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Photograph by Ryan Olein
In the Zone:
John Bridgeman rolls softly and carries a big chalkstick.
Public Citizen
An Enforcer on Wheels
By Tai Moses
Finally, someone has succeeded in busting the stereotype of the merciless meterman. Although Public Safety Officer John Bridgeman of the Campbell Police Department doesn't shirk ticket-writing, he's the most genial, sunny-natured parking officer a motorist could hope to get a citation from.
The 28-year-old has held the post of downtown parking enforcer going on five years. He started with the department as a volunteer doing data entry in the records department in 1992. Two years later, the parking job opened and Bridgeman, who dreamed of a career in law enforcement since the age of 7, applied for the post, "not thinking twice that I would get it."
Bridgeman, who was born with cerebral palsy, is able to walk, but uses a wheelchair; the chair, he says, allows him to go farther and faster than he can on foot. Besides, he says, "it has lights and horns and stuff."
His beat covers downtown, the permit-parking zone at the community center, Campbell Park "and wherever else I'm needed," he says. He patrols the streets five days a week--chalking tires, writing citations and red-tagging abandoned cars--and is a tireless enforcer of parking restrictions.
According to city stats, he wrote more than 1,000 citations last year--not that he's keeping track. "Really, I don't make a habit of counting how many tickets I write," he says modestly. I observe that the number represents a lot of hard work. "A lot of people I made mad, too," he laughs ruefully.
There are, of course, down-sides to being a parking guy: "Some of the negativity that you have to deal with, people getting upset, but you learn not to take that personally."
I craftily get him to reveal a trade secret. Does he ever see people moving their cars to hide the chalk marks? "Well, I can't be everywhere at once," he says. "But I have other ways of telling if they've moved ... I check the mileage, that's one way."
Bridgeman may be the force's only disabled officer, but he isn't exempt from either the unwavering camaraderie or the legendary--and sometimes twisted--brand of cop humor. "If they didn't give me a hard time I would think that something was wrong," he says, "but usually I give it right back to them. The thing that I like most is I'm accepted for who I am."
As if on cue, a cop in plainclothes comes into the break room and spots us chatting. "Bridgeman, you lazy slob, didn't I fire you last week?" he demands. Bridgeman pretends to think hard: "I think, yes, last week," he says helpfully.
"You're not stealing money from the parking ticket fund, are you?" The man leans down close to my tape recorder. "Is that thing on?" Everyone in the room laughs heartily. NYPD Blue it's not.
"That's the chief of police," Bridgeman informs me, "Now you got it on tape."
In his office a few moments later, Chief David Gullo puts on his serious face.
"[John's] like a one-person program. He fits in really well here," Gullo says. "He is able to work very well with the community. He is an integral part of the department. We don't even recognize his disability."
I suddenly remember that I've exceeded my two-hour time limit, and hurry back to my car. Just in time, too; there's John Bridgeman rolling down First St. in his souped-up wheelchair, chalk stick at the ready, protecting downtown Campbell from parking scofflaws--like yours truly.
Know somebody who deserves to be in the paper? Nominate a Public Citizen. Send the name of a noteworthy neighbor to: Editor, Campbell Reporter, 116 E. Campbell Ave., Ste. 6, Campbell, CA 95802, or ejohnson@svcn.com
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Campbell, California
