How to Play Parking Patrol: Telling-Time Tips
Parking Patrol looks like a simple job: walk down the street, look at the parking meters and write tickets. Underneath, it is a full telling-time course, from "three o'clock" to adding 2 hours 30 minutes on a 24-hour clock. This guide walks through each skill the game asks for, with worked examples, so that you (or your child) can earn three stars on every level.
The one rule that matters
Every decision in the game comes down to a single comparison:
- Work out the end time of the car's parking.
- Compare it with the time now on the clock.
- Ticket the car only if the time now is later than the end time.
That last word is important. A meter that says "paid until 4:30" is still paid at 4:30 on the dot. Many players lose their first stars on level 5 by ticketing cars that run out exactly now, so say it to yourself before pressing Done: "later, not equal".
Levels 1 to 3: o'clock, half past and quarter hours
The first levels show "PAID UNTIL" meters and a digital clock, so you only need to compare two times. A reliable way is to compare the hours first, then the minutes:
- If the hours are different, the bigger hour is later. 6:00 is later than 5:00, so a car paid until 5:00 gets a ticket.
- If the hours are the same, compare the minutes. At 4:15, a car paid until 4:45 is fine, and a car paid until 4:00 is late.
Children who are new to clocks can read the times out loud as "quarter past four" or "half past six". Hearing the words helps them connect the digital numbers to the clock-face language they will need on the next level.
Level 4: reading a clock face
On the Town Hall Clock level the time now is only shown on an analog clock. Read it in two steps:
- The long red hand gives the minutes. Each number on the clock is five minutes: pointing at 3 means 15 minutes (quarter past), at 6 means 30 (half past), at 9 means 45 (quarter to the next hour).
- The short hand gives the hour. It moves slowly between numbers. If it is just past the 6 and the long hand points at 3, the time is 6:15. If the short hand is almost at 7 and the long hand points at 9, the time is 6:45, not 7:45.
The second point is the classic trap: when the short hand is close to the next number, the hour has not changed yet. Always take the number the short hand has most recently passed.
Level 5: five-minute steps
Now times can be any five minutes, such as 2:35 or 9:50, and some meters end exactly at the time now. Counting in fives on a clock face (5, 10, 15 … 55) is the skill to practise here. For digital times, comparing hours and then minutes still works perfectly.
Levels 6 and 7: adding minutes to a start time
From the Pay and Display level, many meters show when the driver arrived and how much time they paid for, for example "IN AT 9:50 · PAID 30 MIN". You need to add the two to find the end time.
The easiest method is to jump to the next o'clock first:
| Meter | Jump to the hour | Then add the rest | End time |
|---|---|---|---|
| In at 9:50, paid 30 min | 9:50 → 10:00 is 10 min | 20 min more | 10:20 |
| In at 10:45, paid 25 min | 10:45 → 11:00 is 15 min | 10 min more | 11:10 |
| In at 5:55, paid 20 min | 5:55 → 6:00 is 5 min | 15 min more | 6:15 |
| In at 3:40, paid 15 min | does not reach the hour | 40 + 15 = 55 | 3:55 |
Level 7, Over the Hour, is built so that most meters cross into the next hour, and the time now is just after the hour, such as 6:05. That makes it easy to get the hour wrong, so always write or say the full end time before comparing.
Levels 8 and 9: mixed meters and long stays
The Clock Tower level combines both kinds of meter with an analog clock, so read the clock once and keep the time in your head while you check each car. On Long Stay, drivers can pay for up to 2 hours 30 minutes. Add the hours first, then the minutes: arriving at 3:55 with 2 h 30 min paid means 3:55 + 2 hours = 5:55, then + 30 minutes = 6:25.
Levels 10 and 11: the 24-hour clock
Stations, airports and timetables use the 24-hour clock, and so does the Station Car Park. Hours after 12 continue counting: 13:00 is 1 pm, 17:40 is 5:40 pm and 21:15 is 9:15 pm. To convert, subtract 12 from any hour above 12.
The good news is that you do not need to convert at all to play. In the 24-hour system a bigger number is always later in the day, so 17:45 is later than 17:35, and 18:05 is later than 17:55. Compare hours, then minutes, exactly as on level 1.
Level 12: the Chief's Beat
The final level puts everything together: an analog clock, both meter types, long stays, times that cross the hour, and four streets instead of three. With three mistakes allowed over 22 to 24 cars, slow and steady wins. Read the clock carefully once, then check the cars from left to right, working out each end time before deciding.
Common mistakes
- Ticketing a meter that ends exactly now. It is still paid. Only "later" gets a ticket.
- Reading the wrong hour on the clock face when the short hand is close to the next number.
- Forgetting to carry into the next hour when adding minutes: 9:50 + 30 minutes is not 9:80.
- Missing a late car. A missed car counts as a mistake too, so check every meter before pressing Done.
Practising away from the screen
The same skills work in everyday life. Ask a child to tell you what time a film will end from its start time and length, how long until dinner, or what time the bus arrives on a 24-hour timetable. A cheap toy clock with movable hands is still one of the best tools for levels 4 and 8. Then come back to the game and see whether the stars come more easily. If you are looking for more calm, kid-friendly games, see our list of free police games for kids.
Frequently asked questions
What age is Parking Patrol for? The first four levels suit most children from about 6 or 7. The elapsed-time and 24-hour levels are good practice for ages 8 to 11, and many adults enjoy the later levels as a quick brain workout.
Are the streets the same every time? No. The times are made up fresh whenever you start a level, so replaying is real practice, not memorising.
Does the game use real parking laws? No. It uses one simple rule so that you can focus on the time. Real parking rules differ from place to place.