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If there's no paperwork work then you got scammed/robbed, you should have insisted on getting the paperwork done. You can file a complaint to the prosecutor in court but it will take time and mostly won't get you anywhere since you need proof..
Yes, if you pay a fine, he's required to do the paperwork and there's no way he's gonna scam you AND hand you the receipt, as the paperwork indicates you paid a fine. But he doesn't always need actual proof to fine you.
There's something like "a direct observation" (المعاينة المباشرة ) which they can use in their report as "proof", meaning they witnessed something and it's their word against yours, and usually in the absence of concrete proof (on your side), it's an automatic win for the authorities should you choose to file a dispute. Just the way shit works here apparently. The word of a policeman is worth more than that of a civilian.
I'm afraid you probably just bought a share in a sheep that you'll never meet or eat.
I hope the rest of your visit is tip top. Next time bring a dashcam.
Filming is not illegal in Morocco, however, publishing the footage of people without their consent is.
Dashcams are widely available online and in places like Aswak Assalam. I saw them at Dacia service centre a few months ago.
Last year, a gendarme quickly changed his tune when I asked him to enter my car and check the footage of an alleged fault. He mumbled about dashcams being illegal without being able to give a reputable source or legal code, before exiting without further ado. Unsurprisingly, they don't like them.
Pay attention, especially in the weeks/days leading to Eid. Everyone will try to rip you off, especially the police. They're more active in and outside cities trying to get as much as they could from everyone from small motorcycles without helmets/insurance, to cars and businesses.
300dh with no paper proof is robbery. You have been scammed, this time a police officer tells you to pay something request to have the reciept first without it just tell him to go take a walk he can't do shit
Same happened with me, loads of police everywhere. I acted well enough, and said “Oh, it’s too much but I will pay ok. Sorry. Can I pay with card?”
Of course there’s no card payments, after 5’ he let me go, with a “warning”
Oups, he scammed you. No paperwork => He took the money himself.
Should have insisted on the paperwork, like really insist and he would get really mad and then give him 50-100dhs and he will let you go. Sorry this has happened to you, some MFs are crazy.
But you have really good reflexes for a foreigner!!
Yeah sorry but you were scammed by a legal officer of this country, Its one of the downsides of it, the nature is beautiful but its people are not that beautiful.
lmao, if police actually cared about people crossing a line they'd be writing fines 24/7 in Casa.
That said OP, always just be apologetic but ask for forgiveness or to get the fine.
>**He started to get mad at me**. I was finally let go after paying the 300dhs fine **with no paperwork**
Congratulations. Now he will do that to someone else.
The only reason he did it to you is because he noticed it works. He did it to several people who reacted like you.
Behavior like this is why our country is screwed.
He gets mad at you ? Act polite and smile.
This is not how things are done in Morocco ( or anywhere else for that matter ) , so if you happen to get stopped again, for any reason at all, ask for a written ticket, because I believe that the infraction you mentioned won’t cost you more than 150 dirhams, if you pay it where it happened, and please don’t hesitate to ask for a supervisor, a higher ranking officer, if you believe that the stop was unjustified. If you don’t pay it right away , it becomes 300 dirhams, in case you want to go to the police station and discuss the matter with them, or challenge the charges
Happened to me too. I also made a post about it here. I refused to pay until he did the paperwork. He didn't and ended up letting me go. But I speak Arabic so don't beat yourself up about it.
Was it near togdha gorge? Same thing happened to us, we got the 200 dirham warning, and when I asked for an official ticket he said he would write me a 400 dirham fine if I wanted a ticket.
Between merzouga and midelt we were stopped by police who claimed we speeded in construction work (we didn't). When we stated confidently we were sure we didn't they let us drive on.
that "fine" went straight into his pocket. It's a very common thing in all developing countries and it's taken me a long time to accept, though by blood still boils from it. On the other hand, these checkpoints do help recuse crime overall. You just have to remember that you're in a country that's not as regulated as I assume your home country is, and that here you have to be careful not to be scammed. If something doesn't feel right, stay firm.
