Someone mentioned that you're allowed to try on a jacket before you buy it.
Anyone ever tried on a jacket, walked out the store with it, came back from lunch?
Ever tested a fridge, taken it home, checked if it'd keep your food cold enough, taken it back w/o purchasing it?
Ever gone into glen cove auto and said, here's my drivers license and 1 credit card, lemme test drive that ferrari 360 F1, oh yeah, and you don't get to come with me.

With that said, my girlfriend went to one bike shop where they practically INSISTED she try on a bike when we told them we did not want to buy a bike at the time. They actually took up 2 bikes from the shop for her to test out on the streets. All we did was leave behind her bike, which was worth 1/5th the price. We went around the block.

If the service is good and friendly, I wouldn't completely shun the shop just because they didn't allow me to go further than the parking lot. Especially in NYC.