It's 8am. You're confronted by the reality of a world you know nothing about: the daily commute. There you are trying your best to avoid newspapers, kindles, knees, elbows, a variety of other body parts and the horrifying whiff of morning breath. 'How do people put up with this?', you ask yourself as the train rattles along wearily. The worst thing however is this very particular sound - not the sound of rail tracks or that irritating voice announcing each station - but the tinny, whinny sound of someone's earphones half way down the carriage. It's hard to tell what he's listening to but whatever it is, it's loud. 'Damn,' you're thinking, 'If this guy likes music so much, you'd think he'd invest in a decent set of headphones.' No one else seems at all aware of this grey noise cutting across the cacophony of screeching, banging, snorting and coughing that provides their early morning soundtrack. 'If I had to do this everyday, I'd buy the best fucking headphones I could get my hands on!'
6 months and £1,800 later...
You don't notice the random body parts or the station announcements so much anymore - but that morning breath; that's something you'll never get used to.
