Cycling in Morocco

We have been cycling to school with the school director and his wife. They have been nice enough to wait for us so that we can all bike in together. It has been great cycling with people who know the streets a little better than we do. However, we have road bikes and they have mountain bikes… so we technically could bike faster than they do… but we don’t really want to make the boss look bad.

We bike into work at about 6:30 am. The roads are pretty much empty. I bike home at 1:00 and Marc bikes home at about 5 or 5:30. The traffic is much heavier when we bike home but it’s not as bad a rush hour. Rush hour is between 4:30 and 5. We’ve biked home in that a few time. It’s mostly the roundabouts that are extra congested and often traffic is stopped.

I have made a few observations about cycling in Rabat that I thought I would share.

1. Traffic. A two lane road in Rabat is actually three lanes. In the states the line down the middle of the road separates traffic and is generally not crossed. Here, the space between the two lanes is actually a driving or passing lane… for whoever needs it. It could be used by the traffic going in the same direction as you or by the traffic in the opposing direction. There are no rules regarding this. All the space available on the road can be used. As a cyclist, I try to stay as close to the edge of the road as possible. There aren’t really shoulders so I have to cycle with traffic. Most drivers have been very good about giving me lots of space. It’s actually the mopeds and motorbikes that scare me the most. First of all their engines are extremely loud. Secondly, they also want to be on the edge of the road. So when they pass they tend to pass very close… the moped almost touches my bike… or at least it feels that way.
2. Honking. In the States honking is pretty much considered road rage. It’s not a good thing. Here, honking is more of a courtesy. When I’m biking a car will honk when it is approaching simply to let me know that it is there. They generally do this when they will have to pass closely because of oncoming traffic. It took me several near heart attacks to not be alarmed by the honk but rather to appreciate it.
3. Helmets. Our helmets are a sure sign that we are not from Morocco. I actually think this helps us. I think people give us more space and are a little more forgiving than they are to non-helmet wearing cyclists.
4. Harassment. So far I haven’t been harassed while cycling. There are a few other women at school who also cycle and have received comments from men. So far a couple of teenagers have said something while passing me on a moped (teenagers!). Other than that, I haven’t drawn too much attention. Of course, I don’t speak French or Arabic so I don’t actually know what people are saying to me. I guess ignorance is bliss. Occasionally, I have had children cheer me on (at least I hope they were cheers) or run along beside me. Marc even had a police officer cheer him on as Marc climbed a hill on the way home from school. People have been very friendly… both on the road and off.
5. Taxis. Right now my biggest fear about cycling is not being hit by a car. I’m more afraid of a taxi door swinging open in front of me. Our route to school passes a bus station and taxi station so taxis are all over the place. The driver might see me but I doubt a passenger would.
6. Hand signals. What are hand signals? I think hand signals would confuse drivers more than anything. The only hand signal we have seen here is one that is an apology because you about to do something illegal. You can't stop the illegal thing from happening... but the driver just wants you to be aware.
7. No parking areas. Apparently there is no such thing as a no parking area in Rabat. Most of the curbs are painted red and white to indicate a no parking stretch of road… but this doesn’t appear to mean much to drivers. It might have something to do with the fact that most police officers are on foot and are only in the round abouts. The chances of being caught in a “no parking area” are pretty slim unless it is next to a roundabout. This poses a problem for me as a cyclist. The main road that takes us from the beach to school is roughly 6 lanes and is split by a median. However, people park all over the road… sometimes I have 3 lanes in my direction to work with and other times I will have one lane to work with. This requires me to be a little more defensive because in order to keep cycling I have to go around the parked car. Most drivers have been nice about letting me in to pass parked cars, but sometimes I have to stop and wait for a gap in the traffic.

Well, have I scared you yet? (sorry, mom and dad) I’m probably making it sound worse than it really is. The bike ride is actually one of the best parts of the day. It really forces you to take your mind of school… and anything not related to the ride… it’s quite the adrenalin rush! Marc thinks this cycling description will lead you to believe that I am not enjoying my time in Morocco. That is not true. I am having a wonderful time and am enjoying each day and each new experience and discovery. It’s all part of the adventure!