Can I take a picture?

I still regularly meet up with my former colleagues from my consulting days, mostly Captain Britain, Luke and The Boy, but I am on friendly terms with most of the guys and gals back from those days. Last week I met up with the gang for some drinks at some fashionable Japanese type semi-standing bar in Shibuya. There were about 6 of us and we were having a pretty good time, laughing, drinking and talking in the otherwise empty place.

Since the next day would be a working day we were getting ready to pack up and go home around 10pm, but just as we were about to finishing our drinks a "reporter" with a cameraman had come into the bar and approached our table and asked if we would mind if she took some pictures of us enjoying the place since she was going to write a feature of the place for some magazine. Since the place was otherwise empty and our crowd probably looked international and all with a mix of Japanese, westerners and half-breeds like me, we were probably her only chance to get some pictures of customers having a good time.

She asked us just about the time we were reaching for our jackets, and Dr. Y became the representative of our group, telling the reporter that we really were on our way home and didn't want to stay for 10-15min longer just to let them take some pictures. He expressed this and after a few seconds of silence added "but... if you buy us a round of beer, we can stay for 15min longer...". She immediately answered "Sure!" and actually ran to the bar to get us our drinks.

We stayed for 30min longer and had a plenty good time. They'll send me the magazine as well when it's out. So, if this happens to you, do like Dr. Y and negotiate!