A warden with the Westminster City Council – London’s glorified title for the American equivalent of a meter maid – slapped a parking ticket on former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s silver Mercedes over the weekend, sparking a dispute with Secret Service on the open city streets.
The warden ticketed her car while it was parked outside the Chatham House in Central London, The Daily Mail reported. Mrs. Clinton was reportedly inside the building, attending an event.
A nearby photographer happened to catch the controversy as it unfolded. He reported five of her guards were standing by the vehicle, guarding it.
The warden then arrived on the scene and put the ticket on the windshield. Mrs. Clinton’s security force — perhaps predictably — wasn’t happy, the photographer said to The Daily Mail.
The photographer said at least one of the agents began waving his arms and flashing his badge – but the warden remained calm, collected and unmoved.
A Westminster City Council cabinet member later told The Daily Mail: “Despite our traffic marshal being questioned by the Secret Service for just doing his job, he was in the right. The former U.S. Secretary of State was parked for nearly 45 minutes without paying. I’m sure she will understand that we have to be fair to everyone, regardless of their status on the world stage.”
The official also suggested Mrs. Clinton “download a parking app for her iPhone” in the future, in order to discover available parking spaces in the city.
Mrs. Clinton was at the Chatham House to receive an award for her role in promoting international diplomacy.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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