"a cup of tea, without the teabag" *grin*....Yep, I know that routine!
I went to a restaurant in Colorado (Poudre Canyon) for breakfast. They had a menu with combos listed. Hashbrowns, Sausage, toast, one egg was one item. ($1.75, I think) I don't eat eggs. I asked for just the other items. "That would be $2.25" "Huh?" "You're ordering ala carte"..."You mean, you charge me 50¢ to NOT cook an egg?" "Well, that's the price for just the 3 items."
   I'll confess, I was too befuddled to just let them cook the egg, then throw it away. I wonder now if ordering "#3, hold the egg" would have made any difference.

I get practically apoplectic when clerks can't comprehend something unless it is said in the right order, with the terminology they were 'taught'. ....and NO ONE can make change anymore! And they have totally lost the concept that putting the coins on TOP of the bills makes it harder to put away!