Right, and banning a customer from a store is equivalent to a computer denying a request from a remote client. But in this case, the computer didn't deny the request.
No, banning a customer is almost exactly equivalent to sending the sort of C&D letter that Craigslist sent. I'm banned from Walmart for life, and was asked to sign a trespass warning explaining that if I'm found on Walmart property, I'll be charged with trespassing. That's Walmart's right.
Just because the door is open doesn't mean that everyone is welcome to go through it. The same holds true for websites just as it holds true for grocery stores.
