Barley-Mow
Registered user
This may (or perhaps may not) be consigned to history after October when the new Med port is fully working.
I made my first foray into Morocco this year and had read much about the hustlers in Tangier. On the boat from Tarifa I duly got my CIN but neglected to check that the passport had also been stamped - it hadn't been !
On leaving the boat of course I was stopped while they re-called the customs guy. When he arrived I went back on board with him (much merriment from the deck crew - this is obviously a regular occurence), got it stamped and then scampered off again before it sailed (more merriment).
By this time all the other vehicles had disappeared, but only as far as the Customs shed, where many of the Range Rovers and Cayennes etc. were still waiting. As I rode over a chap with a badge accosted me and I explained what had happened. He led me into Customs, through the queue of waiting vehicles and parked me at the front. He then took me to the Police office and the Customs office (I'd printed off my Customs forms online before leaving home) where he marched to the head of the queue, barked out some instructions and the formalities were completed in record time. When I was ready to leave his "friend" came up and money changed hands, though the original guy seemed rather embarrassed about it. At all events, they split it and, to be frank, having made it through the port in, probably, less than 15 minutes once the passport issue was sorted, I thought I owed him something and was happy to hand over some cash. He'd certainly saved me loads of time and fuss and I was grateful for that and really, happy to be able to show my appreciation.
I should add that everything from start to finish was done, both on and off the boat with the utmost friendliness, civility and good humour.
John Gudgeon
I made my first foray into Morocco this year and had read much about the hustlers in Tangier. On the boat from Tarifa I duly got my CIN but neglected to check that the passport had also been stamped - it hadn't been !
On leaving the boat of course I was stopped while they re-called the customs guy. When he arrived I went back on board with him (much merriment from the deck crew - this is obviously a regular occurence), got it stamped and then scampered off again before it sailed (more merriment).
By this time all the other vehicles had disappeared, but only as far as the Customs shed, where many of the Range Rovers and Cayennes etc. were still waiting. As I rode over a chap with a badge accosted me and I explained what had happened. He led me into Customs, through the queue of waiting vehicles and parked me at the front. He then took me to the Police office and the Customs office (I'd printed off my Customs forms online before leaving home) where he marched to the head of the queue, barked out some instructions and the formalities were completed in record time. When I was ready to leave his "friend" came up and money changed hands, though the original guy seemed rather embarrassed about it. At all events, they split it and, to be frank, having made it through the port in, probably, less than 15 minutes once the passport issue was sorted, I thought I owed him something and was happy to hand over some cash. He'd certainly saved me loads of time and fuss and I was grateful for that and really, happy to be able to show my appreciation.
I should add that everything from start to finish was done, both on and off the boat with the utmost friendliness, civility and good humour.
John Gudgeon
