Wilaya de Fes Tourist Trap Tips by JLBG Top 5 Page for this destination

On the road, midway between Rabat and Meknès, stands a small city that stretches along the road. Many restaurants are scattered on both sides of the main street with charcoal burning to cook tajines and brochettes.

However, this is not why I am writing a tip. A few years ago (it might well have been in 2002), I was driving from Rabat to Meknès. The entrance into the city is a straight road lined with fields and orchards. No houses, no cross road. However, right in the middle of this strait line, there was a large traffic light.

When I arrived close to the traffic light, it turned red. Of course, I braked and stopped. From behind a bush, there came a traffic policeman that ordered me very politely to park on the side of the road.

Unique Suggestions: He said "You drove too fast and I must give you a ticket" He had several counterfoils books hung at his belt. They looked rather worn out, as if they have been used for a long time. He took a pink one and said "this will cost you 1,000 Dirham" (about 100 Euros).

While he searched in his pocket for a pencil, he nicely asked "is that the first time you come to Morocco". I answered, "no, I come often to Morocco and enjoys your beautiful country, etc" (which was true, BTW!).

He then answered "oh, then, if you are a friend of Morocco, you are welcome and (he let fall the first counterfoil book and took a green one, equally worn out) I would be sorry to give you a 1,000 Dh ticket." He held the green counterfoil book and said "for a friend of Morocco, that will only be 500 Dh".

He had not yet found his pencil and kept talking while looking for it. "Are you visiting Morocco as a tourist?" I answered, "no, we here one week for work. We have a 4 years cooperation program with the University in Kenitra and come several time a year. When we have some spare time, we do some tourism."

The policemen said then "as you are here to work with my country, I must be nice with you". He took a third counterfoil book, printed on yellow paper and said "as you are a very good friend of Morocco, that will be only 250 Dh".

Though he had visited all his pockets, and he had many of them, he had not found yet any pencil. He grumbled, "I hate all this paper work we have to perform!" I agreed.

After a while, "Do you really need a receipt?"

I said "oh, I don't really care for a receipt. I will not get any refund, nobody will pay for me!"

The policeman : "forget the whole thing, give me 100 Dh and we will not have any paper work to do!".

Guess what I did!

Fun Alternatives: I learned later from my Moroccan friends that the traffic light had been set up especially for that purpose and that each of the policemen used it, one after the other. That was why the counterfoil books were so worn out: they actually were never used and were only part of the trick! I learned also that the trick went to an end when the authorities heard about it. The traffic light trap is not in use anymore!