Are you talkin' ta me?

In Agadir, there are approximately 9,000 petit taxis, and several thousand more grande taxis. I have never actually been in a grande taxi, but I hear it's nice and roomy -- grande, if you will. The average petit taxi is year model 1980-ish, as far as I can tell, and most of the taxis seem to have their original parts. That is, except for the parts that have fallen off over the years.

On our weekly trip to Marjane last week, we had the good fortune to get a taxi driver who was cautious and drove safely, so I ignored the little quirks of the car, such as the torn upholstery or the bare light bulb hanging down near my left ear. (Apparently it was functioning as a brakelight.)

However, I started to have second thoughts about halfway home, when the interior dash lights and headlights gave out. Ostensibly this had something to do with whatever was causing a noxious smoke to rise from the steering column. Somehow the engine didn't seem to be affected, and we made it home alive. It was a most excellent taxi ride, one that will rank high on my list of all-time best taxi rides in Morocco.