ICON STILL A POPULAR DRAW FOR TOURISTS
A WOMAN stares blankly at a parking meter on Surfers Paradise Esplanade. The visitor has no idea what to do.
“I’ve never used one, how does it work?” she asks helplessly, her face screwed up.
She turns to see Meter Maid Felicia Aden who tends to stand out in her trademark gold bikini, gold high heels, sash and akubra cowboy hat.
The statuesque 24-yearold from Sweden who lives in Upper Coomera helps the woman work the machine.
Then Miss Aden tops up another motorist’s car bay with 15 minutes left, dropping 20 cents in to give the driver of a rental six minutes extra.
She says helping confused visiting motorists is the most common inquiry during a five-hour shift strutting the streets of Surfers Paradise.
That and photo requests. In the half hour the Bulletin tagged along yesterday midafternoon she helped several quizzical visitors stuggling to work parking meters and posed for five photos.
The well-spoken boutique fashion designer and race horse track work jockey is a hit with tourists of all ages.
English visitor John Geoghegan, 55, asks for a photo with her and bodybuilder Mayapur Rapinett, joining her for the afternoon as part of a trial to have Meter Males.
“It’s a tradition, what makes Surfers Paradise the place it is, it’s part of the fun,” Mr Geoghegan says, as wife Barbara looks on laughing.
“I don’t think it’s inappropriate,” Mrs Geoghegan says, urging the city “keep with it”.
“It’s good fun and the impression you have is they look after you so you don’t get a parking fine - when you come to the Gold Coast you feel you’re safe from it,” she says.
German working holidaymakers Philipp Kroll, 26, and Giovanni Strauss, 27, happily pose up with Ms Aden.
“I don’t know what the concept is - but I like it, I like her,” Mr Strauss says.
“I’ve never seen this before,” Mr Kroll says. “It’s really nice for people visiting.”
Brisbane’s Arleen Bandoqui, 36, visiting the Coast to show it to family from the Phillipines, tells her relatives to get a picture with Ms Aden.
“You can’t leave without a photo with a Meter Maid.”
Ms Aden, who moved to the Coast a year ago to be with her Australian partner, admits it isn’t all pleasant: “You do sometimes get drunk guys who think we are there for them to hang over and touch.
“Sometimes you will get asked ‘How much to come to my hotel?’ but I just say I’m not here to do that."
For a month it’s been her full-time job, six days a week, five hour shifts at a time, for a wage and commission on sales of calendars ($5), stubbie holders ($10), t-shirts ($30).
“I love it. I get a tan at the same time. I’m next to the beach all day. Everyone is in bikinis so it’s not weird.
“My partner made me apply - she said I have a face that shouldn’t be locked up in a stable all day. She said ‘You are so good with people’.
“If I go back to track work I will definitely keep doing this on the side on weekends.”