Bad policemen in Tan-Tan

[desertexpress]

At the roundebout just outside of Tan-Tan ; direction to Smara or Tarfaya or Laayoune or just to Mauritania ; there are 2 policemen waiting for forreigners and give them a penalty of 700 dirham (around 70 euro) because you diden't stop at the stop sign. I can assure you , almost nowbody stops there. And in Morocco the 'rules' aren't that strict.
The 2 policemen at first are realy friendly and ask your passport and drivers license. If you don'ty pay, you won't get them back.
When i was there , there were 5 forreigners waiting to pay. You get a receite in Arabic.
This is the first time in Morocco i had this with the police. Always they are really friendly.
Even in Smare ( where i was) these 2 are known. They already charged a few hundred forreigners.
I will send an email and duplicat off my penalty and ask if annything can be done with this in the futur.
At the moment they want in Morocco that Europeans invest in Morocco and they welcome toerist but these 2 apperently have another oppinion.

Every boddy who passes here is worned by this.
grts
Peter Penson
ktmboven
desertexpress

[bilimanjaro]

thanks,,peter
will remember this one..

[twenty4seven]

The Tan Tan Police are talked about when you meet other travelers in Morocco and this roundabout excuse for fining you is their usual trap.

When we drove through we drove very slowly and stopped at all the junctions of the roundabouts even though there was not any other cars around.

Unless the fine has gone up, it was 400 Dh earlier this year.

[markharf]

I remember those guys from a couple of years ago. I used standard operating procedures (not understanding, not handing over real documents, offering to pay at the police station, asking about their home towns and families and whether they like being stationed wherever they're at, not understanding some more, being endlessly patient but somewhat stupid and slow) and I did not pay. They do not want to keep your documents (what good are these to a Moroccan cop?) and they do not want you to pay at the station. Be patient and most problems will just evaporate. If they don't--for example if you really did run a stop sign in front of the cops--certainly negotiate. It can be helpful to arrange your cash so that you can demonstrate you've only got a small amount by opening your wallet or turning out your pockets.

If you're headed south I can promise this won't be the last time you run into people in uniforms demanding payment. Practice your calm, passive resistance and you will seldom have to pay anything.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

[brend]

hello
same experience somewhere around tan tan. last year a 100dh fine because one in the back of the car had no seatbelt on. First and only fine in 15 years travelling in north africa, east europe and the middle east.

[Peter Girling]

Hi all,

Why get so uptight about traffic fines?

On your way through Morocco, how many times were you waved politely through police checkpoints? How many times did you see local folk being pulled over and having their papers taken from them and being given a hard time.

If you run a stop sign, you broke the law. If you don't wear a seatbelt, you broke the law. Do you go to Africa and expect that you don't have to obey simple rules? Would you expect not to get a fine in Europe for similar offences?

Wow, a receipt in Arabic! What language were you expecting? Call it a souvenir.

OK, rant over now.

Happy trails,

Jojo

Happy trails,