Most people commute by bus, train or car – but Benjamin David gets to work by plunging into Munich’s Isar River.

Editor’s Note (18 December 2017): Through to the end of the year, BBC Capital is bringing back some of your favourite stories from 2017.

Benjamin David was fed up with the stress of commuting on busy city roads. So he now packs his laptop, suit and shoes into a waterproof bag, straps it to his back and swims 2km to work along the Isar River in Munich, Germany.

Depending on the season, he wears swimming trunks or a long wetsuit – as well as rubber sandals to protect his feet from glass or the occasional bicycle laying in the river.

His commute sometimes invites laughs from bystanders on the bridges above, but he says it’s faster and more relaxing than sitting in traffic.

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