Here you can see a "combi". It's a small combi though, there are bigger ones, but they look pretty much alike. Well, let's se what wikipedia says about transport in lima, and specifically about "combi culture"
Micro and especially combi drivers are known for being irrespectful of traffic rules. They will stop at any part of the streets to pick up passengers and will race other micro drivers to be able to get more passengers. This, combined with the lack of vehicle maintenance, the low prices, salsa and reggaeton music on the radio and the overall relaxed feeling in the micros, has created the so-called "combi culture", which today is a synonym of the quasi-clandestinity in which they operate (route registration by Lima Province City Hall is generally lax, and many routes overlap). Few ads are provided by these stickers, although some humorous stickers parody known commercial logos.
Combi drivers, irrespectful, I agree on that. Normally, combi drivers got no culture or good manners, they are mostly people from the "sierra". But again, I don't want to sound like racist about people from sierra. There are lot of kinds, great people, and well, people like combi drivers. But not get too scared about them. They are not so irrespectul like you may think. I guess if you are a tourist, you should just try one. I prefer the word "informal" for this matter, more than "irrespectful", but of course, there are irrespectful ones.
And they don't always put "reggeton" or "salsa" on the radio. Sometimes there is no music, or slow music, like old romantic classics.
Well, traffic in Lima is weird. You just get used to it. But it's not sooooo weird.