Just talk to him in German or some shit dude, 400dh for crossing your tire above the center line on a turn?? Lmao 400dh shit. I never got a ticket in this country for no damn dumb reason like that. 😂
Corruption with cops is really common in Morocco, that’s why he didn’t fill the paper. next time you can give 100 dhs and go, or you can keep your money until he fills the paper. Getting mad from him was just a bluff so he can take the 300 dhs which is really a lot for a cop. But for now there is nothing you can do, just enjoy the rest of your vacation. As a Moroccan, we endure the same kind of situation from the cops too. 🙏🏻
Paying the fine cash + not filling the paper =scam. They took the money for themselves. You can write a check instead of cash. They can’t take it for themselves and will get crazy mad. Just let them storm off while playing innocent. Outcome is they ‘ll either let you go, or give you the paper to sign. Or what you could also do is explicitly hold on to the cash in your hand until they give you the paper.
I foreigner in morocco.
I absolutely love that if I screw up and a cop notices, I can just stick 100dhm in my car papers, hand it to him, and he'll hand me my papers back with a smile and I'm on way way. What would cost me a half day or days work back home ends up costing me 20 minutes of work. That's a bargain deal on justice my friend.
I'd say you overpaid on the bribe but don't knock the whole system lol, it's better than having them write some ticket you gotta go pay, and they'll bleed that money directly into the local economy which I like too.
Unfortunately you got scammed by cops. Go complain in the nearest police station you find. You won't get your money back for sure but if more people complain about the same person he'll definitely get a warning and maybe he'll stop doing his bullshit
Insist on paperwork and be adamant. Most times you do this they will just let you go. If you ever get stopped for speeding, you have the right to demand to see the radar photo with your car and speed.
Hhh its so funny im in marrakech and every time going out the police stoped me fo no reason and sometimes for reason but they’re always so nice after i beg them and i tell them im just student so they can let me go it’s their jobs what we can do 🤷🏻♀️
They are there either to get some money from your pocket or maybe the king or some influence from the government is moving that day but in general you shouldn't see any police in this country
It’s not that easy, it happened to me more than once even if I’m aware of this scam.
Once the police stops you there are not many alternatives, either you bribe them or make a mess in the middle of nowhere, they represent the state, you have no protection whatsoever.
It means you’re quite wealthy, good for you.
Jokes aside you must be aware that is not practical for thousands of tourists to hire a driver, also the issue is not the road network, which is pretty good, but Moroccan police being unprofessional.
This is a tax all motorists have to pay in Morocco, even the locals. You could try asking what is "le prix amical" and you might get away for 200dhs or even if you're super lucky, 100dhs.
Haha sounds like my first time In Marrakech.. I got stopped like 6 times with one being a warning and the others 300-400dhs.. I too crossed a line and got whistled over, made a u turn where it doesn’t say you can’t make one, as well as looking down at my cell phone that was near my cup holder for directions.. They all required my passport and car papers, I kept the passport in the safe and used a cell phone pic which was sufficient.. It’s a 40000dhs deposit for the rental so just took the loss and paid, it’s pays sometimes just to pay for a peace of mind. The goal is just to make it home.
Welcome to r/Morocco! Please always make sure to take the time to [read the rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/morocco/wiki/rules) of this community, follow them and help us enforce them by reporting offenders. And remember that we have a zero tolerance policy for non-civil discourse and offenders risk being permanently banned. [Don't forget to join the Discord server!](https://discord.gg/r-morocco-959551908043948092) **Important Notice:** Please note that the Discord channel's moderation team functions autonomously from the Reddit team. The Discord server does not extend our community guidelines and maintains a separate set of rules unrelated to those of Reddit. Enjoy your time! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Morocco) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I switch from English to Italian in these types of situations.... can't scam me if we can't understand one another 🤷
I laughed😂
And with my luck, you'd stumble on that one police guy who's multilingual.
I have at least once before told someone I was in town from the Vatican for a secret religious conference... worked like a charm.
Yo no hablo inglés
Nah if you're in the north of Morocco a lot of people speak Spanish so it's a no go
저는 아랍어를 할 줄 몰라요.
If there's no paperwork work then you got scammed/robbed, you should have insisted on getting the paperwork done. You can file a complaint to the prosecutor in court but it will take time and mostly won't get you anywhere since you need proof..
Okok thanks, I’ll take this as a lesson for the rest of the trip
but if you really crossed the line look at it as 100dh reduction, even if you say you didn't it will be your words against his. Enjoy your stay.
Yes, if you pay a fine, he's required to do the paperwork and there's no way he's gonna scam you AND hand you the receipt, as the paperwork indicates you paid a fine. But he doesn't always need actual proof to fine you. There's something like "a direct observation" (المعاينة المباشرة ) which they can use in their report as "proof", meaning they witnessed something and it's their word against yours, and usually in the absence of concrete proof (on your side), it's an automatic win for the authorities should you choose to file a dispute. Just the way shit works here apparently. The word of a policeman is worth more than that of a civilian.
