A common mode of public transportation in Morelia and other parts of Mexico is via "combi." Maybe "combi" comes from "combinación" because it's sort of a combination of a van and a bus. There are different color lines and numbers of combis that each have their own routes. To get from home to school or the centro, I took the roja tres. At first, combis were kind of intimidating to me. They're small and cramped. And everyone in them is speaking Spanish. After awhile, though, I grew to really like the combis. They create a sort of community because people have to communicate with each other inside, not just pretend no one else is there. From the beginning everyone greets each other. You get on and say "buenos días" to the other passengers. Then, to pay for the combi, you sit down (often squeezed between people), find your five pesos, and hand it to the driver or ask someone to pass it up if you're in the back. People just trust each other to actually pass the money. When you want to get off the combi, you just say (kind of loudly) that you want to get off, and everyone always says thank you.
People on the combi help each other. When elderly people or pregnant women or moms with little kids get on, others offer their seats. When someone standing is holding a bag, others offer to hold it for them. And the owner lets them. It's like as soon as you get on the combi, you enter into a little honor system in which everyone trusts the stranger sitting next to them.
