By CASSIE ODNEAL
MARRAKESH, Morocco – It was 11:28 pm on a Wednesday, and I was standing outside of the Imperial Plaza Hotel and Spa with four friends. We were trying to hail a taxi to Club VIP to check out the nightlife.
Earlier in the day, we had passed the club on our bus ride to the hotel. It’s located about 10 minutes away, on Avenue Mohammed V, the largest street in Marrakesh.
As a cab drove up, we put our arms out, signaling that we needed a taxi. The driver was an older bearded man with an expressionless face. His faded yellow cab was small and basic and smelled like old cigarettes.
When we asked the driver, in broken Arabic, if he knew where the club was, he responded with a head nod and confirmed with, “Mohammed V?” Then he asked us to get in the taxi.
“How much?” I asked, in French, before accepting his invitation.
He took a second to judge my budget and responded, “Fifty dirham!”
Knowing, from experience, that this trip should cost approximately 15 dirham, which is less than $2 USD, I refused that amount and countered with a much lower offer of 20 dirham.
The driver assured me that because it was after dark, all taxis would cost more than 20 dirham. When I let him know that I would not be paying more than 20 dirham, he scoffed under his breath, rolled up his window, and drove away.
On my fourth attempt, I succeeded.
As a foreigner, it’s often difficult to get around in a country where most do not speak the language.
In 2013, Morocco attracted over 10 million international tourists, 20 percent of which were French nationals, with an influx of 12 to 15 percent of tourists from Italy, Germany, and England. Marrakesh and Agadir were the two most popular destinations, accommodating two-thirds of the visitors.
Navigating train stations is often daunting, and cabs are the only reasonable option for travel within the city, since not all Moroccan cities are equipped with reliable public transportation.
Coming from Rabat, I’m used to the process of hailing a local taxi, commonly known as a “petit taxi.” Petit taxis are used for travel within city limits, and are generally metered in Rabat. Making sure a driver knows the location of the destination and confirming that the meter is, in fact, running, are the two most important parts of ensuring you have a successful ride. Drivers will try to trick you on both things – I’ve almost fallen victim once or twice.
The “grand taxis” are the only ones in Rabat where price negotiation is necessary, and those are used for drives outside of city limits. They generally cost more.
In Marrakesh, the process is different. Finding an open taxi is much easier, because there are so many around town. The risk comes when negotiating a price for travel.
What the locals didn’t know is that I had been living in Morocco for almost a month, and I knew what a ride was worth. Even at the busiest time of the day, I was ready to negotiate for a fair rate.
In a city with a high tourist population, it is increasingly hard to assert your level of understanding, which puts tourists at an extreme disadvantage. The best negotiating strategy, I’ve found, is the simple act of walking away. Walking away lets the locals know you’re serious, and that you are willing to move on.
That’s what worked with the final cab driver. He even got out of his car to chase us down the block and agree to my offer of 20 dirham.
While there will be times when negotiating will come easier than others, it’s important to not lose sight of the bigger picture: every person is different. Some tourists are willing to pay more than others, and some drivers are willing to accept lower prices than others, and there is no right or wrong answer, only personal preference.
Transportation is a tricky thing in Morocco, which is why it is crucial to stay alert and focused on how much you are willing to pay, and to keep trying until a driver agrees to your price.
You may have to go through 15 drivers to get that one, but it will happen.
