Someone blocked my car. What do I do?
By the Tagwyse team · Last reviewed
Look for a contact note or QR tag on the windscreen first. If there is none, ask whoever runs the place: the security guard, the shop, the apartment office or the valet desk. If you are stuck in an emergency, call the police on 119. Never damage the car, however long you wait.
Check the windscreen and dashboard
Many drivers in Sri Lanka leave a phone number on the dashboard or a note under the wiper. Look at the front and rear windscreen and the side windows. A QR contact tag works with any phone camera: scan it, pick “You’re blocking me” and the owner gets an alert straight away, without either of you sharing a number.
Ask whoever runs the place
Most blocked-in cars are in places that have someone in charge. They usually know whose car it is, or can find out faster than you can.
- Apartment car parks: the security guard’s vehicle book or the management office. Many buildings log every resident’s vehicle number.
- Office car parks: reception or building security. They can call the company the car belongs to.
- Shops, banks and pharmacies: ask inside. The driver is often a customer a few metres away.
- Hospitals, temples, kovils, churches and mosques: the security post at the gate can make an announcement or send someone round.
- Weddings and events at hotels: the valet or concierge desk keeps the keys or knows the driver.
- The lane outside your house: ask the neighbours and the nearest shop or three-wheeler stand. People who park in a lane usually live or work close by.
Use the horn briefly, then wait
Two or three short beeps can bring a driver out of a nearby shop. Leaning on the horn for minutes rarely helps: it annoys the neighbours, and a driver who is far away still can’t hear it.
When to call the police
If it’s an emergency, for example you have to get someone to hospital, call 119, the police emergency line. For an ambulance, call 1990 (Suwa Seriya). If a car is blocking your gate or a road for a long time and nobody can find the driver, contact the nearest police station.
What not to do
- Don’t let the air out of the tyres, scratch the car or block it in back. It turns a delay into a dispute, and the damage is yours to answer for.
- Don’t try to push or move the car yourself.
- Think twice before posting the number plate on social media with angry comments. It can backfire, and it rarely finds the driver faster than asking around.
Make sure people can reach you next time
The same thing happens the other way round: one day your car is the one blocking someone. A car QR sticker on your windscreen lets them alert you in seconds without seeing your number. You can print a free one at home tonight.
Questions people ask
- Can I find the owner from the number plate?
- Vehicle registration records are kept by the Department of Motor Traffic. They aren’t a quick way to sort out a parking problem. Security staff or the police are the faster route.
- Can I have the car towed?
- Only the people who run a car park, or the police, should decide that. Ask the building management or the police; don’t arrange it yourself.
- Should I leave a note?
- Yes, if you managed to get out. A short, polite note saying you were blocked in, and how long for, is more likely to change the driver’s habits than an angry one.