The SR-71 story I like is one that may or may not be true.
Allegedly, there was a lot of radio chatter one day, with various airline pilots requesting altitude changes in an attempt to find smoother air. Requests came in a steady flow.
In a less-busy moment, a call was made to ATC from a military flight: "XXX Center, [Military flight so-and-so] requesting (flight level) six-zero-zero (60 thousand feet above sea level). Center's response was a hearty chuckle and "[Flight so-and-so], change approved. If you can make it there."
A cheerful response came back: "XXX Center, thanks. [Flight so-and-so] out of eight-zero-zero (80 thousand feet!) for six-zero-zero."
jb