How do you survive out here?

I am standing in line in the chilly rain, waiting to pick up lunch. I wait for five minutes. The man in front of me waits for four minutes. The man is not reading a magazine. He is not listening to an iPod. He is staring directly ahead. There is a large chalkboard behind the the checkout girl. We are facing this chalkboard as we approach the girl. There is only one thing written on the board. The words are directly above her head. They read, “Today’s soup: Vegetable $3.50”. The man reaches the girl.

Him: What is your soup today?
The girl: Vegetable.
Him: Turkey vegetable?
The girl: Vegetable.