Parking enforcement officers are often misunderstood. They are seen more for the tickets they write than the people they are. But in Bloomington, City Parking Enforcement Officer Susan McCarter works to break the stereotype by simply being herself.
Known by many as “Mama Susan,” McCarter has spent more than a decade on the job, earning a reputation not just for enforcing the rules, but for doing so with empathy, humor and a deep care for the community she serves.
Her job is often met with annoyance and frustration — sometimes even an angry gesture. But McCarter doesn’t let the challenges of her job get her down. Instead, she treats every situation how she knows best — by being a mom.
“One day, some kid came up and basically pecked on my window on the passenger side and flipped me off,” she said. “The mom comes out in me a lot, I think, because if my child did that, I’d be like, what was that for? So, I just rolled the window down and said, ‘What was that for?’”
Her goal, she says, isn’t just parking enforcement. It’s understanding.
“Let’s talk it out,” McCarter said. “Let me explain to you why I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do, and why you can’t do what you want to do.”
Susan McCarter’s daughter, Lindsey Bailey, and her two grandsons, Carter and Finn, speak to Mama Susan’s character and perseverance. They tell stories about their grandmother and they share some laughs.
McCarter’s motherly instincts have made her a local figure extending beyond the bounds of her job. Her daughter, Lindsey Bailey, speaks to her mom’s positivity, even when the work is difficult.
“It’s kind of funny that she ended up doing the job that she does, which is generally disliked by most people, and she’s such a likable person,” Bailey said. “It’s kind of ironic… she doesn’t seem to ever let it get her down. She just loves people and accepts all different kinds of people.”
McCarter tries to offer grace when she can, understanding the challenges of parking in Bloomington. But, even through the difficulties, she carries out her responsibilities with consistency and fairness.
“Everybody’s got to follow the rules,” she said. “It has to be fair.”
The job isn’t easy, not only because of the backlash McCarter faces, but because she has had to work through physical pain and personal hardship.
“She had both her hips — surgery — and then right after she wanted to play pickleball with us just, like, immediately,” Carter, McCarter’s grandson, said.
McCarter’s daughter and grandsons know more than anyone her resilience to difficulties.
“She doesn’t give up, that’s for sure,” Bailey said. “She’s had some, you know, challenges in life as most people do and she never gives up. Nothing’s ever been handed to her.”
Susan McCarter tells stories about her job, both the good stories and the bad. Either way, she’s happy to share her stories, as well as a few life lessons.
McCarter believes humor helps to make the hard times better, a testament to her resilience.
“You gotta laugh — seriously, you have to,” she said. “If I can be funny or make somebody else laugh or make myself laugh, that works too.”
It’s not uncommon for McCarter to stop mid-shift and compliment a stranger’s shoes. It’s also not uncommon for her to strike up full conversations with people her family’s never met.
“Every time we go to town, she sees someone and says, ‘Hey, how are you doing?’” Finn, McCarter’s second grandson, said. “We have no clue who they are.”
While parking enforcement might never be popular, McCarter’s family hopes her presence reminds people that even in everyday jobs, kindness matters.
“She’s finally getting some recognition for being a good human,” Bailey said. “And I wish there was more of that in the world.”
Susan McCarter has a tattoo of a tree on her forearm that serves as a tribute to her daughter and grandsons. At the bottom of the tree are all of their initials, and among the leaves are each one of their birthstones. Her tattoo is a reminder to everyone about the importance of family.
