Although meter maids in Syracuse, New York must issue at least one parking ticket every 20 minutes, officials deny that this is a quota. The policy was instituted early this year in order to boost city parking ticket revenue to $2.2 million.

"I want to trumpet this: there are no quotas for parking tickets," Richard Scheutzow, director of the city's Parking Violations Bureau told the Syracuse Post-Standard. "These are productivity expectations."

Meter maids in Syracuse use hand-held ticket computers that automatically record the time and date a citation is issued. If they fail to issue a ticket within 20 minutes, they must provide a suitable explanation or face punishments ranging from "counseling" to being fired.

The policy, which went into effect Jan. 6, isn't sitting well with downtown merchants. "Oh, fantastic - that's just what we need," said Joe Rainone, president of the Armory Square Association and owner of Mulrooney's Pub. "Let's make people come downtown even less than they do now."