I've purchased plenty of things online over the years—from vintage vinyl records to quirky home décor and those oddly specific treasures you somehow can't find in a regular store.
Usually, there's one slightly uncomfortable part of the experience.
The meetup.
You find the item, agree on a price, and then have to arrange a time and place to exchange the money and the goods. And while most online transactions go perfectly well, there's always that little thought in the back of your mind:
Who exactly am I meeting?
Is the location busy enough? Is it somewhere public? Is there security nearby? What happens if something doesn't feel right when you arrive?
That's why I was immediately intrigued when I first noticed a handshake symbol painted on a parking space.
At first glance, it looks like a simple symbol.
But it actually represents a pretty clever idea.
In Pembroke, Ontario, designated parking spaces outside the Pembroke Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) detachment at 77 International Drive were established as part of Project Safe Trade, a community safety initiative designed to provide a public location for people meeting to complete online property transactions.
And honestly, it makes so much sense.
What Does the Handshake Parking Symbol Mean?
The handshake symbol indicates a designated safe-trade parking space.
The idea is surprisingly simple: instead of arranging to meet a stranger at your home, in an isolated parking lot, or somewhere unfamiliar, you can choose a public location associated with a police detachment.
The Upper Ottawa Valley OPP launched Project Safe Trade in December 2022 at its Pembroke detachment.
According to the OPP's announcement, the goal was to move online transactions away from secluded areas and personal residences and into a public place.
So that handshake isn't just decorative.
It's essentially a visual reminder:
This space is intended for people meeting to exchange goods or property they arranged to buy or sell online.
Why Would a Police Station Have These Parking Spaces?
Think about how many online transactions happen every day.
Someone sells a used phone.
Someone buys a piece of furniture.
A person finds a collectible they've been searching for.
Someone sells a bicycle, gaming console, tools, clothing, or just about anything else.
The problem isn't necessarily the transaction itself.
It's the fact that two strangers may need to meet in person to complete it.
A police detachment provides a recognizable public setting rather than someone's driveway or an isolated meeting point.
That's the basic idea behind Project Safe Trade.
The OPP described the designated spaces as a community safety zone for online property transactions.
And I think the concept is one of those ideas that makes you wonder:
Why didn't we have these everywhere years ago?
How Does a Safe-Trade Parking Space Work?
The process is pretty straightforward.
1. Arrange Your Online Purchase or Sale
