Parking App Inspired by Tickets in Charm City

Getting the boot on his vehicle for parking illegally prompted one Canton resident to quit his job at Phillip's Seafood and create an app to help drivers find spots in the city, The Baltimore Sun reports.

Eric Meyer, 24, released his new app—called "Haystack"—Tuesday. It was reportedly named because finding parking in parts of Baltimore is like finding a needle in a haystack.

To remedy the issue, users can download the Haystack app to find parking and let others know when they plan to leave.

To take someone else's spot, it costs $3, according to Haystack.

Would you pay to find a parking spot in the city? Tell us in the comments!

The person leaving the spot receives $2.25, with Haystack getting $0.75 for the transaction, the Baltimore Business Journal reported.

GPS pinpoints the spot's location and allows users to provide vehicle models to help determine what can fit there.

"Haystack Mobile Technologies hopes to ease one of the city of Baltimore’s biggest issues, parking...to improve the quality of life for Baltimore residents as well as make a positive impact on the environment by reducing the time drivers spend circling the city looking for spots," according to a statement announcing the app's release.

While it is illegal to hold a phone and drive in Maryland, a promotional video about Haystack shows a driver using the app with his phone in a cell phone holder mounted on his windshield.

Haystack is not the first app out of Charm City to alleviate parking woes.

Parking Panda, which helps people reserve parking spots in garages, parking lots and even driveways, also started in Baltimore in 2011, according to Fox News, which reported the two cofounders met at a startup tech conference. Parking Panda has since expanded to markets in Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, New Orleans, New York City, Chicago, Washington and several other cities.