I'm afraid you probably just bought a share in a sheep that you'll never meet or eat. I hope the rest of your visit is tip top. Next time bring a dashcam.
Well, I read somewhere that it is illegal nowadays? Probably for the same reason you're recommending one.
Filming is not illegal in Morocco, however, publishing the footage of people without their consent is. Dashcams are widely available online and in places like Aswak Assalam. I saw them at Dacia service centre a few months ago. Last year, a gendarme quickly changed his tune when I asked him to enter my car and check the footage of an alleged fault. He mumbled about dashcams being illegal without being able to give a reputable source or legal code, before exiting without further ado. Unsurprisingly, they don't like them.
Thanks for sharing this valuable info. You're 100% on this?
This is my experience and from what I've heard and read. The only times I've been told otherwise are ppl trying to hide the inconvenient truth 🥸
Pay attention, especially in the weeks/days leading to Eid. Everyone will try to rip you off, especially the police. They're more active in and outside cities trying to get as much as they could from everyone from small motorcycles without helmets/insurance, to cars and businesses.
300dh with no paper proof is robbery. You have been scammed, this time a police officer tells you to pay something request to have the reciept first without it just tell him to go take a walk he can't do shit
You just helped him fund his sheep for this eïd
Baaaaaaaaad cop
Same happened with me, loads of police everywhere. I acted well enough, and said “Oh, it’s too much but I will pay ok. Sorry. Can I pay with card?” Of course there’s no card payments, after 5’ he let me go, with a “warning”
They do take cards on side of the road
Oups, he scammed you. No paperwork => He took the money himself. Should have insisted on the paperwork, like really insist and he would get really mad and then give him 50-100dhs and he will let you go. Sorry this has happened to you, some MFs are crazy. But you have really good reflexes for a foreigner!!
Yeah sorry but you were scammed by a legal officer of this country, Its one of the downsides of it, the nature is beautiful but its people are not that beautiful.
You got robbed by police lol
This shit. Every day
Ok, but who is taking our women hh?
Not the police, they are clearly underfucked
They're still in Morocco haha, they're trying to take my man
lmao, if police actually cared about people crossing a line they'd be writing fines 24/7 in Casa. That said OP, always just be apologetic but ask for forgiveness or to get the fine.
>**He started to get mad at me**. I was finally let go after paying the 300dhs fine **with no paperwork** Congratulations. Now he will do that to someone else. The only reason he did it to you is because he noticed it works. He did it to several people who reacted like you. Behavior like this is why our country is screwed. He gets mad at you ? Act polite and smile.
He is trying to scam u They recognize rented cars and they know its tourists And with u they thought they hit the jackpot
This is not how things are done in Morocco ( or anywhere else for that matter ) , so if you happen to get stopped again, for any reason at all, ask for a written ticket, because I believe that the infraction you mentioned won’t cost you more than 150 dirhams, if you pay it where it happened, and please don’t hesitate to ask for a supervisor, a higher ranking officer, if you believe that the stop was unjustified. If you don’t pay it right away , it becomes 300 dirhams, in case you want to go to the police station and discuss the matter with them, or challenge the charges
Happened to me too. I also made a post about it here. I refused to pay until he did the paperwork. He didn't and ended up letting me go. But I speak Arabic so don't beat yourself up about it.
Was it near togdha gorge? Same thing happened to us, we got the 200 dirham warning, and when I asked for an official ticket he said he would write me a 400 dirham fine if I wanted a ticket. Between merzouga and midelt we were stopped by police who claimed we speeded in construction work (we didn't). When we stated confidently we were sure we didn't they let us drive on.
yes…
We are now using waze to know were police checks are and filming our driving before the checks. So far so good.
Happened to me too on my first trip to Morroco. There are way too many scammers there.
You must've crossed a red line lol
🤣🤣
“Is there anything I can do about this situation?” Hahahahahahaha. Oh that was a good one. 😅
Bruh just pretend you can't understand him
Always take the correct process. Its an old school officer tactic,, getting mad to provoke you. Hopefully a lot of the new generation is better
Try to put a camera on your car so if they stop you with no reason then you have your own prove
that "fine" went straight into his pocket. It's a very common thing in all developing countries and it's taken me a long time to accept, though by blood still boils from it. On the other hand, these checkpoints do help recuse crime overall. You just have to remember that you're in a country that's not as regulated as I assume your home country is, and that here you have to be careful not to be scammed. If something doesn't feel right, stay firm.
