"Excuse me, 'ave you got smoke?", she asked as she bumped into the seat behind mine. I looked back at her - she was balancing herself as the bus was turning to an ever narrower road. I had heard her chatting in the back of the bus before and I had a fair idea of what she looked like, but I couldn't help noticing the orange lollipop in her hand.

I had all sort of thoughts flashing through my mind, then the headache just swept them away. Someone had been smoking on that bus earlier and I could not wait to get off and into the wind, or at least to feel the chilly air on my face and the cold to take over the dull pain.

I skipped the "sorry" bit and answered "No, I don't smoke".