...they can't simply say no, we can't serve such a complicated request, on an individual judgment basis...
While I'm sympathetic, I think it would be difficult to use "complicated" as a criterion because a) what is "simple" to me or you may not be at all simple to the uncertainly-trained person behind the counter (given how chintzy UA has become about ticket-training agents, it's another reason to use ticket-by-mail, imo, where everyone is a pro); and b) (and probably more likely) what may appear simple at the beginning of a transaction turns into something that's not simple.
I wish there were a line for "I Know What I'm Doing and Won't Take Much of Your Time."