Secret floating cafe

Commuting by ferry is undoubtedly the best way of getting to work in London - and it even includes a coffee shop that sells "a wide variety of snacks, hot and cold drinks and alcoholic beverages".

After taking this photo the lady barista came up to me and asked me why I took a picture. I said I wanted to show my friends and she said it wasn't permitted. "you mean we're not supposed to take pictures of the coffee shop?" I asked in amused incredulity. (This is a tourist boat and people take pictures all the time) "yes just the coffee shop. I think it's to protect its IP rights or something".

Now at this point I had a choice. I am an IP lawyer, as it happens, and what she said made no sense plus you can't mysteriously add terms to a contract (like prohibitions on coffee shop pictures). So I could have got cross and given her a dressing down and brought down the full force of the law. But I decided to experiment with a different personality and merely smiled and said "how odd".

She then said "now I know the reason you've taken the picture that's fine" and we proceeded to have a very jolly chat about shift work on ferries which finished with her saying she hoped to see me again soon.

Just as well as otherwise I might have had to avoid the ferry for a few years - just as I had to stop catching the taxi in Farnham after an argument with one of the taxi drivers. I've only recently started catching them again.....