'Leave without paying? Impossible': US tourist shows how China’s parking system traps cars in place

According to him, QR codes were used widely for payments across various settings.

A video shared by an American visitor in China attracted significant attention after he described his experience with the country’s cashless systems and automated parking features. The clip showed him explaining how ordinary activities, such as paying for parking or ordering food, operated differently from what he was familiar with in the United States or Europe.

He began the video by stating, “China is next level. Look at what happens when you park your car. So there are no meters or anything because China is basically cashless. Everything is through these QR codes.” He then directed the camera towards a QR code panel placed near parking spaces and said drivers simply scanned it to make the payment.

The tourist then focused on a small green device located on the ground near each parking slot. He said it appeared to be a basic plastic unit at first, but served a specific purpose: “That is so you don’t leave if you’ve stayed longer than you paid for.” He showed one device lying flat and another raised at an angle, adding, “This one has tilted upwards and is basically stopping your car from moving. If you try to drive away, you’ll damage your car. It pops up the moment your time runs out. How insane is that?” He also remarked that scooter parking was free, and commented, “There’s a ton of scooters in China. There’s also a ton of cars in China.”

He later asked viewers to listen as a car passed by. “Do you hear anything? No,” he said, before explaining that the roads were quiet because “almost all scooters and cars are electric.” He continued, “The only vehicles that I’ve actually heard in China are the buses.” He claimed petrol stations were limited, adding, “I think in three times in this country, I’ve only seen two.”

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According to him, QR codes were used widely for payments across various settings. The caption of the clip read, “Americans cannot believe the strange technology in China.” He explained that the video was filmed in Suzhou and was intended to show routine systems in the city.

He wrote, “This is something simple. Just in the parking lot. There are platforms that raise up to stop cars from leaving without paying in China. They use a QR system to pay for absolutely everything from parking to hotel.” He added that in many restaurants, “There will be a QR code on the table and the QR code will have your entire menu. And also your way to pay… This is backwards from the United States to Europe, where you will pay after the fact.”

The video received millions of views and drew varied comments. One user wrote, “When you spend billions developing your country and not destroying others.” Another commenter said, “I was in Beijing 3 weeks ago, a city of 25M, and the streets were silent as every car is a new EV. China is winning.” A third person remarked, “Those people are living in the future. I need to visit China.”

Some viewers reacted with humour. One comment read, “Come to India and learn what honking is.” Others expressed scepticism about an entirely digital payment environment, with one person calling it “Digital slavery?” Another wrote, “Cashless means total government control.” A separate user added, “I think it’s a level of control by government that is unacceptable.”

"This is what happens when a country has a long term plan. Western governments are only concerned about getting re-elected in 3-4 years so only have a plan to suit that cycle," a user added.