As I got on a random London bus this morning, I grabbed a copy of freebie newspaper The Metro which was lying on a bus seat. As a freebie newspaper (supported by advertising, given away across London and other major cities), it has a discernable value of, well, zero. Aside from the articles inside, which are of the same level as the international coverage of your local American paper ie it’s just copy from the news wires.

However, the paper was evidently of some value to the woman behind me, who sat down with an audible harumph and tut. I offered her the paper, to which she snootily replied “Oh no, I have a much better paper!”, and proceeded to loudly take out some copy of The Literary Economist (not a literal title, but something of that ilk) and concentrate on that. Even though I’d put the paper back down on the bus seat so she could read it.

The bus proceeded to where I had to get off, and as I was waiting for the bus to stop, I noticed her putting down her better paper, and grabbing the Metro as if her life depended on it. I never knew something that’s available for free would be so valuable…