The waitress was right!

She was perpetuating the tyranny of the institutional power structure.

What the other fella said.

But as Bobby Dupea remarks once they're all back inside the car, he didn't get what he wanted in the end...

I like that he somehow gets his small revenge against the "establishment" in Hal Ashby's 'The Last Detail' three years later, in the scene were Nicholson, Young and Quaid are in a diner and Quaid's character orders a cheeseburger which arrives with the cheese not grilled as he asked. Quaid being an introvert he doesn't dare send it back, but Nicholson does, gets one with the cheese grilled exactly right and tells Quaid: "See, Meadows? It's just as easy to have it the way you want it."

She was being rude. And, its a ridiculous policy. I have never heard of a diner that did not serve toast. His request was very reasonable.

i agree with the "no substitutions" rule but:

WTF kind of a cheap looking 70's diner makes that rule? doesn't 90% of their business revolve around toast?
imagine if Jules Winnfield ordered his muffin and the waitress was like "sawry sir.. muffins only come with a full breakfast.."

garçon would've been history.

The "I want you to hold it between your knees" line was one of the best of 1970. Definitely a Nicholson top 10.

He gave her a loophole to still follow the rule and get his toast, while giving a huge mark up on the bill, which jacks up her tip and she still played the stickler bitch. It was easy. He just wanted five easy pieces of toast.