CableCards and Truck Rolls - Why?

I'm not really a TV watcher, so I've never bothered with more than basic cable and an old POS VCR for time-shifting. But, my wife religiously follows "So You Think You Can Dance" and is often out on Wednesday evenings, so I succumbed and bought a TiVo last month. I have only good things to say about the TiVo. It does what it is supposed to as a DVR, let's me stream Netflix to it, and a bunch of other stuff.

But, WTF with Cablevision requiring a truck roll to install an M-card in the TiVo. Here is what is required.
1. Plug in the card
2. Wait a while. In this case it was about 45 minutes while the m-card (not the TiVo) required a firmware update.
3. Copy a few numbers off the screen
4. Call a dispatcher and tell them the number

Now, I fully understand how there is no up-channel with the current DOCSIS standard, so the card can't inform CableVision directly that it has bonded with the TiVo. But seriously, do we need a tech to come out and read a few numbers? I get the feeling they keep it difficult to discourage 3rd party boxes as opposed to their own (less flexible) offerings.

How can we fix this?

When you call to ask for the m-card installation, they could offer self-install. For that, they send you a card and a set of instructions which point you do their web site. The site guides you through the procedure (for various DVR models) and leads you to a page where you can enter the numbers. In fact, they could even charge you a $20 activation fee and it would still be cheaper for everyone and more convenient as well.