Thanks again, Mr Larf.
As we all know, it is a small world, and as Max Boyce would have said “I was there”.
All went off as you said.
I was on my second trip there for STS, so had some sort of inkling about what to expect. The first trip was with a couple of other first timers, so we tagged along with some John Mann drivers.
On that Sept trip, as I remember (twenty years on!) we STS coincidentally met up with the Romanian and other owner driver near Irun. I seem to recall he was from Lancashire and normally took his Magnum to Ex Commie Blok countries. Hence him being mates with the Romanian. Jack Duckworth?
They were subbing the load from STS and saw STS units, and 2+2= etc. The job should have been all in boxes or tilts. The Romanian owner driver certainly found out why going into Casablanca! That was an eye opener.
The trailer number plate bit was a bit like certain tykes “look after yer lorry mister”. A few bob to keep `em at bay, but easily avoided by taking # plate off.
At that time Tangier Town port was the main way in for trucks. It wasnt very secure. A Morocco regular explained there was a small jail in the port and every so often the police would sweep up all those trying to stow away on trucks and summarily chuck them in there. Their shoes would be taken off them and thrown away. They were kept inside for a week or so in one of 4 large cells. Primitive toilet facilities, and the only food would be brought in by friends on the outside. I cant say that was all accurate, but did see building that was pointed out as such.
The “hawkers” were a part of daily life in Tangier port.
We paid a few quid in Dirham to our agents runner, cant remember his name, he took our papers in, checked up on them now and again, and reported back now and again. We went walkabout, drank coffee, mint tea, and…yes…a bit of beer too!
Some sold tat, true. Some hand washed trucks, one recharged the AC system on the owner driver`s truck whilst he was awaiting customs clearance.
One was a very hard grafting shoe-shine man, another sold painted name plates or would paint scenes on truck fronts or quarter wind deflectors.
One young gofer had only one arm. He was mid-teens? 15? Spoke fluently in Arabic, English, French, Spanish, for sure and I think German too.
He lost his arm a year or two earlier: he stowed away under a step frame trailer. Lying on top of an axle, the truck bounced up the ramp onto the ferry. Horrific.
The Seaman`s Mission in Casablanca was great.
On street parking, with the guard dog handler, a few Dirhams and all was well. Cheaper and safer than any UK service area!
The mission had billiards, beer, and good food. A banana palm was growing in the internal courtyard.
I went to Morocco a few weeks ago for a bit of a roadtrip.
Tangier Town port now only takes smaller boats and little or no trucks. Having by passed it this trip I dont know if it still stinks or not! Tangier Med port is newer, and hotter on security than most channel ports. I t seems bureaucratic, but then again we cant judge it by internal EU borders.
yourhavingalarf:
Morocco is full of nice people. I didn’t meet many of them but, I’m sure like very other country I’ve been to, there are more nice ones than bad ones.
Couldn`t agree more. Good and bad everywhere.
The hustlers congregate around certain areas. Tangier then is like Liverpool or Glasgow a few decades earlier.
All have nice residents, but ports especially attract scammers and others looking for foreign newbies.
Ill get playing with scanner to look for a few older photos from that time. Maybe one or two "wot I did on my holiday"? Maybe in Bullys for that? Dunno.