The not so nice ones are snooty to the extreme. I stopped at a cave dive shop that was nearby an OW spring that I was diving and had some rented aluminum 80's that I wanted filled. Without being in the shop for more than 30 seconds the lady working there says with her nose held high and referring to our AL 80's, "oh- we are a cave dive shop so there is nothing here for you." That's verbatim. Okay- that's fine. My buddy was going to look at wetsuits (which they had) and I was looking for a decent light (again which they had) and we were going to purchase some tank fills but they obviously did not want our money even though we were the ONLY ONES IN THE SHOP.
Don't think so bucky.
I have spent several months with Cathy over the past 7 years of cave diving in that general area and have observed her interactions with all manner of customers. She is courteous and accomodating to all, bar none, even some less pleasant customers. She has served the spring divers, river muck divers, cave divers and non-divers equally. The above codswallop is at best incomplete, at worst some sort of axe grinding.
As to cave diving being the pinnacle of diving? No, being a well trained, safe, situationally concious teammate is the pinnacle of diving, no matter where the diving takes place. If your'e there, I don't care how many/few plastic cards you have, I would welcome you on a dive together.