Humans listening to music on the Tube

'Sorry, I had my headphones on'

Monday 20 July 2015 12:42 EDT

(Alan Schaller)

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There's something insulating and shield-like about listening to music on public transport. It creates a sort of audial carapace around you, blocking out the screech of wheel against track, the oppressiveness of your diminished personal space and the troubles of the day ahead/behind.

There the commuter stands, somnambulatory, rocking gently with the motion of the train, staring into the middle distance numbly; a totally passive exterior.

But what's going on in their heads? We asked photographer Alan Schaller to capture these familiar commuting scenes, and find out simply what each subject was listening to at the time…