Casablanca taxi ripoff

[Duffa]

Funny experience today on my way to the station to catch the Marrakech express train from Casablanca
Concierge called us a red taxi. The cheap little beat-up cars that run the locals around. Think Hyundai Getz, 20 yrs old with not a single panel dint free. And no seatbelts.
We caught one back to the hotel yesterday and it cost $2 for a 4km trip. So I roughly knew the deal in anticipation.
The guy hadn't switched on the meter on this trip. I watched the odometer and we travelled roughly 2.5 times our journey yesterday.
When I asked how much, he couldn't make eye contact and whispered something in French.
I asked him to repeat and he said 80MAD (about $12!)
I thought to myself, "I know your game, son. I'll see your rip-off and raise you. You theivin' bāstard."
I gave him 100MAD and walked off.

He'll never know if he could have got away with 150!!!

 

[kpc]

From my trip to Casablanca in 2009. Catching a taxi from train station to Hyatt Hotel...nothing's changed!

We then had our first encounter with Moroccan taxis, and we lost badly. We haggled the 50 DH (about $AUD 7) down to 25DH (we paid 10 DH to return to the train station the next day when the taxi used the meter!) for the 10 minute ride to the Hyatt Regency Casablanca.

Edit to add: I hated Casablanca and will not return under any circumstances!

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