What to Do When Your Car Is Blocked by Another Vehicle?

[McAlessandra]

Check if the other party has left any contact information and directly call the owner's phone number to get in touch. You can also call the insurance company's number displayed on the other vehicle's windshield. Another method is to contact the owner by reporting the license plate number. If the other driver has violated any regulations, 122 (traffic police hotline in China) will arrange for someone to come and handle the situation directly, and the vehicle will be towed away.

[BlakelyMarie]

I've encountered this situation several times and totally understand the frustration of being in a hurry but blocked by a parked car. Don't get too upset yet - first walk around the blocking vehicle to check if there's a contact number left on the windshield. Many car owners place a parking card under the wiper. If no contact information is visible, try honking your horn for a few seconds - but be mindful of noise pollution during early mornings or late nights. As a last resort, call 122 to report to traffic police, provide the license plate number and ask them to contact the owner. While waiting for police, I usually record video evidence of the situation to avoid future disputes. Once I was blocked for three hours, only to discover it was a temporary parking by nearby construction workers. That's why I now always display my contact number visibly when parking - it helps others and makes things easier for myself too.

[MiaFitz]

Last week I got stuck in the neighborhood while taking my kid to school - what a stressful situation! First, I rushed to the property management to check surveillance footage and locate the car owner, as their contact number is usually registered in the property system. When the owner's phone was off, the property staff helped broadcast a notice. Nowadays many communities have installed smart car relocation systems where you can scan a QR code to contact the owner. I recommend keeping some temporary relocation cards in your car - the erasable magnetic ones are most convenient. While waiting, I took the opportunity to check my own tire pressure, so it wasn't completely wasted time. If you really can't reach the owner and are in a hurry, check if the blocking vehicle is parked illegally - if so, taking photos and reporting it through the city management APP can be very effective.

[DiMaggie]

Here's a practical tip from an experienced driver: First, check the tire condition of the blocking vehicle. If the tires are fully inflated without leaks, it indicates the owner hasn't been gone for long. Then, ask nearby store security guards—they often notice who parked the car. Once when I was blocked at a mall, a cleaning lady pointed to the gym upstairs saying the owner was working out. Nowadays, many parking lots use QR code-based vehicle moving systems—just scan the sticker on the windshield to notify the owner's phone. When reporting to 122, remember to accurately describe the location, specifying which district and lane number it's in. While waiting, you can organize your trunk or clean interior trash to make use of the time. Most importantly, never attempt to forcibly push the vehicle—you'll be fully responsible for any paint scratches.

[StRicardo]

The narrow alleys in my residential area often lead to such situations, and neighbors have come up with a few clever tricks. First, check which insurance company’s sticker is on the other car, then call the insurer’s customer service pretending you’ve hit the car—the agent will urgently contact the owner. This method works every time but isn’t very ethical. The proper approach is to post the license plate number in the community group to locate the owner, or film a video and post it on Douyin with the neighborhood tagged—sometimes it even goes viral. Once, I found a cute note on my windshield: 'Car moved, please leave your number next time!' The handwriting was so adorable it melted my frustration. Now, new policies require all cars to have a 'move-your-car' QR code. If a blocking car lacks one, you can directly report it to the traffic police.

[RicardoFitz]

Last year, I was extremely distressed when blocked at the emergency building entrance and immediately called 110 to report the urgent situation. The police arranged a tow truck within five minutes, only to later learn the obstructing driver was undergoing surgery upstairs. This incident taught me to empathize: always leave a contact number and quickly place an apology note on the windshield if blocking the way. Now, when encountering such situations, I follow three steps: record the blockage time, take six panoramic photos from all angles, and call 122 to file a recorded report. If the owner remains unreachable after half an hour, request traffic police to issue a ticket for illegal parking. Cultivate the habit of departing early for important appointments to handle blockages calmly.