hear it all," they say.

A free, comprehensive brochure detailing parking regulations in Hamilton is available from the Corporation of Hamilton offices at City Hall.