The only possibility is that the remote  userid you used to make the test
is an  owner of the  list (or a postmaster  for LISTSERV). In  that case,
since the issuer of the command has  the privilege to add himself with an
ADD command,  LISTSERV doesn't ask the  other owner(s) to do  it for him.
The SUBSCRIBE  is refused  so as not  to cause panic  among the  ranks of
owners who want to "make sure that the list is indeed closed" :-)
 
  Eric