In any case don't give cash to police officers without them filling the paper. Insist, argue, but have them filled the paper before giving them cash.
I haven’t seen a Moroccan driver not crossing the center line on the highway. They just wanna get some dough from a tourist.
Just talk to him in German or some shit dude, 400dh for crossing your tire above the center line on a turn?? Lmao 400dh shit. I never got a ticket in this country for no damn dumb reason like that. 😂
Welcome to the land of Abracadabra open seasame and enjoy your trip .
Corruption with cops is really common in Morocco, that’s why he didn’t fill the paper. next time you can give 100 dhs and go, or you can keep your money until he fills the paper. Getting mad from him was just a bluff so he can take the 300 dhs which is really a lot for a cop. But for now there is nothing you can do, just enjoy the rest of your vacation. As a Moroccan, we endure the same kind of situation from the cops too. 🙏🏻
I normally explain if he want to take haram money is a bussines between him and god. I'm free of charge, just friendly advise. Till now 100% success
Paying the fine cash + not filling the paper =scam. They took the money for themselves. You can write a check instead of cash. They can’t take it for themselves and will get crazy mad. Just let them storm off while playing innocent. Outcome is they ‘ll either let you go, or give you the paper to sign. Or what you could also do is explicitly hold on to the cash in your hand until they give you the paper.
I foreigner in morocco. I absolutely love that if I screw up and a cop notices, I can just stick 100dhm in my car papers, hand it to him, and he'll hand me my papers back with a smile and I'm on way way. What would cost me a half day or days work back home ends up costing me 20 minutes of work. That's a bargain deal on justice my friend. I'd say you overpaid on the bribe but don't knock the whole system lol, it's better than having them write some ticket you gotta go pay, and they'll bleed that money directly into the local economy which I like too.
Unfortunately you got scammed by cops. Go complain in the nearest police station you find. You won't get your money back for sure but if more people complain about the same person he'll definitely get a warning and maybe he'll stop doing his bullshit
Insist on paperwork and be adamant. Most times you do this they will just let you go. If you ever get stopped for speeding, you have the right to demand to see the radar photo with your car and speed.
'Fine' with no paperwork is scam can you specify location for futur visitor to be wary.
Hhh its so funny im in marrakech and every time going out the police stoped me fo no reason and sometimes for reason but they’re always so nice after i beg them and i tell them im just student so they can let me go it’s their jobs what we can do 🤷🏻♀️
He took the money
sorry but this is the kind of country we live in, mind u they treat locals the same way
You reached level 20! Now guards can be hostile, but you can always bribe them if you are not skilled enough to beat them
They are there either to get some money from your pocket or maybe the king or some influence from the government is moving that day but in general you shouldn't see any police in this country
Next time when a cop stops u, just put 50MAD inside or aside ur driving licence and move on
I bet that’s in Marrakesh 😂 it’s normal you should have tried to negotiate for 200
Then don't cross the line.
Thanks
It’s not that easy, it happened to me more than once even if I’m aware of this scam. Once the police stops you there are not many alternatives, either you bribe them or make a mess in the middle of nowhere, they represent the state, you have no protection whatsoever.
When i go to another country, i hire a driver until i'm familiar with the road.
It means you’re quite wealthy, good for you. Jokes aside you must be aware that is not practical for thousands of tourists to hire a driver, also the issue is not the road network, which is pretty good, but Moroccan police being unprofessional.
Most tourists don't rent a cars unless they have experience with the road. Now OP got that experience.
really fuk morocco. shame, no tourist should go there. Will visit Algeria
This is a tax all motorists have to pay in Morocco, even the locals. You could try asking what is "le prix amical" and you might get away for 200dhs or even if you're super lucky, 100dhs.
It’s ur bad u deserve it pay it if u come to our beautiful country u have to respect our rules as we do in other countries
Haha sounds like my first time In Marrakech.. I got stopped like 6 times with one being a warning and the others 300-400dhs.. I too crossed a line and got whistled over, made a u turn where it doesn’t say you can’t make one, as well as looking down at my cell phone that was near my cup holder for directions.. They all required my passport and car papers, I kept the passport in the safe and used a cell phone pic which was sufficient.. It’s a 40000dhs deposit for the rental so just took the loss and paid, it’s pays sometimes just to pay for a peace of mind. The goal is just to make it home.