Yes, chalk has been used for any limited time zone in the City since, perhaps, before you were born. Would you have been parked nearby and got chalked? It is a pretty tried and true process but not totally infallible. Once the transition of the last parkade (Yates), we will be moving to an LPR system which will use photos of plates and chalk will no longer be required.
Nope, I was at home all morning and left the house at 12:45 to make the 25 min drive from UVic to the View Parkade. Arrived at 13:10, waived to the friendly security guard who knows me and he said lots of space down below if I'm going to be less than an hour. Parked the car at 13:10 as I remember looking at my watch to make sure I would stay under my hour and went for my meeting. I returned at 13:40 and note the ticket was written at 13:21.
So 11 mins after I arrived and was greeted by the security guard.... My tires are extremely low profile and very clean. There was no chalk mark as even the security guard looked when I found him to ask about the ticket. He remarked there was no chalk mark visible. I will note the cars parked on either side of me were there when I arrived and returned and neither of their tires were marked with chalk either
I called the number on the ticket and had a nice convo with Andrew who was very helpful. He looked up the ticket and said the notes indicated that the car was there at 11:31...I said this wasnt possible as I was on the phone at that time to a business partner and I have home security footage of my car being in my garage up till 12:40 when it records me leaving.
Its not a big deal as it was sorted and Andrew was very professional as was the security guard. All I'm doing is pointing out the flaw in the system. And as you said once license plate readers are instituted the flaw will be resolved