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Right. It's visually jarring, kind of stressful. It's part of a long sequence of shots of crappy things the replicant has to deal with. It may not be a reasonable test, but it's meant to show submission and mental coherence in the face of all the horrible treatment he endures. Later, he doesn't do very well and we get to see Ryan act out some cognitive dissonance.

> The scene is meant to be accepted symbolically, not literally.

This is key. The purpose of the scene is to establish within 30 seconds what K's relationship is to the agency he works for, and by some extension, to the rest of the society he lives in. And the scene is brilliantly effective at accomplishing that task.

> The scene is meant to be accepted symbolically, not literally.

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