Who are the 'yellow jackets' plaguing Moroccan drivers?

They don't look after your car and they're not legally responsible for any damage done to it – that's the police's job. They can't legally make a profit off of a public street, so they can't lease parking spaces to you, either.

So, what does a yellow jacket have to offer? Empty gestures, mostly. Excessive hand signals, whistle-blowing and maybe a few verbal orders to keep things interesting.

Like policemen, they hold out one arm and place the other on their chest – the universal gesture for "stop". Your level of cooperation will determine their mood. They could lose their temper and blame your lack of experience. If you're a woman, they'll curse any law that allows you to drive.

Yellow jackets are constantly on the lookout. They "pick" your spot. They tap your car for you to stop, or steer. They physically block your car with their body. Then they solve these newfound "problems" with directions you never asked for.

Afterwards, they demand upfront payment; they can't wait for you to return, because they might be busy.

Whether you're making a quick stop for groceries or running a small errand doesn't matter: if you refuse to pay, they'll block you from leaving (at best) or resort to verbal and physical violence (at worst).

Question them, and they'll spout off any number of lies. "Local representatives are leasing the street." They have "official authorisation". They were appointed by some fictional entity to whom they have to pay the fees they collect.

Their only deterrent is a legitimate police officer or a journalist. Because the scam becomes clear at the police station – as does their criminal record.

A deceitful guise

Canadian researcher Erving Goffman presents us with the concept of "dramaturgy", using theatre as a metaphor for daily human gestures and interactions we encounter.

It's a necessary practice that establishes balance and peace in public spaces and builds trust among humans. As described by Moroccan researcher Hassan Youssefi, dramaturgy boils down to the "poetic solutions we find scattered in the places, corners, and forms" that we come across.

However, the exaggerated gestures of valets in Morocco are entirely detached from any sociological merit. They create neither pleasure nor an environment of trust.

Their practice is a deceitful guise; a con built on invading public spaces and blackmailing people for money.

With poverty and unemployment on the rise, resorting to odd jobs is understandable. What isn't understandable, however, is the social and political normalisation of such an intrusive means to an end.

Some Moroccans sympathise with these young men whose harsh conditions have led them to don the yellow jacket.

But social media users argue that they're hurting more than they're helping. Take the motorists whose jobs require them to drive around all day long – they can end up losing a healthy chunk of their salaries in "tips" to these valets.

Two years ago, a group of activists launched a Facebook page to combat this growing issue. They now have over half a million members who share complaints, legal advice, and accounts of their encounters.

In posts and comments, valets are given derogatory nicknames, sometimes evoking jaundice due to the colour of their vests, other times using the term "safrit" – a Moroccan colloquial term for a nosy person who imposes themselves on others.

The yellow jackets soon caught on to the backlash. They began to trade their trademark vest for blue or red, hoping to reinvent their image. But their opposers were quick to invent a series of deprecating labels dedicated to these new colours.

Demands for action

Police are now under mounting pressure to act. Grievances and reports of aggression are piling up, demanding action from the state and local communities.

Opposers have called for the rapid enforcement of laws regulating the sector – particularly Law No. 19.57 which prohibits any leasing of the public sphere.

According to Article 94 in Law No. 14-113, local communities are permitted to lease official parking lots to private companies for a fee. But some believe companies are colluding with elected officials (or powerful figures) to control nearby streets and alleys, in a flagrant violation of the law that prohibits leasing public spheres.

So far, calls for action have fallen on deaf ears. Apart from staunch denials of any connection with the valet community, representatives have failed to take any real measures against the yellow jackets.

Aside from valets, it has become a normal occurrence to see vendors crammed on sidewalks, or even streets, fighting for space between vehicles.

Shops and cafes have taken over pavements with their goods, chairs and tables. Pedestrians are forced to walk the road instead, endangering their lives and causing a chaotic scene among honking drivers.

It's not just the streets, either. On public beaches, some parasol vendors lay claim (illegally) on certain parts of the shore and offer those spaces to beachgoers for a fee.

Wherever you go, your spot is guaranteed for the right price. If you're not willing to produce the cash, then be ready to miss out on spaces that are strategically blocked off by vendors and valets. Even worse, your car might be vandalised in retaliation. Most Moroccans have had to install security cameras in their vehicles just to keep watch.

One Moroccan citizen penned a letter to his local council asking for a simple pleasure: the ability to walk around Morocco again.

"In your capacity as the head of the communal council of the city of Khemisset, I am writing you to request a permit to walk along sidewalks and in public spheres after their seizure by non-pedestrians," he wrote.

"As inhabitants and pedestrians, we are suffering a complete occupation of all public spaces, streets, and squares. This crowding is forcing us to walk on car lanes along moving vehicles, cars, and trucks."

He, and many other Moroccans, still seem to be waiting for a response.