Some countries prohibit hitchhiking, such as the United States in certain places and Spain.
Hitchhiking is not banned in Morocco. However, it is not recommended and, in fact, is not practised.
The risks a driver takes when picking up a hitchhiker
In the eyes of the law, drivers are responsible for the people they transport. If a police check reveals anything unusual or illegal (drugs, for example), the driver is jointly and severally liable.
In fact, there are horrifying stories of hitchhikers who have hidden drugs in a car, in the door or under the cushions, only to retrieve them after passing through a checkpoint. They get out first and wait for an accomplice to find the car later. But in the meantime, the police find the package and it’s the driver who goes to prison.
What’s more, a Moroccan driver with a foreigner on board has to be able to explain where he knows the foreigner from, so as not to be suspected of acting as a ‘tourist taxi’ on the side. And the policeman who stopped the car because he spotted the foreigner will not accept the excuse of hitchhiking, because he knows that this is not done in Morocco. Tourist transport is a strictly regulated profession, whose members are very corporatist. Like taxis. Unfair competition is not appreciated.
The risks of hitchhiking in an unknown vehicle
First of all, there are the physical risks: Moroccan roads are deadly. In the event of an accident, the passenger with the ‘vague’ status risks being particularly badly covered.
There is also the risk of being turned away, with a firm invitation to have tea with a family member or friend. Like Aisha from Jaffar’s circus…
There’s also the risk of wasting a lot of time if you’re stopped by the police, and maybe even being taken to the station to get to the bottom of it all.
And finally, there’s the risk of an incident with your driver, who is bound to expect a contribution towards expenses and may be disappointed if it’s not accepted, or not at the level he was expecting.
But I see Moroccans hitchhiking!
No, not really.
You see Moroccans on the side of the road waiting for a car with which they have an appointment or, in remote areas, cars that serve as taxis to and from the souk.
You see people who will actually be transported by other people from their village or work, in exchange for a contribution towards the cost of fuel. In short, people who know the driver and whom the driver knows.
But believe me, Moroccans don’t hitchhike with strangers.
Don’t be stingy, use the big taxis… like everyone else
Hitchhiking in Morocco is all the more pointless as you have the economical solution of large taxis. Inexpensive, they allow you to go anywhere, without risk. And you’ll have just as much chance of meeting Moroccans in them as you would hanging around on the roadside.
And of course, if you do decide to hitchhike, it’s strictly for men!
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2 Comments
Actually when I was in morrocco as a kid with my mum and sister, we picked up alot of hitchhikers. Sometimes up to 3 diffrent hitchhikers at the same time. All of them were morrocans. This was back in 2006… So not sure if something changed, but it seemed then to be quite a thing for some morrocans to hop into cars of strangers…
Well, yes, Moroccans hop into cars of strangers… it’s more strangers who don’t let them hop into :)