Is there a good side to Transantiago?

Believe it or not, this post is not about a complaint I have. Odd, you might say, considering the title. Does anyone have anything good to say these days about the micro? Transantiago has just about ruined everything here transportation wise, but I still try to find some good in it all. And you know what? Just the other day a little bit of my faith was restored.
I got on the micro as I do every day. I was in okay spirits, this day I didn't have to take the bus 8 times like I often do, no exaggeration (yet another nuance of the English teaching life). I found a seat and settled down, adjusting the volume on my ipod - it was surprisingly quiet on the bus in comparison to the roaring traffic on the street. Lost in my plugged-in, music listening bubble, I barely noticed a young man get on the bus and begin to play guitar. For those of you who live in Santiago, you know all about this, and for those of you who don't, I'll give you a wee bit of an introduction to the musicians who play the public transportation circuit.
Back in bF, before Transantiago, Santiago was filled with old mustard-yellow buses that spewed black smoke and polluted the city with the roar of their struggling engines. There was no bip!, only the exchange of "monedas" (coins) to the chofer who multi-tasked as bus driver and change/ticket giver. In these days, one could ask the driver, "Me lleva por 200?", or, if you were with another person, "Nos lleva por 400?", meaning "will you let me on the bus for less than the standard fare?". Sometimes the driver would wink at you, slightly move his head or just give a twitch of an eyebrow - his code for "sure, get on, but be quick about it". These buses were also the working grounds for many Santiaguinos selling goods (alfajores, candy, cough drops, gloves, CDs, bandaids, stickers, umbrellas, ice cream, socks, back scratchers, I've seen it all!) and for musicians of all kinds (recorder, flute, saxophone, drums, singing of all genres, rap, violin, entire bands, guitar and that wee little guitar the name of which I can never remember and even karaoke). The musicians played a few songs, talked to the audience a bit and asked for a coin in recognition of their performance. Some were god awful, some were really great and of course there was everything in between. My greatest fear (and theirs too, I'm sure) about the switch to Transantiago was that Santiago might lose this specifically developed culture they had on their buses (or an important if not only income for many people).
So now we have what were at one point shiny new buses, a fancy swipe card, and a system that barely works. I should never have feared, though. The ever adjusting Chilean street workers have managed to integrate into this new system and continue their daily work. The buses may be new, but I still see people I saw two years ago working the same routes. The musicians, in spite of a few classics who I see at least once a week, however, keep changing, and every time one boards I cross my fingers and hope they'll play something I truly enjoy. I have a system for coin giving: if a performer makes me smile or laugh or makes me feel some sort of positive emotion, I give them money. Unfortunately, when it comes to music, I usually stick with my ipod. Maybe I'm picky, or maybe there isn't a wealth of great musicians playing the buses. Who knows.
But this particular day, when this young man got on and started strumming away, I perked up and pressed pause on my ipod. He was so unassuming and his voice was unlike any I'd ever heard before, particularly unedited and singing on the micro. I took out my earphones and started to listen to him. The songs were slightly sad, but incredibly beautiful and it was just the style of music I really love. He sang at least four songs (I find musicians typically play two and then move on) and his last song was "Redemption Song" a lo castellano. That made me smile. Suddenly the Santiago smog blanket didn't bother me so much and I didn't miss anything too terribly. While he played I just enjoyed the music and wondered at his voice and how it came that he was singing right in front me in the micro.
So, for those of you who steer clear of the micro and stick to the metro, you are missing something. Whether it's worth it or not to come out from underground and try taking the bus instead, I can't say. All I know is, in spite of Transantiago being a constant headache, some of these musicians make it bearable for me and I truly appreciate them.

Also, heads up all you Transantiago-goers for a charismatic Cuban man who plays the drum and sings Cuban songs. It's sure to put a smile on your face.