If you've ever parked your car in a timed parking zone and returned to find white chalk marks scrawled onto your tires, there's a pretty good explanation — but before you take the time to read and find out, you should probably go ahead and move your car first.

It might be common knowledge to more seasoned drivers, but those newer to the roads or less familiar with urban parking enforcement methods may be surprised to learn that this is just a simple means to track how long a vehicle has been parked in one spot.

A Toronto Parking Enforcement officer has been sharing videos on Twitter, offering the public a glimpse into how parking violations are enforced in the city.

The latest clip, shared by PEO Hegedus on Thursday morning, reveals why those chalk lines keep appearing on your tires when you leave your car to run errands or grab a bite. Some out there might assume it's the work of unusually polite vandals or just some bored kid, but it's really just a low-tech way to catch you slipping.

Overtime parking enforcement in Toronto for 1 hour and 3 hour offences. #twt #ThursdayThoughts #Toronto #education #parking #Police @TrafficServices #KNOWLEDGE pic.twitter.com/qn3vpY4Jm8

— R Hegedus (@tps7000) February 10, 2022

In the video, Hegedus explains how he handles timed enforcement for one-hour and three-hour offences, showing himself checking signage before marking the tires of what he refers to as "target vehicles" with white chalk.

He then returns an hour later, and if the chalk is still undisturbed, you're not only going to get hit with a pricey ticket, but possibly immortalized on video with some hilarious accompanying "oh no" and "ch-ching" sound effects.

Of course, not everyone is happy about finding chalk on their tires, despite the fact that it cleans itself off simply by driving — the very reason chalk is used to determine if a car has moved. It's been a controversial subject in recent years, the practice even accused of being a violation of constitutional rights across the border in the United States.

Hegedus' Twitter account is only a few days old, but it looks like he's shaping up to be the newest social media darling at Toronto Parking Enforcement, posting regular explainer videos that serve as bite-sized cautionary tales for drivers.

With only a handful of posts under his belt, Hegedus' follower count may be a bit too low to go for his explainer vids to go viral, but if you pay close attention, his insight into how parking enforcement is carried out could save you a buck, or a few hundred.