Great Mustangs

By David Menzies

It’s an unwritten rule when it comes to parking etiquette: first one to find a parking spot gets it. I believe it’s a variation of the “finders/keepers” regulation which has been around since, oh, the dawn of man.

But a couple of entrepreneurs in Montreal, Philippe Guévremont and Dominic Chartrand, are aiming to change the time-honoured street parking rules. And if their idea ever does gain traction, Montrealers might want to keep 9-1-1 on the speed dial given the potential for misunderstandings.

Here’s the deal: by logging on to www.maplace.ca, a motorist in search of a place to park can reserve his spot in advance. That certainly beats endlessly circling the block in the hope of snagging a vacant chunk of asphalt.

The Maplace website allows the future parker to note all the required information for a perfect parking spot, such as where and when the spot is required. The computer then does all the nitty-gritty work, tracking down a spot, reserving the spot and taking credit card payment in advance. Drivers are then given a grace period of about an hour to get to their reserved parking spots. For now, the program is mainly limited to downtown Montreal.

There appears to be a growing market for Maplace’s service, which was launched in April. Primarily through word-of-mouth, more than 1,000 motorists have already signed up for the service. In addition to saving time, Maplace notes motorists will also save gas as they needn’t aimlessly cruise city streets if reserved spots await. The company also claims its method of parking is “safer” than the traditional method, noting that accidents sometimes occur with other motorists and even pedestrians when the mission of finding a parking spot takes on overtones of musical chairs combined with Beat the Clock.

All of which may very well be true. Even so, if the sacred rule of “finders/keepers” is about to go by the wayside, I sure don’t want to be the Maplace guy telling the hungry hordes, “Sorry, sir/ma’am – keep on cruising. This space is reserved for someone else.”