User: I can't access the system, it keeps asking me to change my password!
Me: ....
Me: Tried changing your password?
User: Not yet

reminds me of our corporate portal. that insists for 2 special characters and numbers and upper/ lower case letters. you can't recycle passwords and forced to set forgettable passwords and then have to call help desk to reset the same.
and I hated it...

wish I had the courage to say the same as op....

Yikes! That is sad.