AUBURN — People know him as that guy who writes tickets. The man who points sternly at traffic in front of Auburn Middle School mornings and afternoons. Occasionally, the one who helps police direct cars at accident scenes.

He’s in the public eye all day, every day, and nine years ago he beat out 119 other people for this job.

Roger Perreault is the city’s lone parking enforcement officer.

Of course, what people don’t know could fill a book, or a bowling alley, as it were.

Perreault is retired Air Force. He met his wife in Spain. He’s an honoree in the local bowling hall of fame. Those bits about him don’t happen to come out while patrolling 17 parking sectors downtown and standing sentinel at the middle school.

“I have met some interesting people along the way,” Perreault said. “Some I would rather not have conversations with.”

At times, particularly ticket-writing times, he gets a fair amount of guff. Common offenses are exceeding the time limit, parking without a permit and parking in a handicap spot without the right plate. If drivers get too ugly, they’re told to please take it up with his boss.

Along the way, Perreault’s also heard some doozies, like the woman who parked in a handicap spot because she was three months pregnant.

“That was her ‘legitimate’ excuse,” he said.

Eight months ago, he got automated: a new computerized ticket pad with an electronic screen and a camera. Perreault gave up chalking tires, too, but not everyone’s caught on. Now, when he enters a location and plate number, a digital version of a wheel pops up. He simply touches the screen to remember where the wheel’s valve stem is. If it hasn’t moved when he returns, ticket.

With the new pad, he got to say goodbye to his special pen that wrote in the rain and snow. Perreault said bad weather is the only real negative about the work. In the winter, wind really whips at him across the Auburn Middle School lot. For the last three years, he’s stood out there from 7 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., stopping traffic for buses, cars and kids.

The police chief did a study once and found there wasn’t enough traffic to justify a traffic light.

“The chief says, ‘Guess what, you’re still going to be out there,’” Perreault said. “I am the light.”

Between the hours of bus duty, he figures he walks between five and six miles a day at work.

Born and raised in Lewiston, Perreault retired from the Air Force after 20 years in 1989. One assignment took him to Spain, where he met his future wife, Maria. He’s been bowling just longer than he’s been married, 40 years. In 1997, Perreault was named to the Lewiston-Auburn Bowling Association’s Hall of Fame. He has a youth bowling scholarship named after him at Sparetime Recreation.

Perreault said he’s looking forward to retirement and relaxing more with his wife, eventually. On Tuesday, he has the end of the school year, and bus duty, to look forward to.

Know someone who stops traffic? We’re always looking for people to feature. Contact staff writer Kathryn Skelton at 689-2844 or [email protected]