purely a woman's beat.

Because the capital's first male traffic warden has also made it his job to monitor the yellow lines and loading bays.

Watch out -- Arnold Allen is about.

And if your parking voucher is invalid, improperly filled in or partly hidden underneath your windscreen wipers, Arnold will send you back to your hood with a heavier shopping bill than normal. ..in the form of a parking ticket.

In 25 years of meter maids pacing up and down City streets, never before has the Hamilton motorist been faced with a man dishing out tickets.

That's not to say women have not been fearless in their task of doling out the fines.

It does not mean they have not stood up to the parking bullies who have ripped up tickets in front of them, verbally abused them and even assaulted them.

But now the position of traffic warden has become both a woman's and a man's job for the first time ever.

Mr. Allen, 42, would not flinch if confronted by an irate driver. He is an expert in Ju-Jitsu, a chief instructor at the Sanuces Ryu gym based at West Pembroke School.

The Bermudian martial arts expert has even been inducted into the Los Angeles Ju-Jitsu Hall of Fame.

His desire for discipline has led him through the ranks to become a Colour Sergeant with the Bermuda Regiment, in charge of the Regimental Police.

And as if that wasn't enough, he keeps his hand in by pounding a different beat as a reserve Police constable.

So why does he feel the need to spend his time watching the clock for those motorists who outstay their welcome? Why is he prepared to give double trouble to double parkers? "I couldn't even give you a straight answer about why I wanted to take this job,'' said Mr. Allen.

"They say I'm the first male traffic warden ever and I'm honoured about that.

But I've always been a disciplined person and when I saw the advert for a traffic warden, I just wanted to go for it.

Arnold is just the ticket for Hamilton "Som of the guys were saying I'd be a good traffic warden because nobody messes around with me. But there's much more to it than standing up to angry people.

"I like to think I'm good at dealing with people -- at dealing with the general public in a nice way.'' Mr. Allen and fellow fresh recruit Brenda Lee White, who both started their ticket duties yesterday, have been training for two months with the Police Reserves.

"A lot of people I know were pretty surprised to see me,'' said Mr. Allen.

"But they think I'm suited to it and so do I. It might not be nice to spoil someone's day by giving them a parking ticket.

"But if it has to be done, it has to be done. I think the traffic wardens get a bad rap and get blamed for these things, but it's not our fault.

"Abide by the laws and regulations of the Ordnance of Hamilton and I won't have to ticket you.'' Corporation of Hamilton Secretary Roger Sherratt said traffic wardens' appointments were made by Police.

But he said: "We're really happy to have both Arnold and Brenda on board.

Some wardens have been subjected to abuse and assaults in the past but there's a new move now towards zero tolerance.

"His appointment is not part of a concerted effort to employ men but he did apply and there was the thinking that it might be very useful to have him on board.'' Mr. Sherratt said specific traffic problems in Hamilton included double parking, fiddled or partially-hidden parking vouchers and waiting in handicapped parking bays.

He added: "We have particular problems outside the Kentucky Fried Chicken and the Bank of Butterfield on Reid Street.

"People say they will only park for five minutes but that's all it takes for a major traffic snarl-up on one of Hamilton's busiest streets.''