Traffic 101

our first Moroccan car

    As we celebrate finally having our car back from the mechanic [still in need of more repairs, but nevertheless], we decided to take a few moments in order to create a post which will hopefully allow you to truly envision the insanity of driving in Casa traffic. It is a unique experience to drive through roads that are congested with taxis, buses, pedestrians, donkey-pulled carts, and animals. So, after much observation, here are some prevalent “traffic rules/guidelines”:

1. The lines in the middle of the road exist solely for beautification and, therefore, should be disregarded. Think of them more as an attempt to imitate the aesthetic beauty of modern roadways, because they in no way denote when you are or are not permitted to pass. Nor do they accurately allude to the number of lanes. The concept of “staying in your own lane” is an outlandish concept to Moroccans; and the actual number of lanes is typically triple what the lines in the middle of the road depict.
   
2. Aggressive tailgating ought to be exercised at all times. A mere inch of space between you and the car in front of you insinuates an invitation to the car beside you to cut you off since, clearly, you are not paying attention to the movement of traffic.
   
3. When turning left, regardless of the number of traffic lanes, it is customary to stay in the far right lane and endeavor to cut off any straight bound and/or oncoming vehicles. This same rule applies in reverse when making a right turn.
   
4. Motorcycles/mopeds are permitted to drive anywhere in the road [or off the road] and may travel in any direction. It is not a requirement to have functioning headlights or reflectors on motorcycles/mopeds when driving at night, and traffic lights may be disregarded altogether when driving them. [Side note: In any and all accidents involving motorcycles/mopeds, it will always be the car’s fault not matter what the circumstances were]
   
5. Never yield for pedestrians, but always yield for animals. This logic seems simple, since animals are incapable of comprehending the “rules” of traffic. It is also illogical, however, in that there are crosswalks everywhere. Yet, the pedestrians here understand that crosswalks are worthless and that vehicles are not expected to stop for them. To cross the road, pedestrians enter into a real-world ‘Frogger’ game via weaving through traffic gaps whenever the opportunity arises.
   
   
6. Never assume that you have the right away, as that concept is vaguely optional.
   
7. As there are no turn signals at traffic lights, you must treat every intersection as though it is a round-point. This means that instead of turning in front of oncoming traffic, you drive beyond the center of the intersection and turn after the oncoming traffic has subsided. [This translates into a whole lot of traffic jams since the oncoming traffic is doing the same thing]
   
8. Honking is used incessantly and can signify a number of things such as:
   
   • “I am driving straight toward you and if you don’t move I will hit you. Further, if I do hit you then you will be paying for any and all damages occurred since I am bigger & you neglected to move out of the way following fair warning”
   • “I am about to pass you because you are driving like a moron”
   • “I am in the process of passing you”
   • “I have just passed you”
   • “I expect that the light is about to turn green and, since you haven’t commenced revving your engine in preparation, you are on the verge of wasting my time with several valuable seconds of slow driving. Therefore, you best start moving”
   • “Dear pedestrian…walk faster, please”
   • “I am irritated that we are in a traffic jam right now” <& these happen all the time

   While these guidelines may paint a good picture of traffic etiquette in Casa [or lack thereof], it is important to note that even these “rules” are not binding. As long as the police are not looking, the insanity of traffic is rather arbitrary. Peculiarly, however, the police are generally stationed at every single intersection…

“Moroccan traffic isn’t like normal traffic. It’s armed combat, a war of wills, in which only the very bravest have a chance to survive.” –Tahir Shah, author of ‘The Caliph’s House, a Year in Casablanca’

   Considering the chaos of traffic coupled with the fact that all vehicles here are standard transmission, Nicole has cleverly managed to avoid driving at all costs… but David plans to force her to start soon enough.

-David & Nicole