I have been taking the bus to work instead of walking…. The extra 1/2 hour of sleep is worth the $.25
To take a bus is Loja, there are steps.
There are no designated stops, so you flag down the bus you want. Knowing which bus you want is a challenge in itself. I have not been able to find a route map anywhere. The buses have small signs in the lower window that should tell you it’s route… but I am never sure.
If the bus is going to stop for you, It slows down, and sometimes stops long enough for you to get on.
You find a seat, or standing space, as quickly as you can.
At some point in the ride someone will come around and ask for your fare.  This can be just as you sit down…or it can be 10 or 15 minutes later. If you are on a long ride, they may come and ask you 2 or 3 times… And the extra times you just wave them off.
I have seen several times, when the bus is very crowded, that people have got on and off, before being asked to pay.  Also people ( except for me) don’t volunteer their fare, I think hoping that they will be mistaken for someone who has paid before.
There also isn’t a common design in the buses…some have more seats…some more standing….some the back door is in the middle…some it is the back….but most designs make it very difficult for people to get off and on at the same time.
It is all rather chaotic…. Which makes it interesting….if I have a seat, and didn’t bump my head on the way in.
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