Correction: This article incorrectly indicated that PayByPhone would operate its reservations at some metered street spaces. This is not so, the company has informed SFist: "PayByPhone wants to clarify that it plans to enable reservation of parking spots only in private parking lots in the summer of 2016." As, "PayByPhone has no plans to enable reservation of street parking in San Francisco or other cities,” SFist made an error, which we regret.

So far, Vancouver-based PayByPhone has been used in cities such as San Francisco to, as the name suggests, pay (parking meters) by phone. That's convenient if, for example, your dinner is running late — you can just whip out your phone and forget about running down the street to feed the meter.

However, a new feature to be introduced in PayByPhone's app sometime late this summer, according to SFGate, might be convenient for some and a bummer for everyone else who's used to the current system. PayByPhone app users will be able to book a space ahead of time, perhaps only after purchasing concert or game tickets, and also at just a select number of the current 28,0000 SFMTA and 1,000 Port of SF car and motorcycle parking lot spaces where PayByPhone operates.

Even if it's small in scope, this program could cause confusion fast. Consider a situation where someone parks in an empty space only to find that the meter has indicated it's reserved for someone who isn't there yet. It's also a bit reminiscent of the erstwhile Monkey Parking, which pertained not to parking lot spaces but general street parking, as well as kerfuffles of perceived privatization of parks through reservation systems. That fight has led Supervisors to ban grass reservations in parks altogether.

Related: Ask A San Francisco Native: Is Saving Parking Spaces By Standing In Them Kosher In The 415?