Public transportation

Collectivos, micros, trains, taxis and buses are the many forms of transportation here in Chile. For me, every option is much cheaper than in the US. Every micro has a specific route which is displayed on the front windshield and it also includes the different prices. Micro drivers beep and flash their lights in order to pick up as many people as possible at each station and a lot of time they pick up people anywhere along the route, not just at bus stops. There is a large number of people that use public transportation every day and I believe that the micros don't even need to market themselves because transportation is a necessity here. I've noticed a little bit of commercialized marketing on the micros which promote restaurants and other places. Collectivos definitely try to market themselves more and it seems as though they compete with other collectivos. They honk at one another because they are constantly in a rush to reach certain destinations and always looking to fill up their car. When I walked into the bus station this weekend in order to bus a ticket into Santiago, I immediately saw a variety of bus companies competing for the best prices for mainstream destinations such as Mendoza and Pucon. I noticed the more popular destinations didn't have signs including the price because people travel regularly. When I bought my ticket to Santiago, I just went to a random company, it didn't matter to me because the prices are very similar for each company and there was not a certain company drawing me in.