Two brothers who cruise and swing successfully

So I’m picking up coffee at the fabulous and wonderful Nas (that stands for “natural and superior,” which it is, but I call it “everything that’s right with America”). They got my drink started before I even asked, which is yet another reason I go to this place – they rule.

The guy behind me in line orders a “quadruple espresso,” and the counter lady shoots back, with a laugh, “There’s a penalty for changing your regular order!”

And the guy, completely flat and not at all joking, goes “I’ll TELL you what the penalty is. I’m not PAYING for it.”

The counter lady and I exchange a brief, mild “WTF?” look over the cup she’s handing me, and I go on my merry way.

And, seriously, WTF? You don’t have to say something knock-them-off-their-chairs funny, just something that indicates that you, a human, recognize that another humanoid life form has offered you a low-stakes social interaction, and you respond in kind. Why not say:

“Oh shit – back of the line for me, huh?”

“I have to shotgun a black cherry mocha with four vanilla syrups?”

“No coffee for you!” [Coffee Nazi]

Or just, “Ha!”

Why this aggro bullshit with the not getting of the joke? That guy, ucch. I bet he dates a Janice.